Majestic start for Appleby and Buick at Newmarket

Godolphin team bag opening event of the Craven meeting.

Charlie Appleby and William Buick got this year’s Craven meeting at Newmarket off to the perfect start as Majestic Pride justified favouritism in the bet365 British EBF Conditions Stakes.

The reigning champion trainer and jockey invariably prove a formidable combination on the Rowley Mile and Majestic Pride was a 2-1 market leader for his first start since winning at Chelmsford in November.

The Shamardal colt was being niggled at with over two of the seven furlongs still to run, but responded to Buick’s urgings to grab the lead and was always doing enough from racing out of the dip to hold the challenge of Holguin at bay, with a neck separating the pair at the line.

Majestic Pride holds an entry for the Qipco 2000 Guineas on May 6, but Appleby does not currently consider him a contender for the season’s first Classic.

He said: “This horse has been on the runners list for a few weeks, so I didn’t think he was going to lack for fitness today.

“He’s a horse, that with the ground being on the slow side as it is out there, all his family go on it, even though he’s by Shamardal.

“Going forward, I’ll speak to William but I don’t think he’s a Guineas horse.

“We’ll probably look at the race back here – the King Charles II (May 5) over seven furlongs.”

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