Rebel springs classic surprise
Saturday 5th May, 2007
Cockney Rebel pictured above, photgraph by Steve Cargill
Cockney Rebel sprang a 25/1 surprise in the Group 1 Stan James 2000 Guineas when coming home a length and a half clear of Vital Equine to give his veteran local trainer Geoff Huffer the biggest success of his career.
"He was cantering all the way and could easily win over six furlongs," said Huffer. "He was a big weak horse last year and needed to fill out and develop, which he has done. He was rated 8lb behind Teofilo last year and needed to improve around three lengths but I think he improved by five or six lengths. He’s improved with every run, he needed 8lb to catch up and I think he’s not just done that but another 8lb again."
Cockney Rebel was quoted at 5/1 for the St James’s Palace Stakes by Cashmans and Huffer added: "He’s a top-class miler who might stretch to a mile and a quarter but I don’t think he’s a Derby horse. We’ll think about the Irish Guineas but it will probably be the St James’s Palace Stakes next and then maybe the Juddmonte International over a mile and a quarter. I’d rather to have a top miler to go to stud than a mile and a half horse.
"I’ve had a bit of a chequered career and this means everything to me. I’ve been back training for four or five years and have 25 horses now. I never used to be a small trainer but now I am thankfully."
The winner - like George Washington 12 months ago - had been sold by Paul and Sara Thorman’s Hampshire-based Trickledown Stud as a yearling. Whereas George Washington made seven figures as a yearling, Cockney Rebel cost just 30,000gns at Doncaster’s 2005 St Leger Sale, from where runner-up Vital Equine (24,000gns) and third-placed Dutch Art (16,000gns) were also bought.
"I thought he was just a lovely moving horse at Doncaster and picked him up for 30 grand," added Huffer. "He’s the best I’ve had and I’ve had a few good horses, although none of them ever cost a lot. After he won at Newmarket first time out I was quoted in the press saying he was the best I had trained and we wouldn’t see the best of him until next year and so it’s proved. I was on Sky News this morning and said I thought he would be in the first three but I don’t bet. We were going to run him in the Craven but he scoped badly so missed the race."
Jockey Olivier Peslier added: "The draw of 15 is not easy because you can’t go to the outside or on the grandstand side. I wanted to ride close to the leader but the trainer said to relax the horse.
"About three furlongs out I thought I couldn’t wait any longer and the horse is very generous and just kept going. He was very happy to gallop.
"I did think maybe ‘shit, I’ve come too soon’ but the horse just didn’t stop and kept going to win well. I didn’t want to stop and lose his place, maybe in a handicap you don’t want to win too far but this is the Guineas. I hadn’t sat on him before today but had watched the tapes."
The winner is named after the backing band of veteran pop star Steve Harley, who was on hand to greet Cockney Rebel. "I’ve lived one life and just lived another one. This is the best thing to have happened to me," said Harley. "I’ve owned plenty of horses but would never had had one bred like this so I was happy for them to use the name. I’m usually away on tour when he runs."