Boynton shines on dirt debut

Boynton took the switch to dirt in his stride as he made most of the running for an impressive victory in the mile handicap at Meydan, UAE, on Thursday, 1 February.

The Charlie Appleby-trained four-year-old, a G2 winner on turf as a juvenile in the UK, was pushed along leaving the stalls by William Buick to take up the running after a furlong.

He was asked to stretch approaching the final quarter-mile and the son of More Than Ready found plenty when Kimbear briefly threatened to challenge the Godolphin runner over a furlong from home.

Boynton ran on well to prevail by two and three quarter lengths from Kimbear in 1m 36. 97s, with a further seven and a quarter lengths back to Stunned in third.

Charlie Appleby said: “Boynton is a horse that showed a lot of potential as a two-year-old.

“We have had setbacks with him and it is a great team effort. Everyone will be very pleased that he has got his head back in front again.

“He was over-racing a bit over further and I felt that dropping him back to a mile and letting him get on with the job in hand would suit.

“The gelding operation has definitely helped Boynton. He was always a bit of a rangy individual, but he has started to fill out now.

“This was a case of seeing what happens – he has the pedigree for dirt but it was a matter of testing the water – but he has ticked that box now and a logical route would be taking a look at the Firebreak Stakes (G3, 1m, 17 February, Meydan).”

William Buick commented: “Boynton is a horse who the team have always held in high regard and it’s lovely to get him back to winning ways.

“He has been training well on the surface, but had never been at racing pace on it.

“He did it very professionally this evening – he broke a fraction slow, but gathered his stride quickly, was comfortable on the lead and increased it the whole way.

“He gave me a good feel and was pretty impressive towards the end. I managed to get a breather into him at halfway and we were fairly comfortable with where we were.

“I think he definitely gets a mile and a quarter, but it showed there that an aggressively ridden mile suits him very well, so there should be plenty of options over this trip.

“He doesn’t have to necessarily stride on – I think he is horse who, the less you interfere with him, the better it is.

“Today was a small field (five runners) and he had an inside draw, so I just let him make use of himself.”