Dividend pays out handsomely at Sandown

Connections of Dividend are looking at a step up in class after an impressive victory against a number of blue-blooded rivals at Sandown on Friday.

The Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole-trained juvenile raced green on his debut under apprentice Gina Mangan when fifth at Lingfield.

But he learnt from that debut run as he came home two lengths in front in the hands of Rossa Ryan at odds of 50-1 in the British EBF Maiden Stakes.

Sent off the 5-4 favourite was Royal Officer, making his debut after being bought for one million guineas by Godolphin at the breeze-up sales. But the Galileo colt was no match for Dividend, eventually finishing fifth.

Insole told Racing TV: “No (not a surprise he won). I always thought he was a nice horse. That’s why we came here to Sandown. I thought the track would suit him down to the ground.

“I was a little bit disappointed with his first run at Lingfield, I thought he was very green early on. Gina rides out for us twice a week and I thought she gave him an educational ride and he was like a rabbit in the headlights for the first three furlongs.

“In the last two furlongs he was just starting to learn his job, so to now see him prove it on the track from what I’ve seen at home it’s very gratifying.”

But now the target is a stakes race after getting the better of a number of powerhouse yards, and Insole is confident there is more to come.

He added: “When you looked at the card this morning – Juddmonte, Qatar, Howden. You’ve got the massive superpowers in here. Massive trainers, so to win as impressively as he did.

“Rossa still thought he was very green, he was green around the bend, he was still hanging away from the horses. He said he didn’t do a lot in front even though it looked like he was pulling clear at the end, so Rossa says we have to go for a black-type race now.

“He’s a lovely, big, scopey horse and I think he’ll only get better as the season goes on.”