bet365 Classic Trial Stakes |
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| Group 3, Sandown 15:35 £85,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 1f 209y, Class 1 |
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There has been a quiet but unmistakable shift in recent seasons at Barbury Castle, where the Flat string of Alan King has begun to carry a little more weight than might once have been the case. Known primarily for his exploits over jumps, King has already shown he can operate at the highest level on the Flat, not least through Trueshan, and there is a sense that Spyce could yet add another layer to that narrative as the new season unfolds.
So game!
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 16, 2025
Spyce - who has a Futurity Trophy entry - stays straight and true throughout, putting his experience to good use and claiming this maiden contest...@Rossaryan15 | @GTYarmouthRaces pic.twitter.com/Ao1y9WQX3v
Spyce’s profile is that of a colt who has progressed with each step. A promising second in York’s Convivial maiden on debut was followed by a breakthrough success at Yarmouth, before he signed off his juvenile campaign with a creditable effort in the Zetland Stakes at Newmarket, finishing behind the current Epsom favourite Pierre Bonnard. It is the kind of form that invites the inevitable question: how far might he go?
The early answer is likely to come in one of the recognised Derby trials, where his Classic credentials will be tested more rigorously. King, for his part, is keeping his options open, guided as much by the horse as by the calendar.
“He’s working away really well and I’m not completely sure where he will start yet but it will be a Derby trial somewhere,” he said.
“He was fourth in the Zetland at Newmarket which was a mile and a quarter at the back-end of last season so I think he will be wanting 10 furlongs plus.
“I’ll see when he’s ready, I had Sandown in the back of my head for the Derby trial there (April 24), but we’ll just see how we’re getting on.”
It is a typically measured approach, but one that leaves open the possibility that Spyce could emerge as a genuine contender as the trials begin to take shape.
Classic Trial Stakes 2025
£85,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 1f 209y, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (2) Swagman 3 9-3 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 9/2
2 (3) ¾ Windlord 3 9-3 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 5/4F
3 (5) ½ Damysus 3 9-3 John & Thady Gosden William Buick 13/2
4 (4) 2¼ Sir Dinadan 3 9-3 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 12/1
5 (1) 5½ I Am I Said 3 9-3 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch 3/1
