COCHISE added his name to one of the sport’s oldest and most prestigious rolls of honour when winning the first Arena Racing Company-backed Cesarewitch to be staged at Central Park.

 

The Richard Rees-trained runner, owned by Steve and Billy Evans and Daryl Bear, produced a career-best performance when starting well when it mattered most in the £12,500-to-the-winner final on Sunday – making all the running to strike gold in the first GBGB Category On title to be decided in 2023.

 

Quickly into stride, the June 2020 son of Droopys Sydney and Lemon Stacey was soon in command and, with market leaders Jurassic Rose (Tony Collett) and Farneys Chloe (Kevin Boon) none too well away, the way was clear for the Hove raider to unleash a cracking turn of early and middle pace to settle the issue.

 

Chased for much of the way by Close The Sky (Paul Young), Cochise nevertheless kept up the gallop in brilliant style to cross the line two and a quarter lengths clear of the Romford runner, with Luna Jezabelle (Keith Robins) staying on strongly to finish just a head back in third.

 

Victory in the Cesarewitch, first run at West Ham in 1928 and switching from Crayford to Central Park for the 2023 renewal, thrilled the Rees kennel – and trainer’s son Charlie was particularly delighted to see the two-year-old realise the big race-winning potential and quality he and the team always felt he had.

 

“We’re all delighted for him,” said Rees. “We’ve always known he’s got mega-pace but was sometimes just blowing himself out over a trip, especially at Perry Barr during the St Leger and at Hove too, but we could see he was improving and could just tell he was beginning to handle the distance perfectly. 

 

“He did 16.44sec for the sprint at Central Park before the competition started, but his splits in the heats and semis were behind that, We knew if we could get a 16.40sec into him again he’d set a strong enough pace to put himself in with a great chance of not being caught in the final – and thankfully he stayed it really well.

 

“He’s a lovely dog but has been a bad kenneller and that hasn’t helped his career. He’s maturing now, however, and that will help him bundles. He was brilliant all week leading up to the big race and, in this sort of form, you’d have to think he’ll be aimed at a majority of the six-bend competitions.

 

“Then again, we also know we can step him down to a stiff four bends if need be. We’re just delighted for Steve, Billy and Daryl – they’ve been extremely patient and deserve this win.”

 

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=392948&raceId=904567