Hallasan secured a lucrative victory at Doncaster

Hallasan continued his impressive rise by securing a lucrative victory in the Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster.

Despite being the beaten favourite in his first three outings, Charlie Appleby’s young charge consistently placed, rewarding those who believed in him when he broke his maiden in style at Nottingham in July.

Returning from a mid-season break, the gelded son of Pinatubo was a 15-2 shot. Under a determined ride from William Buick, he accelerated smartly to take the lead inside the final two furlongs.

Ryan Moore, aboard the 11-4 favourite Camille Pissarro, appeared to have a winning run approaching, but despite his efforts, he couldn’t quite catch Hallasan. The judge confirmed that Hallasan had held on by a nose, with the two horses crossing the finish almost simultaneously.

Buick praised the winner: "He really dug deep. He’s been in front for a while, but he kept responding, and I’m delighted with him. He showed early promise and might be starting to fulfil it now. He could potentially handle seven furlongs, though he’s a sharp horse. It’s a great win, especially after a break—he’s clearly improving at the right time."

Appleby’s assistant, Alex Merriam, added: "Will was very pleased with him. He toughened it out well and demonstrated plenty of speed. He’s a small horse who we initially thought would be an early bloomer, but he’s taken a bit of time to develop. It’s great to win a significant race with a horse from the Pinatubo line. I just spoke with Charlie, and he mentioned that Hallasan could be a promising candidate for Dubai."