Amazing Journey continues in International for Osborne

Jamie Osborne worked his magic once again to win the £150,000 Moet & Chandon International Handicap with Amazing Journey.

Osborne was winning the prestigious handicap for a third time after Field Of Dreams (2012) and Raising Sand (2019) and this time his daughter Saffie was on board, who continues her fine run in the saddle.

The lightly-raced favourite Extremely Zain travelled to the front looking menacing but Amazing Journey (4-1), stepping back up to seven furlongs, powered away from him, eventually beating Two Tribes and Aalto by a length and a quarter with the favourite only fourth.

Osborne said of the well-backed winner: “I have said all week that I couldn’t understand why this horse was the price he was as he was the only one 5lb well-in and looked like he was on the upgrade.

“It looked the right time to have a shot from the bottom of the weights at something like this and the market probably woke up and realised.

“He’s gone and won it well and he’s clearly decent. Did I think he would win with that amount of ease? No.

“The race didn’t go perfectly and he actually has been slow away most of his life but he jumped the gates well today and Saffie was a bit more prominent than we had intended to be.

“But it never really looked in doubt to me and I know Saffie’s body language inside out and from three out I didn’t have a doubt! She’s given him a great ride and she’s having a great run.”

Ed Walker is already looking ahead to the future after Never Enough proved more than enough with a professional front-running display in the opening Dentakay EBF Crocker Bulteel ‘Confined’ Maiden Stakes.

Sent off the 11-8 favourite after going close at Windsor on debut, he was always to the fore under William Buick and kept forging on for a taking length and a half success.

“I really like the horse that beat him at Windsor (Captaincy) and he has always shown to be a nice horse at home,” said Walker.

“I was almost surprised by his debut when he was second and he’s come on well from that so I’m thrilled.

“He’s a big horse and the dam was a good two-year-old (Frenetic) but I think this lad has scope to go on in the future.

“It’s very important he gets some black type for the mare and hopefully he can step up and William is adamant he could go a bit further.”

The son of No Nay Never was cut to 33-1 from 100s for the Gimcrack Stakes at York next month, but Walker may take a tentative approach, anticipating next season as the time for his exciting prospect to shine.

“I think we could stay at six furlongs for now given how well he jumped and travelled and then as he sharpens up mentally he could be an exciting one for the future,” added Walker.

“Whether we go for a novice with a penalty or something nicer I’m not sure as he’s still a little backwards both mentally and physically.

“I’m not sure we’ll throw him into something smoking hot just yet, so maybe he isn’t ready for a Gimcrack, but he could be a very nice three-year-old and I would love to have a crack maybe an autumn stakes race with him.”