Middle Park next for Group 3 winner Cappella

Andrea Atzeni celebrated his appointment as Qatar Racing’s retained rider in 2015 when winning the six furlong Group 3 Round Tower Stakes on Cappella Sansevero in the colours of his new bosses.

The 6/4 favourite travelled strongly in fourth with a furlong and a half to go before getting a lovely split between horses in third at the furlong pole. He showed his class when picking up and hitting the front under 200 yards out. Atzeni guided him home by three parts of a length. Rapid Applause at 9/2 got a healthy cheque in second for Michael O’Callaghan and Fergal Lynch. War Envoy was another three quarters of a length back in third.

Successful handler Ger Lyons said: “It's straightforward when you know the horse, but in fairness to Andrea I asked him to do something we hadn't done before which was to drop him in and produce him late.

“He pulls up when he gets to the front. Eddie Lynam says he is a bit like Slade Power. When he gets to the front he pricks his ears and thinks he's done enough. There is nothing ungenuine about it.

“We always liked him, but it was nice to get a fresh perspective about the horse today and Andrea said he was a lovely horse, rides like a three-year-old and will get further.

“It's all systems go for the Middle Park. The one I thought we might win was the Phoenix but I'd gladly take the Middle Park!

“He's the right horse to go for it. He's not ground dependant. He idled in front a bit in the Phoenix and past the post he was in front again. That might have been the one that got away.

“The only hard race he's had was the Coventry when he got a smack for the first time. I'm not saying he would have beaten the winner, but he would have been a better second.

“Then the trainer got a brain freeze and went for the Railway instead of waiting for the Anglesey as was the original plan. If you take the Railway out, his record is as good as there is around.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson