Appleby claims another Aust stakes win

Godolphin’s English trainer Charlie Appleby has claimed the Cranbourne Cup with Folkswood.

English trainer Charlie Appleby’s success on Australian shores has continued with Folkswood winning the Cranbourne Cup with Kerrin McEvoy aboard.

Appleby was the international star of last year’s Melbourne spring carnival winning five races from 10 starters.

He collected wins in the Geelong, Bendigo and Sandown Cups along with the Lexus Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes from a team of five horses.

For good measure he picked up the Group One Sydney Cup with Polarisation during the autumn.

This spring Appleby sent four horses to Melbourne for the carnival, although things did not start well.

Francis Of Assisi has been ruled out with a fractured pelvis while Kidmenever finished eighth in Saturday’s Herbert Power Stakes and was later diagnosed as having an internal bleed and the thumps.

The Godolphin team elected to run Folkswood at Cranbourne on Sunday in preference to Saturday’s Caulfield Stakes and may now look at the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 28.

McEvoy travelled from Sydney a day after winning the world’s richest race on turf, the $10 million Everest at Randwick, to ride Folkswood who was sent off the $4.40 favourite before winning by 2-3/4 lengths from Berisha ($18) with Grey Lion ($31) in third place.

Appleby’s travelling foreman Chris Connett said the team back in England would make the decision on whether Folkswood tackles Winx in the Cox Plate on October 28.

“It was all about today to see where we stand with him,” Connett told broadcaster racing.com.

“Charlie’s watching back home and I’m sure he’ll speak to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and they’ll make a plan.

“We’ll make sure he pulls out sound tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

McEvoy said Folkswood was a nice horse who possessed a high cruising speed and there was still improvement to come from the five-year-old.

“Charlie’s got a good understanding of what’s required and he doesn’t tax the horses during the season before they come out here,” McEvoy said.

“It’s important to have some fresh legs and he’s getting a good strike rate.”