Fujaira Prince rules for punters after claiming big Ebor prize

Racing’s principal source of income in the current time of spectator-less tracks is a slice of the profits from off-course betting, but there will be very little to add to the positive side of the balance sheet after Fujaira Prince’s comfortable success in the £250,000 Ebor Handicap here on Saturday.

Like most big handicaps, the Ebor is sponsored by a bookie – Skybet, in this case – which, over the season as a whole, tells its own tale of beaten favourites and unexpected “skinners” that mean all but a few pennies in the pound remain in the satchel.

The last dozen favourites for the Ebor had been beaten but Fujaira Prince never looked likely to be an unlucky 13th for the punters, even when the 40-1 shot Scarlet Dragon charged into the lead halfway down the straight.

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Andrea Atzeni soon had the move covered aboard Fujaira Prince, the 11-2 favourite, having ridden a perfect race from a backer’s point of view. Fujaira Prince was quickly away from the stalls and then settled within striking distance of the lead through the first mile and a quarter, to leave all options open and little danger of traffic problems as the field turned for home.

Atzeni was able to wait until inside the final quarter-mile to take the lead and once Fujaira Prince was in front, the outcome was in no doubt. Glencadam Glory stayed on to finish half a length behind him at the line, with Nicky Henderson’s Verdana Blue – more familiar to punters as a Grade One-winning hurdler – back in third.

“That was very, very smooth,” Atzeni said. “He jumped nicely, the plan was always to go forward and get a nice position, which we did, and he stayed on all the way to the line. He’s a very willing partner, very easy to deal with, he’s the sort of horse that you can put anywhere in a race and that makes my life a lot easier.”

Having landed Europe’s most valuable handicap on the level, these are attributes which would make Fujaira Prince an interesting contender for the most valuable Flat handicap anywhere, and he was swiftly cut from 40-1 to around 20-1 for the Melbourne Cup by Paddy Power. He is, however, a fragile horse too, which may temper enthusiasm for a long trip to the Antipodes.

“The expression ‘made of glass’ would really apply to this guy,” Roger Varian, his trainer, said. “We space his races out and the biggest number he has ever had in a season is the three he had last year.

“We’ll try to match that this year but I’m not sure if he is a Melbourne Cup horse. We obviously like the idea and we’ll see what Sheikh Mohammed Obaid [his owner] wants to do, but I think we could freshen him up and maybe look at the stayers’ race on Champions Day [in October].”

Nick Rust, the British Horseracing Authority’s chief executive, said on Saturday that the authority hopes to announce next week new trial dates for a return of spectators to racecourses, alongside details of an overall “recovery plan” for the racing industry following the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re expecting in our discussions with DCMS that there will be an announcement this week from Government around further pilots,” Rust said on ITV’s The Opening Show on Saturday morning. “We’re hoping to have further pilots in the lead-up to the intended return for all sports crowds of 1 October.

Cartmel
12.45 Duty Girl
1.15 Finisk River
1.45 Glan Y Gors
2.15 Yccs Portocervo
2.45 Takingitallin
3.15 Dee Star
3.50 Carys' Commodity
4.20 That's My Dubai

Wolverhampton
1.20 Ready Freddie Go
1.55 Lethal Blast
2.25 Hard Solution
2.55 Blazing Hot
3.30 Harbour Vision
4.05 Freedom And Wheat
4.40 Notion Of Time
5.10 My Brother Mike
5.40 Kings Royal Hussar

Sandown Park
1.25 Maximal
2.00 Mountain Peak
2.30 Victory Chime (nap)
3.05 Billesdon Brook
3.40 Etonian
4.15 Dandys Derriere (nb)
4.50 Sun Tide
5.20 Yellow Tiger

“We’ve had a good start [following the resumption of racing on 1 June] and the recovery plan needs to kick on from that. We want a full resumption of raceday activities, including crowds obviously, and the full experience for owners again.

“There are nine goals and there’s a clear leadership across racing to deliver this, and you’ll see it next week.”