Convey proves a class apart for Stoute with comfortable success

An all-weather campaign was something of an afterthought for Convey but the classy Sir Michael Stoute-trained five-year-old showed his adaptability to claim the £200,000 finals day feature with consummate ease.

Convey was campaigned in Group races over seven furlongs and a mile for Khalid Abdullah last season but, having been gelded and bought by new owner Robert Ng, he displayed his liking for Lingfield's Polytrack when winning the Winter Derby on his reappearance in February.

And under a super-confident Ryan Moore the well-backed 11-10 favourite repeated the same double as Grendisar and Tryster had done before him to send the packed Lingfield crowds home happy.

"He's a Group horse and this surface suits him well," said Moore. "He's a horse we've always held in high regard. He ran two good races at Haydock last year and he hasn't run too many bad races.

"Things haven't always been straightforward with him, but I think he really enjoys the surface and he's grown up. This was a nice long-term plan they put together and it's worked out well."

Seeing Stoute send out members of his team before the start of May is a rare sight, but this was rarer still as Convey was the trainer's first runner on all-weather finals day.

There was no doubting it would be a glorious first as Moore mounted his challenge rounding the home turn and nursed Convey to a comfortable length and three-quarters victory over Absolute Blast.

In-form trainer Archie Watson had hoped Absolute Blast would provide him with an early boost to his burgeoning career but the form of the Winter Derby was confirmed as the filly found Convey too good again.

"The winner is a very good horse and she's run with huge credit in second," said Watson. "A better draw would have helped, but she would probably have been only a length or so closer.

"She'll have a couple of easy weeks now and then the Princess Elizabeth at Epsom will be a race we'll have a good look at."

French contender Allez Henri performed with credit in third but the race was all about Convey, who could be sent on his travels now after connections were left contemplating accepting an invitation to the Champions Mile in Hong Kong on May 7.

Race result and analysis