Amichi makes no mistake to land Newmarket riches

‘You had to come for the sales race as he was eligible for it’.

Owner Laurence Bellman was thrilled to see Amichi secure a lucrative victory in the GBP 100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket.

A relatively cheap purchase at 15,500 guineas, Ed Walker’s grey was well beaten on his Newbury debut in early July, but showed the benefit of being gelded when opening his account on his second start at Kempton earlier this month.

The son of Gutaifan was an 11-2 chance to follow up on the July Course and after racing to the lead over a furlong out, he stuck to his guns to hold Miss Jungle Cat at bay by three-quarters of a length under Ray Dawson.

Eddie’s Boy, winner of Newbury’s Super Sprint, ran another creditable race in third.

Bellman said: “It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve got to thank Ed Sackville and Ed Walker. They have always liked him. He was very frisky once he started getting on the gallops.

“In his first race he was so naughty and completely didn’t know what was happening, so he had to be gelded straight away – literally two days afterwards.

“We were quite surprised how well he ran at Kempton and obviously he had to come to this race afterwards.

“He is still quite a baby, but he will stay further although he has got speed. You had to come for the sales race as he was eligible for it.

“I didn’t think it was a deep race. I didn’t think he would win but I hoped he would run well. I’m just so delighted.”

Ed Walker struck gold with Amichi
Ed Walker struck gold with Amichi (Mike Egerton/PA)

Amichi looks set to bid for further sales-race success in the GBP 150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes on the Rowley Mile on October 1.

“I’m sure we will go for that, but he is a three-year-old really,” Bellman added.

Walker came close to completing a big-race double in the following JenningsBet Hopeful Stakes, with his 3-1 favourite Great Ambassador a narrow third behind 14-1 winner Sam Maximus.

Sporting cheekpieces for the first time, James Horton’s three-year-old finished with a flourish to claim the Listed prize by a head from Vadream, with Great Ambassador only a neck further behind.

Fledgling trainer Horton, saddling his first stakes winner, said: “He was going back to a track where he’s run well in the past and there was a bit of juice in the ground, which we thought he might appreciate.

“Dropping in grade as well, we hoped he might run well and I think the cheekpieces have just helped him out a little bit.

“Winning any stakes race is a massive bonus and to have a Stakes winner in our first year is a huge compliment to the team and everyone who is working very hard at home.”

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