Aomori City shows his class with Vintage display

A step up to seven furlongs proved right up Aomori’s City’s street as the promising colt powered home to land the HKJC World Pool Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

A comfortable winner on his Nottingham debut in mid-June, the Oasis Dream colt was last seen finishing third behind Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket over six furlongs in the Group Two July Stakes at Newmarket.

In the absence of Whistlejacket’s stablemate The Parthenon, Aomori City was a 2-1 favourite to get back on the winning trail on the Sussex Downs and ultimately did so in some style under William Buick.

After sitting on the tail of the pacesetting Cool Hoof Luke for much of the way, Charlie Appleby’s youngster quickened up smartly when the gap came to grab the lead inside the final furlong and he passed the post with a length and three-quarters in hand over the staying-on Wolf Of Badenoch.

“He’s quite a hardy horse and he had to be there because we had to fight for our position around the turn and this fella was brave,” said Buick.

“Once we got into the slipstream of Oisin (Murphy, on Cool Hoof Luke), it was just a matter of getting out and this fella picked up instantly and won going away.

“He will stay a mile, whenever he needs to. For now seven furlongs is a good trip for him.

“He’s come through the ranks this horse and Charlie was adamant that seven furlongs would suit him.”