Four-year wait for a turf winner comes to an end in style for Peter Crate

If you are going to wait until September for your first winner of the year, you might as well do it in style.

Peter Crate's small operation, based in Reigate, Surrey, last sent out a winner in December, although six of the yard's ten runners this year have finished in the first four. The wait for a turf victory stretched back even further to September 2019.

However, the wait is no more after Harb sliced through the field to win the 5f handicap with ease under Tom Queally, who sat motionless on the four-year-old before asking him to go through with his effort in the stiff final furlong.

Harb has won three times on the all-weather but had not got off the mark in 12 starts on the turf, placing just twice. The market spoke positively, though, with the 11-2 widely available in the morning reduced to 100-30 come the off.

Owner Pat Gallagher switched Harb from William Knight's stable to Crate last year and credited the trainer for his handling of the sprinter.

"We weren’t having much luck with him, but we moved him to Peter and he’s just been a revelation," Gallagher said on Racing TV.

"Since Peter has had him he’s really done marvellous things with him and the horse is enjoying life. He walked down there today like an old handicapper. He’s not buzzed up like sprinters normally are, he’s chilled out."

Queally doubled up on the Gary Moore-trained Miller Spirit in the 1m2f handicap.

Promising start

Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm sponsored the feature Listed Fortune Stakes on the card, and connections had reason to celebrate when the well-bred Dambuster finished with a late rattle for a promising debut win in the mile maiden.

Gutsy effort

The Fortune Stakes has a rich recent roll of honour with King Of Change (2019) and Bayside Boy (2022) claiming the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on their next start, while Mostahdaf emerged as the 2021 winner.

Chindit is not entered in the QEII but could be set for a big autumn after following up his Group 3 win at Haydock with a gutsy success over Knight at the Esher track, despite carrying a 5lb penalty in the testing conditions.

Read this next:

Does Impaire Et Passe stand any chance of stopping Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle?

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.