Dunlop defies the odds

Lambourn’s Harry Dunlop landed a remarkable success with the unconsidered 40/1 shot Polly Pott in the prestigious May Hill Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting.

The sensational result comes just a month after Dunlop announced his decision to retire from training, citing unsustainable economic costs as the reason behind his decision to quit.

The two-year-old, who at one point in the morning drifted out to 100/1, finished one-and-a-half lengths clear of Karl Burke’s Novakai to win her fourth successive race and claim her first Group 2 title.

“I was so pleased, as everyone knows she was a long shot in the betting,” Dunlop said.

“She’s a filly that had won her last three starts, she’s really tough.

“It was quite poignant for me, one of my last runners.

“To have a winner in such a big graded race like that was fantastic.”

The filly, who cost just 21,000 guineas, overcame horses that had fetched prices of up to half a million, an immense satisfaction for the Lambourn trainer.

“That was very satisfying, I was involved with buying her as well,” he said.

“There’s a real sense of pride there for the whole team, it was really good.”

Dunlop has now set his sights on causing one final big upset and is targetting the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket next month.

He said: “We’re probably going to supplement her for the Group 1 at Newmarket.

“That’s something to really look forward to before finishing things, it would be great to go out on such a high.”

Dunlop, who landed the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in 2015 with Robin of Navan, has trained more than 170 winners since his first runner, Situla, in 2006.

He also enjoyed Group-level success with Jackfinbar, Knight to Behold and Fighting Irish.

The son of former 1000 Guineas and Oaks winning trainer John, and brother to Classic winning handler Ed, Dunlop has managed eight winners from his 12 horses in training at his Frenchman Lodge Stables so far this season.

That includes the impressive Adaay in Asia, who triumphed at Goodwood in July and won the illustrious Shergar Cup in August.

“The wins aren’t bittersweet, of course there are mixed emotions, of course, that’s only natural” he said.

“I made my decision and, of course it’s emotional, but it’s very exciting to be able to look towards the future as well.

"I've had a great time and we've made a lot of memories."

The 45-year-old is preparing to embark upon a series of exciting new ventures in the racing world, which includes working with Upper Lambourn-based trainer, Tom Ward.

He said: “I’ve been helping a local trainer called Tom Ward at the sales, that’s great.

“I’m also going to be involved in managing an old owner of mine’s horses, as well as a few other things in the racing industry.”

Dunlop, who follows Lambourn’s Joseph Tuite in quitting training due to financial difficulties, admits his decision was a difficult but unavoidable one.

“It was a difficult decision, I think Covid had a lot to do with it,” he said.

“A lot of businesses struggled, we weathered the storm but we lost a lot of clients, it wasn’t easy.

“I’ll miss the horses in the morning, that’s the one thing, watching horses mature and grow, that’s what I’ll miss most.”

Next month, then, Dunlop will be hoping Polly Pott can land him one of his final and most memorable winners to end an impressive 16-year career on a high.