Appleby's 1000th winner as Glory Lily impresses on debut

Charlie Appleby has trained his 1,000th winner in Britain.

The Godolphin trainer reached the milestone when debutant Glory Lily, ridden by Jason Watson, got up late to land the talkSPORT EBF Fillies Maiden Stakes at Lingfield Park on Wednesday 14 December.

Glory Lily (Shamardal) ran on strongly in the home straight to get the better of stablemate Star Guest, ridden by William Buick, in the 7f juvenile contest on the all-weather track. The winner is a two-year-old half-sister to Botanik, runner-up in the Hong Kong Vase.

Appleby brought up the 1000th winner just over nine years and four months after sending out his first winner, Expressly, ridden by Mickael Barzalona, in the Ascot Lawyers Maiden Fillies Stakes at Ascot on 28 July 2013.

Glory Lily’s win capped a successful season in which Appleby lifted his second successive British trainers’ championship, sending out 152 winners so far, which marks the best domestic season numerically for the Moulton Paddocks operation.

The 152 winners have been achieved from 486 runners in the UK at a strike rate of 31.27 per cent.

Appleby thanked his hard-working team at Moulton Paddocks and paid tribute to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for his unwavering support.

“It is a great achievement for everybody at Godolphin to ring up the 1000 in such a short time. I am proud to be a part of that and I am forever indebted to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed for appointing me to the job as a Godolphin trainer.

“His continued enthusiasm and passion for racing and his horses is what drives all of us every day. His inspiration and backing enables us to keeping aiming high in what is such a competitive sport,” he said.

Appleby said that 2022 is not over yet. He plans to have more runners before the official end of the British Flat season on 31 December.