3 minute read

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton enjoyed success in yesterday's opening contest at Epsom and was gifted further reason to celebrate as Sheer Rocks (11/2) rolled down the Epsom hill to victory.

Caius Chorister was sent straight to the front under the treble-chasing Ryan Moore as David Menuisier's charge bid to retain his unbeaten course record. Max Mayhem sat second with the eventual winner, Sheer Rocks, always handily placed under Harry Davies back in third. Sheer Rocks arrived on the back of a one-length Ascot handicap success on soft ground last month, but the quicker conditions clearly made no difference as the gelded son of Iffraaj glided to the front entering the final few furlongs and pulled away for an easy two-length victory.

The 9/2 favourite Cauis Chorister battled on strongly to get the better of George Baker's Lucander (20/1) in a photo finish for the runner-up spot.

Irish raider Jungle Cove (9/1) finished back in fourth whilst Andrew Balding's fancied recent York winner, Scampi, suffered interference entering the straight and was ultimately well beaten.  

Trainer Eve Johnson reflected on her thoughts during the race:

"I thought he's gone too soon.

"And then I was watching it and I thought well there's nothing else coming so I think we're alright.

"This horse has just matured through the winter and thrived, so I am thrilled for his owners. I just think he's a nice horse, he's very well balanced. Last year he went a bit weak and dangly on me and I probably just tried to do too much because he'd won twice, and I thought he's a really good horse.

"He probably is a good horse, but they pay for it sometime from two to three and he could be quite nice.

"The whole point of running him was in the hope that he would get high enough in the handicap to get to Royal Ascot, so I imagine we'll be going there. Probably the Duke of Edinburgh, he travels really well and is unbelievably versatile.

"It's been a good 48 hours!"