Aomori City powers to Vintage Stakes glory
Two-year-old Oasis Dream colt Aomori City made his Group breakthrough in impressive fashion to win the Gr.2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood yesterday (30th July).
Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 31st July 2024, by Sean Cronin:
Godolphin's €260,000 Arqana August graduate Aomori City, who came back off a debut triumph at Nottingham (13th June) with a third-place finish in Newmarket's Gr.2 July Stakes (11th July), stepped forward in impressive fashion to secure a stakes breakthrough in Tuesday's Gr.2 Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
The 2-1 favourite was slick from the gates and occupied a forward position along the rail in third through halfway. Biding his time in the straight, he was the last of seven to come off the bridle inside the final quarter-mile and quickened stylishly once
seizing control with 150 yards remaining to easily hold the late rattle of Wolf Of Badenoch by a length and three-quarters. Aomori City becomes the second winner of the seven-furlong contest for Charlie Appleby, whose first was 2019 hero and the runner-up's sire Pinatubo.
"William [Buick] obviously decided to angle out just before the cutaway and he was travelling well," said Appleby. "When they've run to that level over six, you are going to be confident they are going to travel well and he did that. Once Will decided it was time to give him a kick, he had plenty of horse under him. On the evidence of what we saw in the July Stakes, we thought coming into this race that stepping up to seven would suit, and he cut it at a decent level there. We had toyed with the idea of the [Gr.1] Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf for Aomori City over the past couple of weeks, but Al Qudra went and won on Saturday and he's probably a horse we'll pinpoint towards that race. It doesn't mean we can't run two in it and we'll keep all options open for Aomori City. Today was a marked improvement on what we saw before. He was neat and had to be brave there. He got tightened up on the turns and that does no harm in educating them towards the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf."
Buick added: "Being where we were was always the plan, but we just had to tussle for our position at the top of the hill and round the turn. It gave a bit of pressure, but he was very brave and got stuck in. Aomori City is a pretty well-seasoned two- year-old and knows his job, which is always a help round here, and I was really pleased with his performance. He sort of does what he has to in front, but I thought he won well and I think he'll improve.