Appleby keeping faith with Masar

Horse Racing
Appleby keeping faith with Masar

Charlie Appleby is hopeful that Masar will bounce back from a disappointing week and rediscover his Epsom Derby winning form.

The four-year-old colt hit the headlines in June 2018 when he secured victory for owners Godolphin in the Derby at Epsom, only for a leg injury to prematurely end his season.

Masar then recovered from a stumble to record a fifth-place finish on his seasonal return in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

However, an expected win in Thursday’s Group Two Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket failed to materialise with Masar finishing last from six runners.

Despite that outcome, Appleby is adamant he is keeping faith with Masar to get back to winning ways.

‘He came out the race well and there were no problems at all.

The discussion will go on over the next week before we make a decision on what lies in his future,’ said Appleby.

‘At the end of the day he is a horse that owes us nothing and he gave us a fantastic day last year (at Epsom).

On the flip side of that, his work last week was so good we came into this meeting confident that we would hopefully get him back on the winning track.

‘He has had two starts this year.

The first was a messy race for him – having the start he did – and this time we got trapped wide and ran too free.

It would be lovely to see him have another crack at it where he can get himself into a lovely rhythm and we can see what he has done before.

‘No one will change my mind at all.

Does he still have the ability? Yes.

The main thing is he has pulled up sound.

‘The York Stakes in a couple of weeks’ time will come too quick, so at the moment, there is no real set plan.’

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