Erzindjan showcases training talents of T J Kent There was a red-letter victory for local handler T J Kent with Erzindjan landing the Betfred Suffolk Stakes at Newmarket. Fourth in the Cambridgeshire in the autumn, the eight-year-old was sent off at 17-2 in the hands of Ray Dawson and came home powerfully to seal a half-length success over John and Thady Gosden’s Fifth Column. It was a victory that cements the winner’s position as a real star for Kent’s fledgling operation, with further big Saturday success set to come on the radar. He said: “He ran very well in the Cambridgeshire and John Smith’s (Cup) last year and I’m a lover of York so do enjoy going there if I can. “His form had been outstanding, not just with me but with his trainer in Dubai as well, so we thought if he ran up to that level we would have a live chance. “Ray gave him a great ride. It’s nice to have a winner on this day and hopefully it shows we are going in the right direction. “As a trainer obviously this is right up there with my biggest wins. Saturday winners are what any trainer wants and we’ve had a winner at the Shergar Cup and other decent animals, but hopefully this proves if we’re getting nice horses sent to us, as a team we can do the job. “I’ll speak to his owner and draw up a plan, but races like the John Smith’s Cup again could be on the agenda. We’ll have a chat and take it from there.”
