Cambridgeshire target for Goodwood hero Ajero

Simon Milham
August 1, 2022 9:19 am

Ebor not on the agenda for Kim Bailey’s charge.

Connections of Ajero will shelve any thoughts of heading to the Sky Bet Ebor as trainer Kim Bailey plots a path to the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket instead.

Following a string of four consecutive runner-up efforts, including when chasing home Candleford in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap on fast ground at Royal Ascot, the lightly-raced seven-year-old gained the sixth victory of his career in the Federation Of Bloodstock Handicap at Goodwood on Saturday.

Ajero broke the nine-furlong track record at the West Sussex course in the process.

😢 And so it ends.
A wonderful five days of action at #GloriousGoodwood ends with Ajero (7-2 fav) scoring for @kimbaileyracing and @JimCrowley1978. @Goodwood_Races #QGF pic.twitter.com/fgDFyYRSVG
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 30, 2022

The ultra-consistent gelding, owned by Julie and David Martin in partnership with Dan Hall, holds an entry for the Ebor, but Bailey has no thoughts of going back up in trip at York on August 20.

“It was great wasn’t it? He absolutely deserved that,” the Andoversford handler said of Ajero’s Goodwood triumph.

“The horse is absolutely fine. The owners had a horse running in Bahrain last year and thought it was good fun, but it was probably mooted as a bit of jest by Jim (Crowley, jockey) after the race the other day really – I don’t know anything about it.

“We will savour the day. We have had fun out of him, he is a wonderful horse and I’m sure we are going to have many more good days with him.

“I would be staggered if he got into the Ebor and I’m not 100 per cent sure he will get the (mile-and-three-quarters) trip. The Cambridgeshire is a possibility.

“He broke the track record on Saturday and ran at Ascot on probably the fastest ground you would ever come across. He won’t go on heavy ground, but good ground is perfect for him.”