Appleby keen Emotionless runs in ‘Clash of The Titans’

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick have been so impressed by the colt’s two racecourse appearance to date that they have set their sights on this prestigious prize – a stepping stone to the 2016 Classics.

After making a successful debut at Newmarket, Emotionless could not have been more impressive when bursting clear of his rivals to win the Group Two At The races Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on Ladbrokes St Leger day.

It’s why Buick rode the horse on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile yesterday in a visually impressive piece of work; connections wanted the colt to get used to the undulations prior to the Dewhurst and a possible clash with the highly-regarded Irish challenger Air Force Blue.

“I just wanted to give him a bit more experience, get him off site, get him on the horse box and bring him away,” explained Appleby. “The dip here (ground undulation in the closing stages of the Rowley Mile) is something that horses sometimes don’t handle very well so I just wanted him to experience it.

“William was very happy with the way that he travelled throughout the piece of work.

“Will was happy with him, I was happy with him, it was a nice sensible piece of work and at the moment we are all on target for the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes.

“Everyone’s calling it the ‘Clash Of The Titans’ between ourselves and Air Force Blue, and you can’t fail to be impressed with the Irish horse, but I’m sure that there will be other horses turning up to be genuine contenders as well. It will be exciting and it’s just what Ballydoyle against Godolphin clashes used to be like.

“Emotionless is definitely not just a two-year-old. If you had asked me eight weeks ago (when he was still unraced) what we were doing with him I would have said that we would have been giving him just one run, possibly two, before putting him away for his three-year-old campaign.

“He’s a big, scopey horse with a lot of filling out to do, we know the family, the mare produces a big individual and Emotionless has got a lot of furnishing to do over the winter, so whatever he does this year was always going to be a bonus.

“Eight weeks ago I would have been happy for him to have broken his maiden and then put him away for 2016, but he has just done it all so easily to date.”

n Beverley racecourse chief executive Sally Iggulden has branded 2015 “a great year” ahead of today’s season-ending fixture.

Fine weather and big-money refurbishments in the close season contributed to a five per cent rise in yearly attendances at the East Yorkshire circuit.

The racing has also been superb, too, with young starlets like Easton Angel, winner of the Hilary Needler Trophy, and Brian Yeardley Continental Two-Year-Old Trophy hero, First Selection, in action at at the popular course.

Maarek’s brilliant triumph in the totescoop6 Beverley Bullet was, however, recognised as the most significant performance in a campaign to remember.

Yet, with an additional investment of £500,000 to expand and update Beverley’s main restaurant and premier enclosure this winter, Iggulden believes next season could be even better.