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| Staff Writer |
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Charlie Appleby put a mixed start to the season behind him by registering his second double of the Craven meeting with Military Code and Indian Spring in the opening two contests on Thursday.
The Godolphin trainer has seen the likes of Mountain Breeze, Al Qudra, Verse Of Love, Aomori City and Opera Ballet beaten in trials in recent days, although he did leave his home track on Tuesday with a brace.
And Military Code, a homebred colt by Wootton Bassett, has him thinking of Royal Ascot after winning the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at 6-1 in just a five-runner race.
Appleby said: "We came here with a bit of confidence, but then he went on the drift in the market – probably related to the kind of week we've had. He'd done some nice work and as a physical you can't fault him.
"We've got a little group of 2YOs we like and hopefully they'll all come along together. We'd hoped he'd be an Ascot-type horse and he's still on track."
Standing in the winners' enclosure, Appleby was already mapping out potential plans for his promising juvenile.
"We'll let the dust settle, we might look at the National Stakes which would be over five (furlongs) again, but we've potentially got another couple of 2YOs so we'll see where they are as well – standing here you'd probably say six will be his trip, the Coventry."
In the following Alex Scott Maiden Stakes, Indian Springs built on his promising sole run from last year.
Another homebred, the son of Too Darn Hot is related to the useful sprinter Lazuli but was up against other colts who had shown plenty of ability in their short careers.
One of those, Nakeeb, was always handy, while Mishriff's brother Kaleido was the one William Buick chose to follow on the 2-1 favourite.
Indian Springs showed a very smart turn of foot on entering the dip and quickened up to win by two and a half lengths from Nakeeb, with Kaleido keeping on nicely in third.
Buick told Racing TV: "He did that really nicely; he'd only had the one run at Kempton at the back end of last year so that was really pleasing.
"I think he'll improve in every way; I think he'll get a mile in time. He's bred to be quite speedy, but I loved the way he did it today, he relaxed and finished off strongly."
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Good Cheer, the likely favourite for the Gr.1 Kentucky Oaks in May, impressed in her latest workout at Churchill Downs, breezing five furlongs in a sharp :59 2/5.
The undefeated Godolphin homebred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, partnered with trainer Brad Cox's exercise rider Edvin Vargas, worked alongside stablemate Saucier before edging clear on the gallop out.
"The work was executed very well," Cox said. "She was meant to sit a couple lengths off her workmate and ranged up alongside at the quarter pole. She eased away a little bit on the gallop out. Overall, I thought it was a really good move."
Good Cheer is perfect in six starts, including victories in the Gr.2 Golden Rod Stakes, Gr.2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, and Gr.2 Fair Grounds Oaks. Cox, a two-time Kentucky Oaks winner with Monomoy Girl and Shedaresthedevil, added: "I think we have some unfinished business with her. The Oaks will be the biggest challenge she's had to date, maybe the biggest she'll ever have, given the caliber of this race."