'We’ll keep dreaming' - Carroll and Cromwell combine as Snellen denies Pearls And Rubies for Chesham glory

If there is a secret to the success of Gary Carroll and Gavin Cromwell it is their willingness to learn. 

The pair combined to win the Chesham Stakes by a head with Snellen but after the obligatory prize-giving and a handful of photographs, Carroll stopped for a brief chat about his tactics with former rider Johnny Murtagh.

Carroll explained: "When I won at Limerick on her she hung very badly left in the last two furlongs and I stopped riding to correct her and lost momentum. Today I should have pulled my stick through but she started to roll left and I told myself 'I’m not stopping my momentum'. 

"I let her roll but I kept going forward. We hung on but if I got beat it would be a different story."

Thankfully, the story had a happy ending as with the help of the stands’ rail, Snellen dug deep to deny the 7-4 favourite Pearls And Rubies in the centre of the track, with Golden Mind and Oddyssey sharing third. 

Such inexperience can be forgiven as the filly had yet to hit the track until ten days ago and it should be little surprise Cromwell's decision to pit her into this company paid off considering his previous success in a juvenile contest at this meeting.

Although widely known for his prowess in the jumps ranks with stayers Vanillier and Flooring Porter, Cromwell took the Queen Mary at the meeting over the minimum trip two years ago with Quick Suzy, and Carroll confirms he isn't the only one in pursuit of excellence.

"Gavin’s results speak for themselves," the rider said. "When I started he had 20 horses and 20 stables, he has nearly 200 now and he’s gone from 15 acres to 50 acres. He’s bought more and he’s putting in a new gallop again. He’s doing everything he can to get to the top. 

Gary Carroll: "I go out there with loads of confidence and if I do something wrong it’s all done there and then"Credit: Tom Dulat

"There’s no airs or graces. Last year he spent a day with Joseph O’Brien to try and pick out what he could do to improve and he's done the same with Paddy Twomey. He wants to do anything he can to improve himself." 

Such ambitions do not come without bumps in the road, but honesty is the favoured approach under Cromwell's watch.

Carroll said: "I tell him exactly what I think, whether he likes it or not and vice versa. It works well. I go out there with loads of confidence and if I do something wrong it’s all done there and then."

If the pair’s progress continues at its current rate there is the very real prospect of major riches next spring. Churchill took the 2,000 Guineas after success in the 2016 Chesham and Carroll is confident Snellen has more to offer.

He said: "She’s still a frame of a filly and she’s not fully furnished. She’s had two runs in ten days and I’d love to give her a mid-season break and have a go at a big race in the autumn. She won’t be at her best until she’s three."

When asked about the prospect of Classic success, he added: "That’s the dream, we’ll keep dreaming."

Dreamers or not, you would be foolish to underestimate such a team.

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