Al Aasy grabs Gordon Richards glory

Al Aasy came from last to first to claim top honours in the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown.

The William Haggas-trained veteran was a 15-2 shot for his seasonal reappearance as he went in search of a seventh Group Three success and a 10th career victory overall.

Dropped out last for much of the 10-furlong contest by Jim Crowley, Al Aasy began to edge closer racing inside the final two furlongs before quickening up smartly to beat the front-running Ancient Wisdom by half a length.

Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: “I think Jim has got the hang of him now and gave him a beautiful ride. He just waited and waited and the mile-and-a-quarter pace suited him well.

“I was worried he might be a bit fresh today as he has been quite fresh at home, but he was immaculate through the race and Jim just waited and gave him a beautiful ride – it was perfect.

“We knew he was in good form and he’s looked great all winter and if you could have a yard full of horses like Al Aasy and Hamish, then you would be laughing.”

With Ancient Wisdom joined on the front end by his stablemate Arabian Crown, Al Aasy got the strong pace he craves on his first start as an eight-year-old, allowing Crowley to bide his time.

The only filly in the field, Andrew Balding’s 11-4 favourite See The Fire, loomed up looking a big threat, but her challenge petered out when it mattered, whereas Al Aasy – who was narrowly denied a Group One win by Pyledriver in the 2021 Coronation Cup – swooped late to emerge victorious.

“He’d shown quite a bit (of talent) before he was gelded, but he also showed quite a few unattractive traits and he liked the girls too much and wasn’t really concentrating on what he was doing,” Haggas added.

“He needed gelding and he’s now paying us back for looking after him in his earlier years and he’s just a lovely horse to have about.”

On a potential second tilt at the Coronation Cup, she said: “I don’t know if we’d head back to Epsom. I actually meant to say to William to put Hamish (second to Luxembourg last year) in that race as by then it’s bound to have rained.

“It could be an option for Al Aasy, but we will go for whatever there is around that is a mile and a quarter or mile and a half that suits.”