Diligent Harry and Completely Random served up a thriller as the duo dead-heated in the Listed Midnite Kachy Stakes at Lingfield Park.
Bidding to win the six-furlong highlight for a second time, Diligent Harry kicked for home rounding the final bend, with the patiently ridden Completely Random spying a run towards the inside.
Completely Random made sustained headway to join Diligent Harry in the shadow of the post, with the judge unable to split them. Cool Hoof Luke, making his first appearance since winning the G2 Gimcrack Stakes in 2024, was just over a length further back in third.
Diligent Harry is now a nine-time winner on the all-weather for Clive Cox, with his haul also including last year’s G3 Chipchase Stakes, the 2023 Sprint final and the 2021 3YO final.
Cox said: “I am over the moon with Diligent Harry. He has done so well at home, although the weather has not been kind and Kempton was not open for a gallop either, so what he has done at home has been on ground that was softer than ideal.
“I am so proud of him as an eight-year-old to come out and win after a break like that. He has just given me that feeling that he is as good as ever at home. Hopefully, we have a lot to look forward to and this gives me great options for the summer, which is great."
Harry Charlton’s Completely Random has taken a significant step forward this winter following creditable efforts in heritage handicaps on the turf, with his rating climbing 16lb to 109.
Charlton said: “It was a good result all round. This is a higher grade, so Completely Random was not able to close them down as easily as he did here in a handicap two weeks ago. I think Ryan [Moore] was hoping to go on the outside – I know he tends to think it rides better there – but they all fanned out, so he had to go up the inside to get the job done.
“I don’t think there are any other options until the turf season starts. There is a five-furlong Listed race back here in a month, but I think five is a bit sharp for him and suspect we will give him a break now until the turf season.”
Dual G1 runner-up Survie stamped her class on the Midnite Winter Derby Trial as she comfortably defeated Military Academy by just under three lengths. A new addition to George Boughey’s yard, the five-year-old heads to Saudi Arabia later this month for the G1 Neom Turf Cup.
There were a couple of notable performances at Kempton Park, with Cesarewitch winner Beylerbeyi posting another eye-catching effort as he went down by a head to course specialist Whitcombe Rockstar in an 11-furlong handicap. An encouraging third on his comeback at Newcastle recently, Beylerbeyi requires one more run to qualify for Finals Day.
The mile maiden on the same card has produced several Charlie Appleby-trained luminaries in recent years, including subsequent G1 winners Measured Time, Notable Speech and Opera Ballo.
The Godolphin handler unleashed another impressive debutant this year as Lope De Vega colt Palladas scored by almost three lengths. He could follow the Notable Speech/Opera Ballo route by taking in a conditions race over the same course and distance later this month.
