Bangkok 2nd in Qatar Derby Bangkok was just denied victory by the final flourish of Pedro Cara in the Qatar Derby at Doha on Saturday. The Andrew Balding-trained three-year-old looked like landing the local Group Two honours when hitting the front in the final furlong under Silvestre de Sousa, but he just could not respond to the winner’s late surge. Bangkok was on the rail in around seventh place for most of the mile-and-a-quarter journey, with the pace being set by Zamharer, Seeyoubyme and Say Good Buy. De Sousa managed to weave a passage through in the straight, but Pedro Cara, trained by Mauricio Delcher Sanchez and ridden by Tony Piccone, swept by in the centre of the course in the dying strides. Balding was happy with Bangkok — no least as it was his first race for four months. The Kingsclere trainer said: “I’m delighted with the run. He was a good second. He hasn’t run for a while and was a little bit fresh and a bit free mid-race, but beaten by a decent horse. “We’re thrilled with the run so it was a worthwhile exercise. “Saudi Arabia is a possibility, but I think he’s more for next year and we might look at the Winter Derby as he’s up and running. That’s a possibility as well.”
