Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)
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Benoit de la Sayette will be crowned apprentice champion at Ascot on Saturday after it became mathematically impossible for his closest pursuer Harry Davies to reverse the deficit on Thursday.
With Davies on 55 winners, five behind De la Sayette, heading to six races at Brighton on Thursday, the young rider’s agent Phil Shea said it would take “a miracle” for his client to become champion.
Davies closed the gap to four with his first race at Brighton by linking Blackbird Power with victory for King Power Racing and his boss Andrew Balding. However, Davies failed on his next three mounts, which meant he ran out of time to catch De la Sayette before the end of the Championship run at the end of British Champions Day on Saturday.
De la Sayette, who returned to action in March after a drug ban, is following in the footsteps of multiple Group 1 winning riders Jason Hart, Oisin Murphy, Tom Marquand, David Egan and Cieren Fallon to be apprentice champion over the course of the last decade.
Last year, he started the Flat season with a bang, winning the Lincoln on Haqeeqy for John and Thady Gosden, to whom he is attached, and the latter is satisfied with the progress of their young apprentice since his return.
Thady Gosden said: “He’s had a really good season and he’s an exceptionally talented driver. He’s worked well and done well this year. He deserves all the success he’s had.”
De la Sayette will have the chance to increase his tally of 60 winners with three rides in Chelmsford on Thursday night –Sigmund (5.55), running lion (6.30) and Revolve around (8:30 a.m.) – as well as two at Haydock on Friday.
He will also be in action on British Champions Day in the Balmoral Handicap on Magic Morning for the Gosdens.
Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)
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Davies will also be in action in the Balmoral on Perotto ahead of a spell overseas. Shea said: “He won’t be riding tomorrow and will stop riding after the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot on Saturday to salvage his 3lb claim. He then goes to Bahrain for a month and then to Dubai where he will spend six weeks with Charlie Appleby .
“In a normal year, 55 winners would be enough to win it. We knew we were facing the [John and Thady] Team Gosden with their ammo, but fair play to Benoit.
“Harry is only 17 and has 29 winners left, so we could do it again next year, but we have to sit down with Andrew Balding in the new year.”
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