Ryan Grabs More Group One Glory Kevin Ryan´s dream season continued as Palace Episode produced a 20-1 surprise in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. The two-year-old colt was giving the trainer and his jockey Neil Callan a second Group One prize after the success of Amadeus Wolf in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket last month. Palace Episode took the lead a furlong out from the pacemaking Winged Cupid (9-2) to win by a length and a half, with Septimus, the 5-6 favourite, a similar distance back in third. Kevin Darley took the field over to the stands side on Winged Cupid and set out to make all the running. Kilworth and Palace Episode were close up, although Septimus had to be kept up to his work by Kieren Fallon from an early stage. Winged Cupid stuck to his task well in front but Palace Episode was always travelling well and once he got his nose in front, he galloped on strongly on the heavy ground. Ryan told Channel 4 Racing: 'I feel I messed up with the horse last week (in the Dewhurst). He´s a late-maturing horse and we stepped his food up. I was probably a bit easy on him before his last run but it´s come good today. 'It´s been unbelievable this year, especially with the two Group One winners we have had. The team at home have worked very hard and are getting the results. 'It´s not just me, it´s everyone involved. 'It´s very lucky for a trainer like me to get horses like these. I´m going to enjoy it while it´s happening. These horses don´t come along very often.' Palace Episode earned a quote of 20-1 with VC Bet for the 2000 Guineas, while Irish bookmakers Cashmans introduced the son of Machiavellian at 66-1 for the Vodafone Derby. Callan said: 'I thought I would ride him a bit more conservatively over a furlong-longer trip. He´s only a May foal so he was one of the youngest out there. 'I was a bit surprised when they moved over to the other side of the course. Happy days!' Mark Johnston was pleased with the effort of Winged Cupid, who was losing his unbeaten record at the third time of asking. He said: 'You would have to think he would get a mile and a half. He´s bred to get it. 'He´s not in the Derby yet and there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before then for all the two-year-olds. But he is the right type.' Fallon said of the Aidan O´Brien-trained Septimus: 'He hated the ground, he didn´t really travel on it.' O´Brien added: 'It was very bad ground, desperate ground. He´s a very good moving son of Sadler´s Wells and he´s very well balanced.' Sir Michael Stoute, who saddled supplementary entry Best Alibi to finish fourth, said: 'I thought he ran a very good race. Mick Kinane said he didn´t get the run of the race and he thought he was second best in the race.'? PA Sport
