Buick stars at Sandown as Bayside Boy forms part of four-timer

Roger Varian’s colt bags first win of season.

Bayside Boy made the most of having his sights lowered in the Chasemore Farm Fortune Stakes to star in a Sandown four-timer for title-chasing William Buick.

Winner of the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster 12 months ago, Roger Varian’s colt went on to be placed behind the top-class pair of Native Trail and Luxembourg in successive Group Ones before the end of his juvenile campaign.

Bayside Boy was unable to land a telling blow on his three-year-old debut in the French 2000 Guineas, though – and having since finished down the field in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and a Group Three at Goodwood, he was dropped into Listed class on this occasion.

Sporting blinkers for the first time and ridden by William Buick, who had already ridden two winners on the card, the New Bay colt was the 4-6 favourite to get back on the winning trail.

And while it was not entirely plain sailing, with Bayside Boy hanging his head to the left early in the home straight, his class shone through in the end as he picked up to beat the front-running Sweet Believer by a length and a half.

Richard Ryan, racing manager to part-owners Teme Valley, said: “We’ve always thought an awful lot of him as Roger has. His two-year-old form was close to the very top.

“We’ve had an incredibly hot summer, which hasn’t helped. We’ve had to be patient for the ground and thankfully this was a chance for him to excel in conditions he relishes.

“I think he is capable of a big day when the conditions are right for him.”

Paddy Power cut the winner to 14-1 from 33-1 for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on October 15, but plans for the rest of the season remain fluid.

Roger Varian trains Bayside Boy
Roger Varian trains Bayside Boy (Simon Marper/PA)

Ryan added: “It (QEII) is certainly not off the table. He will go either there or the Arc weekend, but we will wait and see on the conditions.

“There is a mile and a quarter race there (ParisLongchamp, Prix Dollar) and he will also be in the mile race (Prix Daniel Wildenstein).”

Buick’s first two winners were provided by Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, with Local Dynasty (11-10) and Striking Star (15-8) both proving too good for their rivals in novice company.

Local Dynasty disappointed in last month’s Acomb Stakes at York, but having got back on track he could now be readied for the Group Three Autumn Stakes on October 8 – a race Appleby has previously won with Ghaiyyath (2017), One Ruler (2020) and this year’s 2000 Guineas hero Coroebus (2021).

Charlie Appleby and William Buick
Charlie Appleby and William Buick (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I’m pleased with that performance. I do blame myself slightly for that last defeat at York as I probably stepped him up too soon in his career to that level in those conditions,” said Appleby.

“More importantly he came out of that race well and learnt plenty and we went into today confident. Even though the ground had turned soft, we were hopeful he would handle it and he duly obliged.

“Going forward he is a horse we might potentially look at the Autumn Stakes with, or he could be a horse we just put away for the winter.”

Buick’s fourth and final victory of the afternoon came aboard the George Boughey-trained I’ll Be There (18-5) in the Coln Valley Stud Fillies’ Handicap.

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