Oh, what a Knight! Easterby stalwart Copper set for 100th run of distinguished career

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

COPPER KNIGHT

Lee Thomas Christy Memorial Handicap (2.00 Haydock, Friday) 

Forecast odds: 17-2

What's the story?

As per the MYC done last weekend to mark fellow ten-year-old Poetic Force’s 100th start, this one’s for you Copper Knight, surely one of the highest-rated horses to reach the magic milestone.

Weirdly, like the preceding good old stick, Copper Knight has also won 15 of his 99 starts to date, while he has ten second-place efforts on his CV plus a sextet of thirds.

His 100th start for the Tim Easterby yard, who has had him for 93 of his previous runs, comes in the 5f handicap at Haydock on Friday, with Duran Fentiman in the saddle.

Copper Knight has yet to win at Haydock in nine previous tries, although he has twice finished second, both times by a head to Mondammej.

How's he bred?

As before, it’s hardly germane to the yarn but for the record he hails from the first crop of Sir Prancealot, who started out at Tally-Ho Stud in County Westmeath but for the past four seasons has stood at the rather more exotic-sounding Rancho San Miguel in California.

Copper Knight (right): is the record holder for most wins at YorkCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Copper Knight was bred by Wardstown Stud out of the Oasis Dream mare Mystic Dream, who won at Deauville for Barry and Michael Hills and Juddmonte but did little else on the track.

She has produced five other runners, including Copper Knight’s full-brother Mystic Knight, likewise trained by Easterby, however only today’s centurion has managed to win. Copper Knight’s two-year-old half-sister by Kodiac, Happy Happy, runs for the second time at Wolverhampton on Saturday for Mark Usher.

Who does he face?

While an official rating of 79 does indicate that age is perhaps beginning to catch up with Copper Knight, who was off 106 when he finished fifth to Battaash in the 2019 Nunthorpe Stakes, he still has plenty of weight to shoulder in Friday’s heat, 9st 11lb, against 12 rivals.

The early market had Copper Knight fairly prominent, with the betting headed by the six-year younger Skallywag Bay. The Havana Grey filly won by four and a half lengths at Brighton earlier this week and will surely go well if over those exertions.

Fellow four-year-old homebred filly Secret Mistral, by Pearl Secret, looks another major danger, having won, finished second twice and third on her four starts this year. 

Night Of Thunder’s Thunder Star, yet another four-year-old homebred filly, didn’t run so well over course and distance on her last start in June, but she had done just that the time before when runner-up and also rates a live chance.

Read this next:

'We've already started selling nominations for next year' - Tasleet in demand in India after red-hot patch 

Good Morning Bloodstock is our unmissable email newsletter. Leading bloodstock journalist Martin Stevens provides his take and insight on the biggest stories every morning from Monday to Friday.