Indian Run too good for Acomb rivals

Indian Run announced himself as a youngster on the rise with a stylish display in the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at York

Trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, he was only third on debut at Newbury but advertised his potential with a clinical win at Ascot next time.

Always travelling strongly on the outside in the hands of Danny Tudhope, he eased to the head of proceedings heading up the Knavesmire straight and the son of Sioux Nation still had plenty up his sleeve at the business end of the contest to repel the challenge of Ballymount Boy as he finished the Group Three contest full of running.

Owned by the Bronte Collection, made up of connections of leading owner Steve Parkin and including England cricket star Jonny Bairstow, the 17-2 scorer could now be set for bigger things and was trimmed to 12-1 from 16s by Paddy Power to follow in the footsteps of last year’s Acomb winner Chaldean and head for Newmarket’s Dewhurst Stakes.

“That was very exciting and I’m really happy,” Johnson Houghton said.

“What was pleasing was that his strongest furlong was his last because he had a really bad trip all the way, trapped on the outside with no cover – but he just found and found and found which is very exciting.

“This ground is perfect Flat racing ground, thank god. We are allowed to have fast ground. This is an appeal to all courses ‘it might rain – do not water’!

“He’s in the Dewhurst so we’ll probably look there. He’s so unfurnished he needs time, so we’ll give him a nice break until then, I imagine.

“Last year’s winner won the Guineas, so shall we dream?”

Bairstow, who has strong York connections, was delighted to witness his horse show such promise.

He said: “There’s a few of us from Yorkshire in the syndicate and the season is going well so far but I’ve had a few things on what with the Ashes!

“He really put his head down in the finish and having been wide all the way he did it well.

“I’ve grown up in York, I went to school in York and to be part of a winner during the Ebor meeting, having been coming for a long while is fantastic.

“I leave all the planning to people far more in the know but I’m sure there are a few options and the right one will be taken.

“I enjoy my racing, I think it’s amazing, you see the crowds turn out whether it is the smaller meetings or one like this – it is generally a fantastic day which is an amazing thing for the sport. You see children coming, elderly people, it connects people from all eras and all backgrounds.

“Who knows what the future holds for this horse, we’ll stay with our feet on the ground, we’ll see how he pulls up and the relevant people will take the relevant action.”

Adrian Keatley, trainer of Ballymount Boy, was pleased with his runner in defeat and already has another Group target in mind for later in the term.

He said: “We’re happy with how he ran. He’s handled the ground, he’s had a long season having come from the breeze-ups and we’re confident that at the back end he’ll handle softer ground.

“He’s a big fellow. He went on that soft ground at Goodwood and at least we know he handles that quicker ground today.

“We definitely wouldn’t be losing any faith – we think we have a very nice horse on our hands.

“We’ll back off him for a few weeks and have a look at something at the back end, an Autumn Stakes (at Newmarket) or something like that.”