By Tom Frary
Charlie Appleby was expected to take Friday's seven-furlong novice at Sandown, but it was the stable's second-string Pacifica Pier who came out on top in one for the notebooks. Unleashed by James Doyle to take control a furlong out, the 13-2 shot stayed on strongly to record a half-length success from the eyecatcher of all eyecatchers, Juddmonte's Publish (Kingman). There was another 3/4-of-a-length margin back to Godolphin's favourite Key Of Magic (Justify) in third.
“He's a big boy to sit on and I had to nurse him along and wait to get organised, but when I went for him he got really lost,” Doyle explained. “He's a raw horse who will benefit from time. We were hoping going racing would spark him up a bit and he feels like a horse for the backend of the season and beyond–I see him as a three-year-old and he feels like he'll certainly go a mile in time. This ground might have been as quick as he wants.”
This is going to be a strong race
(Palace Pier) wins the @Tattersalls1766 £40,000 @BritishEBF Novice Stakes @Sandownpark for @the_doyler and @godolphin
But could runner-up Publish be the key horse to take from the field? pic.twitter.com/uJW5MjGHEa
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2025
The winner is a half-brother to the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner Ideal Beauty (Invincible Spirit). The dam, who was successful in the Listed Prix Six Perfections, is a half to the GII General George Handicap scorer True Quality (Elusive Quality) from the family of Legend Of France.
2nd-Sandown, £40,000, Novice, 7-4, 2yo, 7fT, 1:30.81, g/f.
PACIFICA PIER (IRE) (c, 2, Palace Pier {GB}–Discernable {GB} {SW-Fr}, by Elusive Quality) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $28,151.
O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie Appleby.
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