Newmarket: Distant Storm shows star quality in Tattersalls Stakes demolition
Under William Buick, Distant Storm showed all the signs of a top-quality horse when cruising to a straightforward triumph in the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes at Headquarters; Maltese Cross shed his maiden tag with a battling triumph in the card's opener
Thursday 25 September 2025 16:38, UK
Distant Storm oozed class when winning the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket to banish memories of defeat at York.
Charlie Appleby's €1,900,000 breeze-up buy created such a good impression when winning on his debut, beating a subsequent Group Two winner in Constitution River with a host of other horses franking the form.
Not surprisingly Appleby went to York for the Acomb for his second outing, just like he did with this year's 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court, but just like his former stablemate he could only finish third as he pulled too hard behind Gewan.
This time William Buick was at pains to get his mount to settle and he dropped him out in last place, meaning that when he made his move going into the dip, he still had plenty to do.
He did it stylishly, though, catching stablemate Catallus under hands and heels riding and the 6-5 favourite just required Buick to change his hands on the reins to almost win by five lengths. Commander's Intent stayed on for second.
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Appleby said: "It's not the first time I've got one beat in the Acomb, I don't think I've won it actually, and what we saw that day was down to my mistake. William was keen to get a pitch on him and he was keen, which I'd only seen once before and that was when we worked him on the lead.
"It's the only time he has been keen, he's normally a very relaxed horse. Anyway, the Acomb was what it was, he was too keen and he did it all the wrong way round.
"We were adamant today that win, lose or draw we'd drop him in and let the race develop in front of him and in doing so we've seen the acceleration that he showed today.
"I think we've seen a nice horse in the making. William was very impressed and he got the feeling off him he did in his maiden. He said it was a straightforward assignment today.
"The question now is do we run him in the Dewhurst? We'll see how he is and see how he comes out of it, but my first impression is we should have a look at it, just with the way this season is stacking up with the two-year-olds.
"I said before the National Stakes that would probably throw up the champion two-year-old and I think it probably has [Zavateri], credit to them and I'm sure they'll run in the Dewhurst.
"Our horse is a three-year-old really, but the Dewhurst is just over two weeks away and if he comes out of this well enough and the ground conditions were sound, I'd be happy to take them on."
Maltese Cross makes an impression in shedding maiden tag
Maltese Cross looks an exciting prospect for William Haggas next season after getting off the mark in the opening race of the Cambridgeshire meeting.
Narrowly beaten in second on his Ascot debut just under three weeks ago, the Sea The Stars colt was a 13-8 shot to open his account at the second time of asking in the Hunters Prestige British EBF Maiden Stakes, with twice-placed Del Maro the 5-6 favourite for Charlie Appleby.
The market principals came to the fore in the closing stages of the one-mile contest and while Del Maro hit the front racing up the hill, Maltese Cross found more late on to wrestle back the lead and claim top honours by a head in the hands of Tom Marquand.
Haggas said: "He's a nice horse and I liked the way he stayed on up the hill.
"He wants a mile and a half, but I'm never keen to run them over too far at two. I don't know whether he'll run again this year, I don't think he needs to. He'll learn a lot from that and we might just aim him at a race in the spring and then see where we are.
"Tom was quite complimentary. Quite the value of the form, I don't know, but we think he's a nice prospect and he's got a lot of furnishing and maturing to do. If he does furnish and mature, which he might, there's lots of stamina in the pedigree and he's got a good brain, so who knows?
"It was a nice performance. Time will tell whether it was a good race or not, but as far as the horse is concerned that was perfect for me."
Big Song stars at HQ
Big Song was an emphatic winner of the Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Nursery for trainer Harry Charlton and jockey Kieran Shoemark.
The two-year-old was fourth behind subsequent Group One winner Zavateri on his debut and confirmed that promise with a nose victory at Epsom next time.
He disappointed on his most recent appearance at Thirsk, but bounced back to form on his handicap debut, passing the post with just over three lengths in hand at odds of 9-1.
Philip Robinson, racing manager for owner Mohammed Jaber, said: "The jockey who rode him at Thirsk [Callum Rodriguez] said he slipped on the bend. We just put a line through it and luckily he has come out today and looked more like the horse we thought he was after winning at Epsom.
"He proved today he sees out the mile very well, which was a bit of a question mark.
"He is entered in the sales, so I'll speak to the owner about whether we keep him in or not."
The David Simcock-trained Arabian Leopard (4-1) lunged late to land the British Stallion Studs EBF Premier Fillies' Handicap.
Placed on four of her five starts since breaking her duck here in May, she powered home under Sean Levey to pip 7-2 favourite Lady Roxby by a head.
"She deserved that, absolutely, and actually the slightly longer six [furlongs] here compared to the July course suits her because she's really a seven-furlong filly," said Simcock.
"It's just finding the fillies' races for her, that's been the hardest thing. She's been a model of consistency, bar one run at Ascot when it just didn't happen - she wouldn't have won at any trip that day. To win today is a nice way to close the season."
