Aljady continues winning spree for Cowell

Ashley Iveson
September 22, 2020 4:38 pm

Beverley success is fourth of season after gelding’s change of scene.

Aljady finished with a flourish to claim his fourth victory of the season in the feature race at Beverley.

Having lost his form for Richard Fahey towards the end of last season, the five-year-old changed hands for 42,000 guineas in October – and has been completely reinvigorated since joining Robert Cowell and being campaigned solely over sprint distances.

Since making a successful debut for his new connections at Haydock in early June, Aljady has added wins at Windsor and Sandown to his record, as well as finishing a close-up seventh in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood.

Cowell’s charge was the 11-10 favourite for his latest assignment in the Eddie And Violet Smith Conditions Stakes – but it was not plain sailing for the market leader, with rapid older sprinters Caspian Prince and Ornate ensuring the pace was strong.

Aljady gets his fourth win of the season in the Eddie And Violet Smith Conditions Stakes for trainer @cowellracing, a well timed challenge by jockey @bishopcharlie12 😮 pic.twitter.com/xNGYOdRCeF
— Beverley Racecourse (@Beverley_Races) September 22, 2020

Aljady was under pressure to keep up racing inside the final couple of furlongs, but came home strongly in the hands of Charles Bishop to get up and beat Orvar by half a length – with Caspian Prince just over two lengths away in third.

Cowell said: “He’s a very good horse who was showing plenty of potential before we even ran him this year, so I’m not surprised he’s got to the lofty rating he has, to be honest.

“Both myself and Tom Morley loved him at the sales and were surprised to get him for the price we did.

“He keeps improving, he’s adaptable over five and six furlongs and handles fast or soft ground – he’s an owner’s dream.

“I think he deserves to go into black type company now, and we’ll probably look at the Rous Stakes at Ascot (October 3) next.”

Charlie Fellowes wins at Beverley (Tim Goode/PA)

The George Scott-trained Charlie Fellowes finally got his head in front for the first time in the opening Beverley Annual Badgeholders Novice Auction Stakes.

Named after Scott’s friend and fellow Newmarket-based trainer, the equine Charlie Fellowes has proved frustrating to follow – filling the runner-up spot on three successive occasions before this appearance on the Westwood.

However, the 13-8 market leader broke his duck in some style – making most of the running and passing the post with seven lengths in hand under Paul Mulrennan.

Scott said: “He has been pretty consistent and he has been unfortunate to bump into various horses at various times. He was slightly mugged at Ripon by what could be a nice filly (Setantii Girl).

“We put some cheek-pieces on him, and he has put in a solid display. He is clearly improving and hopefully he will carry on.”

Fellowes trains a two-year-old named George Scott, who has failed to win in two starts to date.

Scott added: “Charlie and I are great mates, and we decided to set up a podcast (Off The Bridle Podcast) where we knocked a few ideas around – and one of them was to buy each other a horse and name it after the other person.

“We filled the syndicates up through listeners and existing owners who wanted a share for the entertainment value, while we each retained a share ourselves.

“Charlie loves to talk, so it is lovely to have the bragging rights! He is always giving me grief and he has slightly had the upper hand over the last couple of years with better quality horses, so this is a small win over him.

“At the end of the day, us trainers are all in it together – and to have a bit of camaraderie like this is a good thing. “

Naamoos justified cramped odds of 4-11 in the Racing To School ebfstallions.com Novice Stakes for trainer Mark Johnston and jockey Joe Fanning, before Roger Varian’s 2-7 shot Valyrian Steel and David Egan carried the same colours of owner Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa to success in the RFM Equinephotos Novice Stakes.

James Bethell’s Idoapologise (11-4) also obliged for favourite backers in the Eddie Moll Handicap under Kevin Stott.

Apprentice Faye McManoman, meanwhile, was seen to good effect aboard the Nigel Tinkler-trained Not On Your Nellie (12-1) in the Churchill Tyres Handicap.

Mick Easterby’s Casilli was a 14-1 winner of the Churchill Tyres A Great British Brand Handicap, with David Allan doing the steering, and the Brian And Jason Merrington Memorial Handicap went to Mick Appleby’s 7-2 favourite Double Reflection, under a fine ride from Josephine Gordon.