Spotlight on Saturday – Ed Walker Has A Saturday To Remember

Trainer Ed Walker enjoyed a Saturday afternoon to remember as Ten Bob Tony survived a stewards' inquiry after the John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock to seal a 175/1 high-profile treble for his team.

Ten Bob Tony and the eventual second Kinross had several coming together moments in the closing stages and just a head split them passing the post at the end of the 7f trip.

The winner, on his first start since a winter gelding operation, was scoring on his seasonal reappearance for the second year in a row.

The stewards looked at several bits of interference but appeared to apportion blame equally.

Walker's string have bloomed of late, winning the Temple Stakes last week with Mgheera, the Brigadier Gerard with Almaqam and taking the Bronte Cup at York with Scenic and the Achilles Stakes at Haydock with Balmoral Lady.

He said of his recent winning run: "It's pretty special and absolutely amazing. I've won Group 1s before, but I have to say this has been a special day and special week. Long may it continue."

John Of Gaunt Stakes Analysis

Ten Bob Tony is a talented horse over 7f and a mile when there is give in the ground and had been waiting for several weeks for conditions to come right.

He was up on the pace early on for William Buick but appeared to come under pressure after the midway point. He responded to Buick's urgings and got to the front but the veteran 7f specialist Kinross was coming home strongly from the rear under Rossa Ryan and they were soon duelling.

Kinross often tends to need his comeback but he was sharp and went down a head at the line. The stewards ruled that the minimal interference he received from Ten Bob Tony hadn't affected the outcome and so Walker had his Saturday afternoon stakes-race race treble for safe keeping.

What's Next?

Walker hasn't committed to a plan for his next move with Ten Bob Tony, now a gelded son of Night Of Thunder.

He came up short in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last season on his only Group 1 assignment so far, but could tackle the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in a few weeks, while he also holds an entry in the Royal Hunt Cup.