13 June 2020

William Buick hits Sandown hat-trick

13 June 2020

Jockey William Buick was one of three to claim a treble as Sandown hosted racing for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

Charlie Appleby’s Well Of Wisdom got the rider off the mark in a hotly-contested Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Handicap Stakes by a short head.

It was Buick’s third victory on the Oasis Dream colt, but it was far from straightforward with a stewards’ inquiry needed after the winner clashed with Surf Dancer, who in turn connected with the rail and finished fourth.

Well Of Wisdom (9-2) still managed to hold on with the help of a photo finish ahead of the Ralph Beckett-trained Tomfre, while the stewards ruled the interference was accidental.

Buick said: “It was a good performance. There were two people stood at the two pole that he spotted near the rail and he shifted to the left and then obviously he jinked right late on.

“(It was) unfortunate that he did that because he was well on top at the end, but he is a tough horse and brought his Dubai form to the table here.”

Buick and Appleby teamed up again to lift the Unibet Scurry Stakes with Lazuli to cap a good day for the former champion apprentice jockey, who avoided a ban for his part in the coming together between Well Of Wisdom and Surf Dancer.

“I felt I did everything in my power to correct the horse,” he added. “You are talking milliseconds and he was always shifting left, but as soon as I felt him shift right, I corrected him.

“You never want to see those things happen of course, but I think it was a fair outcome.”

Sir Michael Stoute’s Solid Stone came home two lengths clear in the Unibet “15-to-Go” Every ITV Royal Ascot Race Handicap Stakes to give Buick a hat-trick of wins at the Esher track.

Trainer Richard Hannon and Sean Levey had doubled up at the beginning of the meeting, with Happy Romance triumphing in a three-runner race after Fernando Rah and Liberty Bay were withdrawn following trouble at the stalls.

Manigordo then showed why he was the 2-11 favourite with victory in the Unibet Casino Deposit £10 Get £40 Bonus Novice Stakes.

Levey said: “It’s an eye-opener maybe for some people that horses probably need a bit more work at home on that sort of thing without knocking them, but there is no doubt four (handlers) is definitely better than two.

“There will always be horses more difficult than others to get in and with the rule as it is, it’s not going to be the greatest thing for them.”

Mambo Nights broke his duck in the Unibet June Casino Free Spin Festival EBF Maiden Stakes to hand Hannon a treble.

Representing the trainer at Sandown was jump jockey Tom Scudamore, who said: “I’ve been going in five days a week for the last three months now.

“For me it has been about keeping fit and learning something different – you’re never too old to learn!

“It’s like rugby league and rugby union – we’re dealing with the same animals but it’s a different sport.

“I’m now fit and raring to go for when jumping starts again. I feel better, fitter and stronger than I’ve ever felt before.”

Levey clinched his hat-trick on David Menuisier’s Nuits St Georges in the first division of the Try Our New “Runner Boost” at Unibet Handicap Stakes before the William Knight-trained Author’s Dream produced a 33-1 surprise with victory in the second division to conclude proceedings.

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