The lightly raced Okeechobee built on a strong reappearance second to land Gordon Richard Stakes at Sandown on Friday, a sixth for jockey Ryan Moore.
Trained by Harry Charlton, the gelding was a three-time winner as a three-year-old, before missing the whole of the 2023 campaign. He returned after a long lay-off with a good second behind Dubai Honour in the Listed Magnolia Stakes and continues to progress.
Tasman Bay and Artistic Star set a fair pace in the early stages of the ten furlong contest, with eventual winner Okeechobee settled in sixth. Ryan Moore began to edge left as the field hit the final three furlongs and the five-year-old loomed boldly up the outside with a furlong to run. He kept on well to take a head victory from Desert Hero, who made a late lunge, with Israr three-quarters of a length back in third.
In an interview with ITV Racing, Ryan Moore said: "He's a lightly raced horse and they went a good gallop. I had to hold him together as we turned in for a while, he picked up well at the two (furlong marker). He'll improve, I think the trips right and he hasn't done a lot wrong this horse - they've done well to get him back and keep him well".
Trainer Harry Charlton was also pleased with the performance: "I thought he would go very close beforehand, but watching it was less enjoyable."
"Turning in, Ryan said they really kicked off the front, which we thought might happen, as it was a field full of stamina horses. He had quite a lot of ground to make up and Ryan was impressed with him from the three to the two to the one.
"He just got there and like they sometimes do, he just leaned in. Al Kazeem used to do it; think he was going to win then start hanging into the rail. But it was impressive.
"He obviously ran a lovely race at Kempton the other day and was entitled to come on for that. He came here 10kg fitter and I think he can probably tighten again, he's a big, round, rotund horse. That's only his sixth race and there's scope for more hopefully.
"Dare I say it, we might have to look at something like the Prix d'Ispahan or the Tattersalls Gold Cup next, it will be one of those two I suspect."
