Elm Park wins the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster

Elm Park emerged as a serious contender for the Investec Derby from the historic Kingsclere stable when running out an impressive all-the-way winner of the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.

A statue of 1971 Derby hero Mill Reef adorns the yard and is a permanent reminder of days gone by when Ian Balding held the licence.

Now it is his son Andrew who rules the roost, but as he was in Australia supervising Side Glance's effort in the Cox Plate earlier in the day, it was left to his father to greet the winner, which he bred under the Kingsclere banner.

Balding senior said: "I'm just so thrilled. We've had five generations of this family. It's lovely. To have bred him is much more special.

"He's got the right temperament this horse, which is so important. Mill Reef had it, of course, in spades. He had a wonderful temperament. This fella certainly has it as well.

"Andrew does this job better than I do, so I won't be telling him how to go about next year.

"Watching that you'd like to think he'd be a Guineas horse as well, but I don't know. It's up to the trainer and the owner.

"The only problem (with Epsom) is that he didn't come down the Dip at Newmarket (in winning the Royal Lodge)."

I'm just so thrilled. We've had five generations of this family. It's lovely. To have bred him is much more special. He's got the right temperament this horse, which is so important. Mill Reef had it, of course, in spades. This fella certainly has it as well.

The Kingsclere syndicate co-owns the talented colt along with Qatar Racing, who bought a significant share before his victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes last month.

That was a Group Two contest and Elm Park (13-8 favourite) stepped up to the top level doing it the hard way from the front.

Andrea Atzeni, successful 12 months ago on subsequent St Leger hero Kingston Hill, took a no-nonsense approach from the front and once he kicked on two furlongs from home, the race was as good as over.

Though Aloft had made progress from the rear, on hitting the furlong pole Atzeni's mount really lengthened to win in style by two and three-quarter lengths. Celestial Path was half a length away in third.

Atzeni, who will officially take on the role of number one jockey to Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing operation next season, said: "He's very straightforward. He travelled nicely and I kept it simple, really. It was like riding a piece of work.

"He's a beautiful mover and he's got a great attitude. He can only get better with age. I was very confident before the race. You're never sure what you are taking on, but he was by far the best. 

"It meant a lot, taking a new job - it's just amazing. I'd won a Group Two, a Group Three and a Listed race for Sheikh Fahad, and to get a Group One before next season is great."

Sheikh Fahad, the boss of Qatar Racing, said: "I was just on the phone to Andrew (in Australia) and he is unbelievably thrilled. It's a great day.

"I haven't seen a horse go through the ground like that in my relatively new time in racing, he just glides through it.

"I think logically that (the Derby) is the target. But it will be a long year next year, we'll sit down with Ian and Andrew and the team and make a plan going forward."

Sky Bet cut the winner to 14/1 from 25s for the 2015 Investec Derby and the firm's Racing PR Manager Michael Shinners said: "It may not have been a vintage renewal of this historic Group One but, nevertheless, Elm Park produced a very good performance.

"Therefore, we've cut him to 14/1 from 25s for the Investec Derby and there's certainly a good deal for connections to look forward to over the winter. He's improved with every start to date and there's no reason to believe that he hasn't got further improvement in the locker."

As well as Aloft, Aidan O'Brien also saddled fourth-placed Jacobean and said: "It was proper soft ground. Both horses will come on lovely from that."

Sir Mark Prescott said of Celestial Path: "The ground wouldn't have been up his street. The winner kept going wonderfully well and Aidan's horse (Aloft) has just got us for second because we'd been in more of a battle with the one in front.

"I think on lightning-fast ground he'll be a bit better than that. It gives you hope. I said to the owner the pair of us will have to keep going.

"I was very pleased. I was worried about running him today, but he worked so well last week it would have been a shame not to run him.

"If he's going well he'll start in one of the Guineas. He won't run before then. He doesn't need any more practice."