Coltrane wins Group 3 Sagaro Stakes to deny fast-finishing Caius Chorister in bounce-back performance

Andrew Balding recently applied cheekpieces to his seven-year-old, Coltrane. The horse had not won in three starts since claiming victory in last year’s Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York.

In a recent race, Coltrane was the only stayer in a five-runner lineup and managed to bounce back from a poor finish in the Dubai Gold Cup, ultimately beating Caius Chorister. After his third victory at the Berkshire venue, Coltrane’s odds for the upcoming Ascot Gold Cup were reduced to 14-1 (from 20).

This is the same event in which he finished behind Courage Mon Ami last season. Coltrane has previously won at the royal meeting with his Ascot Stakes victory in 2022 and will head straight to the Gold Cup on June 20.

Trainer Andrew Balding expressed his admiration for Coltrane, emphasizing the horse’s consistent performance over the years. In the recent race, Coltrane managed to reverse his recent form with Trueshan, who had given 7lb to his rivals and had matched last year’s fourth in the race.

Jockey Oisin Murphy, who had previously ridden Coltrane to less successful finishes, was impressed by the horse’s performance after the application of cheekpieces. He noted that Coltrane traveled well and took hold of the bridle, showing a remarkable improvement from the previous races.