Forevertheoptimist (left) lands the Bank of New York Mellon Dragon Stakes

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)  

Report: Sandown, Friday

Bank of New York Mellon Dragon Stakes (Listed) 5f, 2yo

FOREVERTHEOPTIMIST was a gutsy 9-1 winner as he just got the better of Kohala in a thrilling battle of the greys.

The pair went head to head for most of the race before Kieren Fallon just forced Forevertheoptimist in front of the 2-1 joint-favourite close home to score by a head.

Bear Behind, the other joint-favourite, was a running-on third, a length further back.

This was a clash of the Royal Ascot also-rans and it was the form of the Norfolk Stakes- in which Forevertheoptimist was seventh behind Bapak Chinta after a slow start – that received a boost.

Trainer Linda Stubbs’s husband Bill said the winner is likely to step up in trip for the 6f Rose Bowl Stakes, another Listed race, at Newbury on July 15.

“That’s the next target and possibly the Gimcrack after that,” he said. “I think he’ll get six furlongs andfurther as he gets older.

“He ducked back as the stalls opened at Ascot and otherwise Kieren said he would have been in the first four. He ran a good race there in the circumstances.

“The faster they go, the better it is for him. He’s tough, genuine and will improve.”

Intriguingly, Stubbs added that Forevertheoptimist is not the best of their small string of two-year-olds, although he would not reveal a name.

“We’ve got one better and you haven’t seen it yet. I can’t say any more than that,” he said.

Forevertheoptimist may have benefited from racing against the far rail, where the ground might be better, once he got to thefront after about a furlong.

Bear Behind was quickest away but was pushed back to third in the six-runner field as Forevertheoptimist and Kohala moved forward to start their prolonged battle.

It was nip and tuck all the way but Fallon was at his strongest as he got every last ounce of effort from the willing Forevertheoptimist.

Kohala, fifth in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, also emerged with plenty of credit, while Windsor Castle fifth Bear Behind stayed on well close home after appearing to be outpaced in mid-race.

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