'We're relieved to get a win' - Adrian Keatley glad to claim Listed success for Wathnan Racing with Ballymount Boy

Prestigious placed efforts are all very well but when you have a big-money buy in your yard, you really want him to win for his new owners, so Adrian Keatley was a relieved man on Town Moor.

Ballymount Boy is too good a horse to go into winter quarters with just a Hamilton maiden success to his name and proved the point with a cosy Listed victory.

The colt had finished second in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood before being bought privately by Wathnan Racing, in whose colours he was second again in the Acomb Stakes at York.

He was down the field in Group 1 company at Longchamp on Arc day but bounced back to land the Listed William Hill Prospect Stakes here, coming from behind to lead in the final 100 yards for a half-length win under James Doyle.

"We're relieved more than pleased, just to get a win into him," said Keatley. "It's good to finish the year like that. He's had a couple of hard races and it's nice for the horse. He's been on the go since the breeze-ups and he's going to get a deserved break. Things didn't work out running downhill into the bend in France, but he's a good horse."

Looking ahead to 2024, Keatley said: "Hopefully we'll have another good summer with him next year. We'll start off at six furlongs, I hope he can start on a winning note in the spring and go on from there."

Gold signing

Few transfer window signings have ever worked as well as Aberama Gold, who has been a revelation since his mid-season switch to David O'Meara.

The Sky Bet Dash and Stewards' Cup winner took his earnings to £189,000 since moving yards on the retirement of Keith Dalgleish by landing the £50,000 5f handicap.

O'Meara believes soft ground is the key to the six-year-old and said: "He seems to enjoy those conditions and we're lucky to have got him really.

"He ended up in Goodwood on this sort of ground, he won at York before that on better ground, but these are his sort of conditions by the looks of it.

"I don't know if we'll run him again this year. I'm not sure he's up to Listed class. He's a very good sprint handicapper and he's had a great year. I can't imagine he's going into next year well handicapped, but in these conditions, if you handle them it's probably worth a stone."

Lad may be back

Certain Lad could return to Doncaster for the November Handicap next month after he defied top weight in the 1m2f handicap.

"If he's bouncing, which I'm sure he will be knowing him, we might have a little look at it," said trainer Jack Channon.

"If not, we'll keep a mile and a half up our sleeve for next year because he loves racing and he's as good an advocate as you could have for racing, so he'll be carrying on next year as well."

Weather woes

Britain's last Group 1 race of the year survived an early-morning inspection at a track where racing was called off on Friday, although jockey William Buick said the ground was "as soft as you'll ever ride on on the Flat".

Nearly 80mm of rain fell in a very wet week leading up to raceday and executive director Rachel Harwood said: "The weather kept coming! Whatever rain the forecast predicted, we would get a lot more."

Paying tribute to those whose work ensured racing survived, she said: "As always, the whole staff have been tremendous in facing the challenge and showed a great passion for getting racing on."

Read these next:

Ancient Wisdom slashed for Derby after Futurity success and will be 'even better' next year according to William Buick

Impressive Flooring Porter 10-1 for Brown Advisory after 'very slick' chase debut at Cheltenham

Get set for the jumps! Join Members' Club now with 50% off just in time for the Big Jump Off and our brilliant stable tours