Favourite backers were made to sweat before eventually collecting their winnings as Point Lonsdale toughed out victory in the IRE-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Huxley Stakes at Chester.
Successful in four of his five juvenile starts two years ago, the Australia colt only made it to the racecourse once as a three-year-old, finishing down the field in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
However, having proved his talent remains intact with a comeback victory in the Group Three Alleged Stakes at the Curragh last month, he was a 5-6 shot to give trainer Aidan O’Brien a fourth Huxley Stakes win and ultimately got the job done, albeit in workmanlike fashion.
Point Lonsdale and Ryan Moore win the Huxley Stakes
It was not easy viewing for his supporters, with Ryan Moore rowing along in the saddle a long way from home in behind the pacesetting Poker Face.
But to his credit, Point Lonsdale kept responding to his rider’s urgings and after striking the front in the straight, he had enough in hand to see off the late charge of Mujtaba by a neck.
Moore said: “He was a good two-year-old who won a Listed race, a Group Three and a Group Two but he wasn’t around for most of last year.
“It wasn’t very pretty, was it? He’s a real galloper and he probably hasn’t been round a tight track like this before.
“He’s only really been to the Curragh, Leopardstown and Ascot and he was just a bit unsure what to do with himself.
“Today’s race was well up to standard and the track didn’t suit him, but he has a great attitude to be fair to him and plenty of ability. It was a very good performance.”
