Key Victory features among Newmarket four-timer

Unbeaten three-year-old Key Victory swooped late to capture the 10-furlong Listed Newmarket Stakes, one of four winners for Charlie Appleby and William Buick on the first day of Newmarket’s Guineas Festival, Saturday, 5 May. 

The Teofilo colt showed signs of inexperience on his second start but ran on strongly to collar stable-companion Old Persian (James Doyle) inside the final furlong before going away to score by a length and a quarter in 2m 5.30s on good ground. 

Charlie Appleby said: “Key Victory has been working well with Old Persian and we were hopeful that they would finish first and second today. 

“At home, Key Victory is a great traveller but he got very disorganised in the dip when he won his maiden here before finishing off strongly on the rising ground. It was a repeat performance today. 

“I liked the way he travelled into the race and he has found more when he needed to. The first two home have pulled nicely clear and are a pair of nice horses. 

“I have always felt the Key Victory is a 10-furlong horse and we feel that he has a bright future. Something like the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (10.5f, Chantilly, 3 June) might suit and then we can see whether we need to step up in trip later on. 

“We always felt that Old Persian would come on for his handicap victory here at the Craven meeting and he will get further, so a step up in trip will be on the cards. 

The jockey and trainer also teamed up with three handicap winners on the card – Oasis Charm, Tribal Quest and Symbolization.