Tim Pitt swoops for Chester triumph
Trainer Tim Pitt snapped up a winner on his first visit to Chester since his move to Shropshire.
Pitt moved to Helshaw Grange, near Market Drayton, last October, relocating from his yard at Newmarket.
He was keen to saddle winners at Chester and Sir Maximilian obliged on the first day of the May meeting, showing plenty of speed to swoop from behind and capture the Stellar Group Handicap.
Ballista and favourite Caspian Prince had been in the front rank throughout in the five-furlong race but Sir Maximilian was flying in the final furlong in the hands of Steve Donohoe.
Racing down the middle of the track, the 7-1 shot won going away by two and three-quarter lengths with Caspian Prince holding off Ballista by half a length for second.
Pitt said: "Chester was the plan, I wanted to go for a seven-furlong race on Friday but I don't think he would have got in so this has worked out well.
"He wants cut in the ground so the rain came in time and he had a nice draw with lots of speed inside him. Stevie gave him a great ride.
"I'm still getting to know him but he has a wonderful temperament."
Pitt has had plenty of all-weather winners since his move to Helshaw, but this was his biggest victory so far.
It was a landmark win, too, for owner Paul Wildes, who persuaded Pitt to make the move to Helshaw Grange and set up Carmin Bloodstock there.
Businessman Wildes, the former owner of Port Vale football club, caught the racing bug on a visit to Chester with leading owner Dr Marwan Koukash.
He named Carmin after his wife Caroline and two-year-old daughter Minnie, who was at Chester yesterday to see her favourite horse win.
"My daughter likes to come to the yard and see the horses," said Wildes. "She's not afraid of them at all and often sits on Sir Maximilian."
Wildes' friend Koukash was also celebrating yesterday. He states every year that the StanJames.com Chester Cup is his 'Derby' and he knew from some way out he would be adding to his collection as Suegioo swooped late to deny another of his runners, Angel Gabrial.
Koukash said: "The winner will probably go to Royal Ascot for the Ascot Stakes but I had five runners this year and all five will try to come back again.
"They've just told me that I have to win the Cup three times in a row to keep it so I'll be back next year and we'll have more than five runners!"
