bet365 Mile |
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| Group 2, Sandown 15:00 £165,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1  |
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1 Opera Ballo 4/1
2 Field Of Gold EvsF
3
Zeus Olympios 100/30
6 ran Distances: 3l, ¾l, 3¾l
Time: 1m 42.26s (slow by 1.16s)
Group 1 winner Opera Ballo makes all in the Group 2 @bet365 Mile! pic.twitter.com/9QSNEnmBHS
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 24, 2026
Opera Ballo lit up Sandown with a performance of authority and pace, making every yard to win in commanding fashion.
The son of Ghaiyyath had already shaped like a colt of considerable promise, winning four of his first five starts. While he had been found wanting behind Zeus Olympios in Newmarket’s Joel Stakes in the autumn, two emphatic victories in Dubai suggested he had returned a stronger proposition.
Sent off at 4/1 for this Group Two assignment, Charlie Appleby’s runner was allowed to stride on from the outset by William Buick, seizing the initiative and dictating matters throughout with a relentless rhythm.
Field Of Gold, last season’s Irish Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes hero, was expected to make a bold bid to atone for a below-par finish to his campaign and, sent off the even-money favourite, he delivered a late charge from the rear. He claimed second after seeing off the previously unbeaten Zeus Olympios, but neither ever truly threatened the leader.
Opera Ballo had matters firmly in hand, pulling clear to score by three lengths, a margin that scarcely flattered his superiority.
Appleby said: “William and I were chatting away yesterday and there wasn’t a pace angle declared, so we said let him do what his father did and jump and run.
“This horse is electric out of the gates and Will has always said he’ll take two or three lengths out of them out of the gates.
“It was a great ride from Will there and a track you could do that on. Full credit to the horses in behind for getting so close, as it was always going to be a tough ask once our lad built up that lead and he maintained the gallop well.
“I just loved the way he went down to post today and he just hacked – I knew then he was in a good place. You could probably mark that up and people are saying he’s the fit horse, but that was back in January. Maybe that run under his belt did help.
“Our plan was always to step back up to nine furlongs for the Prix d’Ispahan. I would imagine that’s where we will go.
“The Lockinge is of course there for us, but Notable Speech is on course for that.”
bet365 Mile (Group 2)
£165,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
