Appleby thrilled to see Military Order advertise Classic credentials

‘I was delighted with that, he learnt plenty today’.

Charlie Appleby has already used the Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes to prepare one Betfred Derby winner – and he was left “delighted” by the performance of Military Order, who will now head to Epsom primed to perfection attempting to give the Moulton Paddocks handler his third victory in the Classic.

The Frankel colt had won two of his first three outings, but this was his first real test as he tried to justify the lofty reputation that being a full-brother to a Derby and King George winner brings.

Military Order’s elder sibling Adayar finished second in the Lingfield feature in 2021 before triumphing at Epsom, and Military Order proved he is indeed made of similar stuff, showing his quality under a fine ride from William Buick to hold off Ed Walker’s Waipiro.

The Listed triumph now puts him firmly in the Derby picture, and Appleby believes the experience at Lingfield will serve him well ahead of his big-race assignment on the Surrey Downs in three weeks time.

He said: “I was delighted with that, he learnt plenty today and it was a great ride by William.

“We were going in there today with confidence based on what he had achieved to date.

“It was a mile and a half with the race being on the all-weather track, so we saw him see it out well.

“He has a pedigree and a profile there that is coming along very nicely into hopefully a Derby horse. I know he has now gone joint-favourite (for the Derby) and deservedly so. We will obviously now be keeping an eye on what happens next week in the Dante, but I was very pleased with him.

“I’m just delighted to see Military Order confirm he is the horse we feel he hopefully is going forward.”

Waterlogging to Lingfield’s turf track meant the trials day card was run on the all-weather for the first time since 2012 – with Appleby enjoying a fine afternoon on the synthetics as Eternal Hope gave him a first success in the Fitzdares Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes.

The daughter of Teofilo does not hold an entry for Epsom on June 2 and may not be seen until the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot, but equally the Moulton Paddocks handler has not ruled out adding her to the Oaks line-up and will be keeping a close eye on how the fillies’ Classic is shaping up, particularly in terms of the ground.

Eternal Hope ridden by jockey William Buick winning the Fitzdares Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes
Eternal Hope ridden by jockey William Buick winning the Fitzdares Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes (Steven Paston/PA)

“The filly had experience on the synthetics and travelled round there well and picked up well and saw it out well as well, so I was really pleased with that,” continued Appleby.

“What sort of strength of depth was in there, we will have to wait and see.

“But in terms of supplementing her for an Oaks, we didn’t run her in the Pretty Polly at Newmarket because of the ground so that would have to be something we keep an eye on and therefore the likelihood is we will look more towards the Ribblesdale with her.

“I’m not saying we won’t (supplement) and we will be keeping an eye on the Oaks picture.”

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