Sea Silk Road (9-2) was a fitting winner of newly-renamed Sky Bet Lester Piggott Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday afternoon.
The late, great Piggott won both his first and last race of his glittering career at the Merseyside track and Haydock officials had been working with his family, including daughter Maureen Haggas – wife and assistant of the winner's trainer Willie Haggas – to find a suitable contest to be named in his honour. And it was fitting that Haggas' Sea Silk Road took the inaugural running of the contest formerly known as the Pinnacle Stakes, under a fine ride from Tom Marquand – one which the legendary multiple champion and Classic-winning jockey would have been proud of. Under Marquand, Sea Silk Road was sat last of the five runners for much of the 1m4f contest as outsider Poptronic led the way. But after the turn for home, Marquand came through horses to challenge the leader. Sea Silk Road hit the front in the final furlong and went on to score by three-quarters-of-a-length from Nachtrose (9-1). It was the perfect victory for connections, who were landing victory in the Pinnacle for a record third time and back-to-back runnings following Sea La Rosa's success 12 months ago in the same Sunderland Holding Inc's yellow and blue-starred colours.
Maureen Haggas, who was joined in the Haydock's winner's enclosure by her sister Tracy, said: "It's my father's race and things like this don't always happen, so it's nice when it does. Kirkland (Tellwright, clerk of the course) have been talking for a while as we wanted to have a race here, for obvious reasons. It was just a question of which one and this is a nice race on a nice day and a stepping-stone on to other things.
"It will be the Lester Piggott forever, which is nice. He was obviously a massive part of my life and we shared a lot of interests. It was hard on all of us when he died and I miss him terribly."
Now she has regained her form Sea Silk Road could potentially return to Merseyside for next month’s Group Two Lancashire Oaks. But connections were just happy to win the race and are hopeful she can continue in form, stepped up in grade – although a trip to Royal Ascot in two weeks is not on the agenda.
Of Sea Silk Road, Maureen Haggas said: "The form was there from her run in the Ribblesdale and I just felt that she was immature last year. She was a butterball most of last season, whereas she looks more like a racehorse now. She was disappointing at York and our horses are a bit in and out. We haven't really hit our stride, which is disappointing seen as we're well into June. Hopefully things will change. It's hard to be confident when you're not being consistent, but I think she really enjoyed the fast ground and she enjoyed the trip. I don't think she does a lot when she hits the front and Tom gave her a beautiful ride. Royal Ascot would be too soon, but William will find something and work it out."
Tracy Piggott added: “It was very special and it’s great when something goes to plan. We thought that daddy was going to bring us a thunderstorm today but he’s brought us a winner! Obviously it’s emotional and it brings back lots of memories. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year that he’s been gone, but Haydock is a very special place for us because of his history here.
“I remember for years going the BBC here with Julian Wilson and I just loved it, it’s a great atmosphere and it’s always friendly. Today is amazing, everybody is out and having a great time and it’s just an honour to have this race. It’s so special to us and the fact it’s every year is pretty great. Tom’s ride was perfect, like dad! He had tears in his eyes coming out, it meant a lot to him and he would have got on really well with daddy. It’s been a great day, we came over this morning from Ireland and it’s just been special.
“I’d say if Maureen has her way, Haggas will be on the winners board again yet!”
Ed Bethell's Regional (5-1) powered to victory in the opener, the Sky Bet Achilles Stakes and will be aimed at the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August.
The five-year-old gelding, who had won over six furlongs at Haydock in the past, was quickly away over the minimum distance and was soon leading the far side group, under Callum Rodriguez, with Frankie Dettori and 3-1 favourite Equilateral in front on the stands' rail. But as they came to the business end of the race Regional was always holding sway and scored by a length-and-a-quarter from Charlie Hills' Equilateral with last year's winner Raasel (6-1) a further length adrift in third.
Bethell will bypass the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20 and will aim Regional at the Nunthorpe Stakes at York with either a run on the Knavesmire in the City Walls Stakes next month or another trip to Glorious Goodwood in between.
The Middleham-based trainer said: "He has always had a high rating and has always been a fun horse for these guys (owners syndicate Future Champions Racing Regional). I might have been running him over the wrong trip for the last couple of years. He has now dropped back down to five (furlongs) and has found a new lease of life. Callum (Rodriguez) has been fantastic on him because he has not been the easiest to get out of the stalls. And every time he has ridden him he has pinged the gates and he has never looked back. Callum deserves a lot of credit because he is not the most straightforward in the gates, so fair play to him.
"He is a fun horse and obviously fast ground, flat tracks are his big thing. We will try to keep him at that from now. I would imagine we might look at the Nunthorpe in August. That looks like a logical target. What we do with him between now and then will be between me and the guys. We will sit down and have a chat but over the moon and just delighted for everyone at home.
"He is different horse now. We took him to Qatar last winter and he came second but he never really came back the same horse. I appreciate he was second at Doncaster and third at Goodwood in the Stewards' Cup, but he wasn't the same horse as he is this year. We gave him a winter out and he has just thrived. He is enjoying his racing and Callum is riding out of his skin for me. It is just a team effort and it's great.
"Moss Gill (who was placed in the Nunthorpe) was a very different type of horse. Moss Gill was the most economical stride in our yard I have ever seen. Not full stop. He doesn't have an economical stride at all but he is bloody quick. It is just very exciting to be involved with a good horse like this.
"He is not in at Ascot. He was in the Wokingham but he is probably too quick for the Wokingham and that is why I took him out. We could supplement him for the King's Stand but it is a lot of money and it is a pretty deep race this year. I think the Nunthorpe is more his type of race and I will work back from there. In the interim I might go to the City Walls with a penalty, I might go to the King George VI at Goodwood – those are two options. But what I want to do is have a good gap between the next race and the Nunthorpe – that is the imperative."
Raatea (13-2) landed a first victory of the season in the Sky Bet Reverence Handicap and connections are hoping to get a crack at the big summer sprint handicaps. Julie Camacho’s six-year-old gelded son of Invincible Spirit had made a pleasing return to action when fifth in the Howden Handicap at Newmarket last month. And under James Doyle he scored in good style having been fitted with cheekpieces. Having tracked the leader Mr Wagyu for much of the way, he hit the front in the final two furlongs and battled well to score by a neck from Robert Cowell's Emperor Spirit (10-1), under Frankie Dettori. Nomadic Empire (20-1) was half-a-length back in third with Cooperation (6-1) a further head adrift in fourth.
The Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot – if he makes the cut on June 24 – and the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood further into the summer are possible next steps for the improving Raatea. Paddy Power cut Raatea to 16-1 from the 33-1 for the Wokingham.
Steve Camacho, husband and assistant to trainer Julie Camacho, said: “Credit must go to Jason Hart, who rode him when he ran a good fifth at Newmarket last month. He said that day that he thought he’d really benefit from cheekpieces and you could see the difference today with how he travelled through the race. James (Doyle) said afterwards that he’d have kicked himself if he didn’t win because he felt he got there too soon. He got to the front and thought he’d done enough but he picked his lead up well.
“I’ve no doubt he’s a horse with plenty of ability and he’s done well for us, but we’ve always had in our mind he could have done a touch better so we’ll have a chat with (owner) Martin (Hughes) and see what he’d like to do. The ability is there to take part in the top sprint races, but being rated in the low 90s just doesn’t tend to get you in. He has his own ideas, but when he’s good he’s good. He’s in the Wokingham and he’ll have a penalty now but whether he’s good enough to get in we’ll have to see. I’d be delighted if he could run and to be fair, six furlongs at Ascot would be his gig. I’m just so pleased for Martin and James seems to be quick in his colours, so it’s good!”
Cumulonimbus (6-1) led from start to finish to land the Better Betting With Sky Bet Handicap. The Charlie Fellowes-trained four-year-old, who had had a similar front-running win at Newmarket last month, went in again. Under Harry Davies, he went straight to the lead ahead of Global Heat. Always dictating Davies kicked for home in the final two furlongs and no-one could get to the leader, who scored by half-a-length from the fast-finishing Live Your Dream (6-1) with Prydwen (9-1) a length further back in third.
Jockey Davies said: "It was rattling ground out there. It was a concern for me, but it wasn't a problem for him. I managed to get an easy lead up the front end and hacked round really until the four (furlong pole) and sprinted away. He is very gutsy and he is improving, which is great.
"I was able to get an easy target in front. I thought it would take a good horse to go past me and it was great. When I rode him at Newmarket I did a similar thing. I didn't really get caught. We wanted to do the same thing but if someone was pestering me I would have let them. He is a horse who likes to be in his comfort zone and I didn't want to break that."
