Item delivered for Andrew Balding and the sponsors to land a 10-1 surprise in the Juddmonte International at York – with the big two of Constitution River and Ombudsman only third and fourth respectively.
Hawk Mountain rather unexpectedly set the early pace, with stablemate Constitution River tucked in keenly behind him and odds-on favourite Ombudsman at the rear under William Buick, kept company by another Aidan O’Brien runner, Action.
Hawk Mountain was still in front as they moved to the top of the long Knavesmire straight, with Buick beginning to make headway on the inside rail, as Ryan Moore and Constitution River kicked for home over two furlongs out.
Ombudsman kept making ground on the inside, but the dangers were coming on the outside and it was Ed Walker’s Almaqam who pulled away with half a furlong to run, only for Item to arrive in full flight, just getting his head down on the line in the hands of Colin Keane.
Balding has now achieved something his later father, Ian, the trainer of Mill Reef, never managed. He said: “I don’t think he had many goes at it, though, in fairness. It’s always one of the most important races of the year. So it’s lovely to win it with a horse like this.
“We’ve pitched him in some good races with the belief that he will do well in them, but he’s kept improving and improved physically. That’s the most important thing.
“He’s really a very different horse than the one that ran in the Dante, physically.”
He added: “I think anything is possible, he certainly has no problem staying a mile and a half if he wanted to.
“I just want to say a big thank you to the team at home because it wasn’t straightforward getting him here. Everything had gone great up until about declaration time and we had a little hiccup there with his feet.
“Thankfully everyone who looks after him have worked overtime to get it right, and happily it was a 5am decision that he got on the box to come up here. I’m very relieved.”
On Item’s next assignment, the Kingsclere handler said: “I just do not know at this moment in time. I think we’ve got to sit down and let the dust settle. We’ve just won a Juddmonte International, that was the plan.”