By Tom Frary
With last year's G2 Sandown Mile winner Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) ruled out of the 2019 renewal of the Bet365-sponsored test due to the lack of rain, it was left to the G2 Celebration Mile and G2 Summer Mile scorer Beat the Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) to uphold the standard and continue the King Power Racing momentum on Friday. Granted a perfect lead by his useful stablemate Zwayyan (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the 7-4 joint-favourite took a while to find his stride when the crunch came but eventually ousted the other market-leader Sharja Bridge (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) passing the furlong pole en route to a half-length success. “He is very tough and he did a similar thing last year at Ascot and Goodwood when he looked beaten then found again,” commented in-form trainer Andrew Balding. “At some stage we will try a mile and a quarter, but I think we will try the [G1] Lockinge at Newbury May 18] next and take it from there. He deserves to win a group one.”
This was Beat the Bank's fourth success at this level, with the 2017 Joel S. also on his resume. This year's Lockinge may not be a vintage renewal and any improvement on this effort may be enough before he makes the journey to the Royal meeting in June. “The whole reason King Power Racing was formed was to have runners at Royal Ascot, so he'll have an entry there,” his trainer added. “It was his first run of the year in the Lockinge last year, he wasn't firing then, but I've been really happy with him this spring.” Sharja Bridge will be at Newbury to renew rivalry according to trainer Roger Varian. “He ran well and has probably not done too much wrong. He was outbattled a little bit,” he said. “He had to step up again, but we are talking about a horse that won a handicap on his final start last season and won a listed race at Doncaster very well. I don't know why, but I think he is better on a flat track. He probably deserves to line up in a Lockinge.”
Beat the Bank is one of King Power's originals, having been bought out of Darren Bunyan's yard in Ireland two years ago. The dam, who had also produced the listed-placed Salt Island (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), is connected to the G3 Molecomb S. winner and G1 Commonwealth Cup runner-up Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}). Her as-yet unraced 3-year-old filly Chil Chil (GB) by Salt Island's sire Exceed and Excel cost these connections 500,000gns at the 2017 Tattersalls October Book 2 Sale, while she also has a 2-year-old filly by Showcasing (GB) and a yearling filly by Muhaarar (GB).
Friday, Sandown Park, Britain
BET365 MILE-G2, £100,000, Sandown, 4-26, 4yo/up, 8f 25yT, 1:43.23, g/f.
1–BEAT THE BANK (GB), 127, g, 5, by Paco Boy (Ire)
1st Dam: Tiana (GB) (SP-Eng), by Diktat (GB)
2nd Dam: Hill Welcome (GB), by Most Welcome (GB)
3rd Dam: Tarvie, by Swing Easy
(18,000gns RNA Wlg '14 TATFOA; 30,000gns Ylg '15 TAOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-A S Denniff (GB); T-Andrew Balding; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 15-8-0-0, $512,710. *1/2 to Salt Island (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sharja Bridge (GB), 127, h, 5, Oasis Dream (GB)–Quetena (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger). (500,000gns Ylg '15 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (GB); T-Roger Varian. £21,500.
3–Regal Reality (GB), 127, c, 4, Intello (Ger)–Regal Realm (GB), by Medicean (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £10,760.
Margins: HF, 1, 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 1.75, 7.00.
Also Ran: Suedois (Fr), Mitchum Swagger (GB), Oh This Is Us (Ire), Zwayyan (GB). Scratched: Addeybb (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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