Trillium’s most emotional winner ever...

THERE are the good days and then there are the wonderful days.

And Lightning Spear provided the Trillium Place team with one of the very best with his Sussex Stakes win a couple of weeks ago.

After several near misses at the top level it was a thrilling and most satisfactory outcome for the stable. Not least for trainer David Simcock, who has always believed in Lightning Spear.

But perhaps it meant most of all to Jennie Simcock. She rides the seven-year-old daily and has done so much over the last three seasons to draw the very best out of the horse.

“It has been a long road – or it feels like it – with him,” says David. “What people need to remember is he has raced out of Group 1 company twice since he has been with us and on both occasions he has won Group 2s. I think that’s testament to the horse.

“So to finally get a Group 1, we were delighted. And the Sussex is a lovely race to win.

“I was very pleased for my wife. She has put in a terrific amount of work with the horse and he was not straightforward when he arrived.

“It was great – it felt good. It was probably the most emotional winner I’ve ever had...definitely one of the good ones.”

What next for Lightning Spear, then? Well, a trip to France looks on the card and maybe even a step back in trip.

He is either going to contest the Prix du Moulin on Sunday, September 9 over a mile or head for the seven-furlong Prix de la Foret – which David won with Dream Ahead in 2011 – on Arc day (October 7).

“He has moseyed along since Glorious Goodwood,” says David. “He seems fine.

“We’ll probably go to the Moulin, maybe the Foret and then the Breeders Cup Mile. That’s a great race. Trade Storm ran in it and finished third which was great fun. We will have nothing to lose.”

After Churchill Downs a life as a stallion will beckon for Lightning Spear. And when the day comes to for him to leave the Simcocks he’s assured of the fondest of farewells.