3 minute read
Kevin Ryan's Room Service was delivered to perfection by jockey Tom Eaves as the pair went on to claim the Weatherbys Scientific 300,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster.
It was a race where the market was dominated by two horses, with Dragon Leader and Johannes Brahms both well clear towards the top of the betting.
However, it would be the 10/1 chance Room Service that would come home best on the Town Moor to collect the valuable £147,540 first prize.
As expected in this seventeen-strong two-year-old field, the runners were split into two groups with the market principals Dragon Leader and Johannes Brahms situated on either side of the track.
The 7/4 favourite Dragon Leader struck the front towards the centre of the track approaching the two-furlong marker, but the challengers soon emerged, and it was Room Service who quickened up best entering the final furlong. Aidan O'Brien's Gimcrack second Johannes Brahms attempted to bridge the gap against the stands' side rail but could never quite get on terms with Room Service, who pulled away in taking fashion, despite hanging towards the stands' side, for a commanding two-and-a-quarter length success. To his credit, Dragon Leader battled on tenaciously once headed to get the better of Johannes Brahms for the second spot, while Soldier's Gold (14/1) finished back in fourth.
Winning jockey Tom Eaves told ITV Racing: "He's a big baby and it's a daunting place here at Donny when you hit the front, so I got there early enough but I was travelling and, on this ground, I just wanted to sort of keep the momentum going.
"Obviously he coped with it [the ground] grand. It was an unknown coming into it, but he seems quite versatile on ground, he ran good at York the last day.
"He stays well and he's a big lad – he'll be even better next year."
It was a third success in the contest for trainer Kevin Ryan, who said: "We thought the trip would suit and we were very hopeful he would go on the ground.
"He's been maturing all year; we've been sort of taking it steady with him and it's paying off now.
"Whether we run him again this year I don't know, I'll have to speak to connections. I'd say he'll get a mile well next year."