Norman’s Cay edges victory in Brocklesby battle

Norman’s Cay lined up in the William Hill Top Price Guarantee EBF Brocklesby Stakes as the most expensive juvenile in the race and he just lived up to his billing when prevailing by a nose at Doncaster.

Richard Hannon’s colt cost big-spending Amo Racing 60,000 guineas, which for an organisation who spent millions in the last sales season, is comparatively little in the bloodstock world.

His price, coupled with hailing from the same connections who won the race in 2022 with Persian Force, saw him sent off the 3-1 favourite but David Egan looked in trouble a furlong out.

Jonathan Portman’s Son Of Sarabi, a 25-1 chance, had first run on him and looked like holding on but Norman’s Cay got up in the final stride to win by a nose.

“He’s always found things quite easy and he’s there in his coat, which a lot of mine aren’t yet, so it made sense to run him,” said Hannon.

“I loved the way he ran on, he looked beaten. Sometimes in the Brocklesby they go flat out from the stalls and fall in a heap, but it actually looked a nice race.

“He’s a nice horse, he’ll get better and he looks like he wants six (furlongs). We’ve a lot of nice two-year-olds so I don’t know where he’ll end up.

“It’s a slight problem in winning a class two that you have to go somewhere loud or carry a big penalty, but at least this was good money and worth winning.”

Retired TV presenter Robert Cooper was part of the syndicate which owns the runner-up and said: “A nose, can you believe it.

“He was unsold at the sales and cost next to nothing but Jonny (Portman, trainer) said he’d done everything right and there was no reason not to run.”