'Charlie has more ammo' - Haggas admits title is unlikely despite Rockingham win

Saturday: York

Maureen Haggas admitted husband William's chances of becoming British champion trainer are slim, despite the stable saddling the first and second in the Listed Rockingham Stakes in which Alpha Capture denied Kyeema by a head in a thrilling finish, and with Baaeed to come in next Saturday's £1.3 million Qipco Champion Stakes.

Haggas and Charlie Appleby had been separated by just over £72,000 before racing on Saturday, but the Godolphin trainer extended his advantage after a treble at Newmarket.

The Rockingham result saw the Somerville Lodge team pick up £46,926 in prize-money, but Haggas conceded Appleby is now in pole position to land a second trainers' title.

"Charlie has had a good day at Newmarket and has a bit more ammo than we have," she said. "We've lost some big guns, with Aldaary and now Maljoom out of Champions Day. We'll try our best, but we can't do anything more than that."

On Alpha Capture's win, she added: "The winner did well to get there. His form has worked out brilliantly from the sales race he was second in. He is pretty solid. It's great, but a dead-heat would have been better! It's a pity one of them had to get beat."

Garritty strikes

Billy Garritty celebrated the biggest win of his career in the saddle when the Richard Fahey-trained Strike Red delivered an authoritative success in the Coral Sprint Trophy.

The four-year-old was ninth in the race last year, but made amends this time when scoring by three-quarters of a length under Garritty, who started riding on the Flat in 2017.

Strike Red and Billy Garritty win the Coral Sprint Trophy at a sun-drenched YorkCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"It was brilliant," said Garritty. "He has run some good races all year, but has been a bit unlucky.

"I wasn't too worried about the draw [4] as I took him stands' side last year too. I got there too soon really, but I was surprised how well he picked up.

"Any winner is good, especially for trainers like Richard. It's the biggest winner of my career and is brilliant for me and the horse."

Lofty targets

Grey's Monument could head on his travels for a tilt at Group races courtesy of his easy six-length win in the mile nursery.

The Ralph Beckett-trained juvenile was a wide-margin winner in first-time blinkers at Haydock last time, and put in a dominant performance despite a 10lb rise in the weights under Hector Crouch.

"He's turned a corner since we put the blinkers on, and with the ground easing," said Crouch. "We always thought he was a nice sort at home, but it had been frustrating not to win with him earlier on.

Grey's Monument: an impressive winner of the mile nurseryCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"I thought I'd blown his handicap mark out of the water last time, and I definitely have now.

"The logical next step is to really test him up in class, but there's only really the Vertem Futurity Trophy left in Britain, so we may have to think about Listed and Group 3 races in France."

Dubai destination

Algiers readied himself for a big winter in the Middle East with a surprise success in the 1m2½f handicap under Harry Burns.

The five-year-old, who was sent off the 11-1 outsider of five, defied a 196-day absence with a length victory and was cut to 14-1 (from 20) by Paddy Power for the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day at Ascot.

However, he is instead likely to be aimed at Group races in Dubai again, having won the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile earlier in the year.

Burns said: "He had the best form in the race, but he had been off for a long time. He's a big, strong horse who takes a bit more time to get fit, but the trainers [Simon and Ed Crisford] are the best at doing that.

"Whether he'll run again over here I don't know, but the plan is to go back to the Middle East."

Classic contender

The Freddie and Martyn Meade-trained Derby entry Modesty made the perfect start to his career with an impressive win in the mile maiden under Kevin Stott.

Results, replays and analysis

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.