Charlie Appleby strikes in the US again as Silver Knott lands Grade 2 prize at Keeneland

Charlie Appleby's successful season in the US continued as the Godolphin trainer landed a second Graded win with Silver Knott in the Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland.

The four-year-old was returning to the track having gone within a nose of Breeders' Cup victory as a juvenile and was not for catching on this occasion after kicking clear with half a mile to go in the Grade 2 event.

Flavien Prat was aboard the Lope De Vega gelding who finished ahead of the better-fancied stablemate Bold Act in third, ridden by Frankie Dettori. That rival arrived off the back of an impressive success in the Dubai City of Gold Stakes last month.

Appleby said: “Silver Knott is a decent horse, who was only just beaten in a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland, and he obviously enjoyed the step up to a mile and a half. We will have a look at some of the big middle-distance races on the turf for both him and Bold Act, including the Man O’War, United Nations and Sword Dancer Stakes.” 

Silver Knott had been campaigned around the world since disappointing when 11th in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket last May and this was his first win since.

"I was very pleased when we were going down the backside, and then horses came alongside of us so that made us go a little bit," Prat told Bloodhorse. "But it gave him a chance to actually get a nice breather, and once I called on him he had a great turn of foot."

The victory comes after stablemate Master Of The Seas led home a 1-2 in stylish fashion in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes this month and English Rose came close to a US breakthrough in last weekend's Jenny Wiley Stakes. She was second to the Dettori-ridden Beaute Cachee.

Silver Knott finished ahead of Missed The Cut, who won four races for George Boughey before joining John Sadler last season.

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