Saturday, October 14, 2000
EMIRATES CHAMPIONS DAY
RACENEWS RACECOURSE SERVICE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2000
THE STORY OF THE DAY
GOING NEWS
Following a dry night, the going at Newmarket for Champions' Day throughout the track is now
GOOD TO SOFT,
after having been soft during racing yesterday.
"We had a spot or two of rain this morning but nothing measurable," said Newmarket Director of Racing Nick Lees.
"The forecast is for a dry day and any showers should not get here until this evening.
"The stalls will be on the stands side on the straight course, so that the horses will be racing on ground which has virtually been unused in the last two days, though we have not actually moved any rails.
"The only time this ground has been raced on at this meeting was when a group of runners in the mile handicap chose to race near to the stands' rails, though it was no help to them."
NON RUNNER
As has already been announced, Minardi will not run in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (3.30pm).The colt has been withdrawn with a vet's certificate.
EUBANK TO PRESENT JOCKEY CLUB CUP
Chris Eubank, the former World Super Middleweight Champion boxer, will present the trophy to the winning connections after the Group Three Jockey Club Stakes (1.40pm).
He is a guest of the racecourse.
FURTHER NON-RUNNER
Race 7
5.20pm - no 7. LADY BOXER (vet's certificate)
FILLIES HAVE SUPERB RECORD IN THE DUBAI CHAMPION STAKES
Anyone who thinks that Montjeu can be beaten in today's Group One Dubai Champion Stakes might be well advised to give serious consideration to the three fillies in the race, Alshakr and Henry Cecil's pair of Love Divine and Shiva.
Fillies and mares have outscored their male rivals to such an extent in the last 25 years that they have won the race on no fewer than 15 occasions.
The first of this group was Rose Bowl, who won for Charles Engelhard's widow Jane, Fulke Johnson Houghton and Willie Carson in 1975, and two years later Flying Water was yet another big-race winner in this country for Daniel Wildenstein, who landed many prizes all over the world during this period.
In 1978 Swiss Maid provided a first Group One success for "Pattern Race" Paul Kelleway, and a couple of years after that there was a win for Ireland with Cairn Rouge, who was then second the following year behind Vayrann. When that colt tested positive after the race, Cairn Rouge's owner Craig Singer embarked on a long legal battle in an attempt to have the race and the prize money awarded to him and his filly, but Vayrann kept the race and the Aga Khan held on to the stakes.
Time Charter added to her Oaks success for Robert Barnett, Henry Candy and Billy Newnes in 1982; Cormorant Wood battled through a howling gale for a dramatic success the year after that, taking the spoils in a photo-finish for Bobby McAlpine, Barry Hills and Steve Cauthen and, after a lapse by the females which allowed Palace Music to strike for the colts in 1984, four fillies won in a row.
Pebbles, who went on to take the Breeders' Cup Turf at Aqueduct the following month, came home in 1985 in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed; in 1986 and 1987 French-trained Triptych became the third dual post-war winner (Brigadier Gerard and Dynamiter preceded her), and in 1988 there was another triumph for Sheikh Mohammed when Indian Skimmer struck for Henry Cecil and Michael Roberts.
Steve Cauthen was back in the number one spot after In The Groove's defeat of Linamix in 1990; Criquette Head produced the fifth winner from France in 1990 when Hatoof stormed home in 1993, and the success of Bosra Sham in 1996 was a second for Henry Cecil and a third for Pat Eddery. Cecil regards that as one of the most memorable days of his racing career due to the reception he was given by the crowd when presented with his trophy by Sheikh Mohammed, with whom he had parted company a year earlier.
In the last two seasons Alborada, running for Kirsten Rausing, Sir Mark Prescott and George Duffield, has become the fourth dual winner of the race since 1945 and the 11th to do so in its history.
TURNPOLE AND SPIRIT OF LOVE BID TO MAKE RACING HISTORY
Turnpole and Spirit Of Love are bidding to make a bit of racing history when they line up for the Tote Cesarewitch this afternoon.
In all its long history - the race was first held in 1839 - no horse has won the race twice and, perhaps more surprisingly, no jockey among the current crop of riders has done so either.
Turnpole won the big staying handicap three years ago carrying 7st 10lb when he gave trainer Mary Reveley her second triumph in the race in three seasons, following her success with Old Red in 1995.
This is Turnpole's first subsequent run in the Tote Cesarewitch and the nine-year-old has since his 1997 triumph won two chases and two Flat races.
Spirit Of Love, trained by Mark Johnston, will also be trying to end the hoodoo on previous winners.
He won the Tote Cesarewitch with 8st 8lb on his back in 1998 and will be trying to emulate that display with 6lb more (taking weight for age into account) this time. Spirit Of Love finished 14th last year.
But several horses have won the race and also been placed in it, notably Top Cees, who was third to Old Red in 1995 and runner-up to Turnpole two years later before getting his name on the honours board 12 months ago.
Runner-up on that occasion was Dominant Duchess while Heros Fatal was third and Eastwell Hall fourth. They will all be bidding to do even better this time,
Though the last winner of the race trained in Ireland was the subsequent Melbourne Cup hero Vintage Crop in 1992, there is a very strong challenge from that country this season witn Ansar (like Vintage Crop trained by Dermot Weld), the Ascot Stakes winner Barba Papa and Tryphaena.
BETTING NEWS
Ladbrokes report "very good each-way support for Kalanisi, one of Sir Michael Stoute's two runners in the Dubai Champion Stakes (4.10pm) and the Aga Khan's colt is now in from 5-1 to 4-1. There has been sound support for the favourite Montjeu, but he is still an 11-8 shot and the Rayners Lane firm feel that he will stay at about that price.
There has been strong support for the progressive Jardines Lookout in the opening Jockey Club Cup (1.40pm) and he is now down from 8-1 to 5-1, and Cape Town has been popular in the Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes (2.15pm).
Barba Papa is still available at 6-1 in spite of strong support for the Tote Cesarewitch (2.55pm), and there has also been marathon money for Turnpole, the winner three years ago, and now into 10-1 from the morning 14-1.
Rayyaan has been in demand in the closing NGK Spark Plugs Handicap (5.20pm) and is now at 6-1 after having opened the day two points longer.
Hills report a quiet Tote Cesarewitch, but they too have laid Jardines Lookout in the Jockey Club Cup and have him at 5-1 from 13-2. Two other horses well supported with them have been Kabool and Cape Town, who are both in from 4-1 to 100-30 in the Challenge Stakes.
Victor Chandler, who sponsor that race, have cut Warningford by half a point from 9-2 to 4-1, and they are another firm to have laid Turnpole in the Tote Cesarewitch from 16-1 down to almost half that price at 9-1. Ravenswood is a lively outsider in the long distance handicap and is now into 20-1 from 33-1.
Another even longer priced horse who has been in demand is Border Arrow in the Dubai Champion Stakes and the five-year-old, who went off at 33-1 when he landed his first win on this course three years ago yesterday, has been slashed from 66-1 to 40-1.
Heros Fatal has been the one for money with the Tote in the their sponsored race, the Cesarewitch, and he is now at 8-1 from the morning 14-1.
Coral have had good Cesarewitch business for Eastwell Hall, now at 7-1 from 9-1, and for Turnpole, who is into 10-1 from 16-1. They have also had money for Cape Town (100-30 from 4-1) in the Challenge, for Jardines Lookout (5-1 from 13-2) in the Jockey Club Cup and for Mozart, who is in from 4-1 to 11-4 in the Darley Dewhurst (3.30pm).
WINNING QUOTES RACE ONE
JOCKEY CLUB CUP
"WHAT A GREAT SHOW" AS HUGHES HITS CENTURY
Trainer David Elsworth was in high spirits after Persian Punch had made every yard of the running to win the Jockey Club Cup by five unchallenged lengths from Royal Rebel to give Richard Hughes his 100th winner of the year.
"That was a great performance, he has been in really good form and he has given us miles of fun. That is some small consolation for France (where Persian Punch was second in the Prix du Cadran)," said the trainer.
"With due respect to the other jockeys who have won on him, and plenty of good men have ridden him, he seems to get on particularly well with Richard.
"He is the ideal horse about whom you can give the orders of ‘jump off in
front and improve your position all the way. The other jockeys then either have to let him go and hope he will come back or chase him and maybe burst their horses doing so, but then you have got to have a horse good enough to do it with," Elsworth added
"That will be his final race of this season and it will be more of the same next year. He will go to the (Littleton of owner Jeff Smith) stud now for the winter and come back to us in the spring.
"He will run in all the big staying races again, including the Gold Cup at Ascot (a race in which Persian Punch has never really run well in a number of attempts). He certainly seemed to stay two and a half miles in France, so why should he not do so at Ascot?"
Richard Hughes said: "That was fantastic. I am just delighted for the horse. He deserved to win in France I felt. It is hard work riding him."
FIRST RACE QUOTES
THE JOCKEY CLUB CUP (Group Three)
REBEL AIMED AT 2001 ASCOT GOLD CUP
Royal Rebel, the five-length runner-up to Persian Punch, will be aimed at the 2001 Ascot Gold Cup and have only one run next year before that championship contest.
The four-year-old, owned by British Horseracing Board chairman Peter Savill, will probably have another outing this season in the Group One Prix Royal-Oak over one mile, seven and a half furlongs at Longchamp on Sunday, October 22.
His trainer Mark Johnston said: "He was slow into his stride - some of the others maybe could have chased the leader - and he was keeping up as best as he could in the early stages.
"He only really came good with two and a half furlongs to go. He came through to lead the chasing pack quite comfortably but he never had the winner in his sights.
"I would not take anything away from the winner - I love to see horses win that - those tactics are the best ones.
"If he is well he will run in France next weekend. I think this was as good a staying race as you would find so I don't think France will be any tougher."
WINNING QUOTES RACE TWO
VICTOR CHALLENGE STAKES
20-1 NO SURPRISE TO HILLS
"She has been improving all the season and this was not a particular surprise to me," said Barry Hills after Last Resort had come from last to first to get the better of the Godolphin second-string Maidaan. Godolphin's major hope, Kabool, was last.
"My horses have been wrong for a lot of the year but she has always run well and has been going the right way all the time. I had the choice between this race, the Prix de la Foret and a Listed race at Deauville on Monday, and I chose this one because I thought she would like the track.
"She may run again this season as she is in such good form, though I shall have to talk it over with Prince Fahd (Salman). She will obviously go to stud in due course and she will make a good broodmare - she has a lovely pedigree."
Last Resort was bought as a yearling by Adrian Nicoll of the BBA (Ireland).
"We gave 57,000gns for her and bought Lady Upstage at the same time," Nicoll related, "and ‘Bunny' Roberts was given the choice between the two fillies."
"She could have had both," Hills related, "but she decided to have Lady Upstage and so Prince Fahd had this filly. Either would have done them proud," he said.
Last Resort has now won this Group Two prize and one other race, and Lady Upstage has landed the Group Two Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh and a Listed race at Kempton as well as being second in the Musidora.
SECOND RACE QUOTES
VICTOR CHANDLER CHALLENGE STAKES (GROUP TWO)
MAIDAAN PLEASES
The Godolphin second-string Maidaan ran on well to be second to Last Resort in the Group Two Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes.
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: "He ran really well - the distance and ground suited him and he improved from his last run in Ireland. We will take him back to Dubai now."
Kabool, the 11/4 favourite, finished last after disputing the lead for a long way. Bin Suroor commented: "He disappointed and we will see how he is. This race may have come too soon after his last one."
WINNING QUOTES RACE THREE
TOTE CESAREWITCH
A HERO
Heros Fatal, rated rather unlucky when third in the marathon handicap last year, gave Gary Carter his second success in the race following Private Audition and Martin Pipe his first with a tenacious defeat of Wave Of Optimism.
"He was very unfortunate in the race last season," said his owner Frank Farrant who shares the horse with his wife Alison. "Then this year he was third, but decisively beaten in the Ascot Stakes and his saddle slipped in the Northumberland Plate, and since then we have been training him for this race.
"It is very good for jumping owners and trainers to come here and win a big race like this at Newmarket, the headquarters of British racing.
"I bought the horse at Deauville just over two years ago for 600,000 francs. He had won a Listed race in France and we liked the look of him in the catalogue and when we saw him and luckily the hammer fell at the right time.
"He has done very well for us over hurdles, but he got too high in the handicap at the end of last season and he will go chasing now. We haven't schooled him over fences yet as we did not want to take any risks with this race in mind, but he jumps hurdles well and I hope he will do as well over fences."
The Farrants, who have about 25 horses including their broodmares and young stock, have all their jumpers with Martin Pipe and others on the Flat with Michael Bell and Jamie Osborne.
Gary Carter got down to one of his lowest weights for some time to ride the winner at just 1lb over on 8st 1lb. "I did 7st 13lb for Ed Dunlop at Ascot a couple of weeks ago, and I lost 4lb this morning to get down to as low as I could for this horse. Lots of the lads were in the sauna at the same time trying to get weight off, and I had to be 7st 13lb stripped to ride him at 8st 1lb.
"The race was pretty rough early on and I made sure I followed the right men, I tucked in behind Johnny Murtagh and Franny Norton and knew I would be safe where I was," said the jockey.
"I went to the front about two out and let the others try to catch me, as I knew that with all Mr Pipe's horses he would keep going. He was always travelling well and was strong enough to take his own gaps when I needed him to. I think my agent booked me for the ride a couple of weeks ago. I rode him when he was third last year and when the jockeys who had ridden him in his races this season were booked for other horses in the race, I hoped I might be in the frame to be on him again."
Jeff Pearce was delighted with the effort of the runner-up, who had to be re-shod at the start when he spread a plate. "I thought in the Dip that he might be coming to win, but he just keeps galloping. I shall have to ring up my friend Mr Pipe and have a few words with him," he said.
THIRD RACE QUOTES
TOTE CESAREWITCH
TWO IRISH CHALLENGERS
IN THE FRAME
Two Irish-trained challengers Barba Papa and Tryphaena came third and fourth in the Tote Cesarewitch.
Tony Martin, the trainer of the 9/2 favourite Barba Papa, said: "He's run great - you've got to be thrilled with that.
"I take my hat off to the winner - mine was just not good enough on the day but he still ran his heart out and ran a cracker.
"Maybe, he was a bit tapped for pace seven furlongs out. We'll see how he is after this. He is likely to run next over hurdles."
Willie Mullins was pleased with 10/1 chance Tryphaena's fourth. He said: "I am delighted with her - she had every chance and ran a tremendous race.
"We might come back next year but she will go hurdling now."
WINNING QUOTES RACE FOUR
DARLEY DEWHURST STAKES
"GOING AWAY"
"That was great, a really good performance and he was going away at the finish," said Mick Channon after his Toubogg had run on too strongly for Noverre and Tempest. His odds for next year's Sagitta 2,000 Guineas vary from 6-1 with Ladbrokes, 7-1 (from 12-1) with Coral and 8-1 with Victor Chandler.
"He was always the horse we wanted from when we saw him at the sales last year and John Ferguson did very well to buy him. He is a trainer's dream and does everything right, he goes on any ground and just gets on with it.
"As far as I was concerned the main danger to him today was probably himself. He is so laid back and wasn't paying attention. He just does not always concentrate and Craig (Williams) said that he was looking at the crowd from two furlongs out.You just have to keep him up to his work, but that is just him.
"He looks an obvious Sagitta Guineas horse, but I don't know whether or not he will still be with me then or will have joined Godolphin. I don't know about things like that, I just get on with training them.
"I don't know how far he will stay, though he should get a mile and a quarter but I can't tell if he will stay a mile and a half.
"Every trainer wants to be here with runners on days like this, it's like playing in a Cup Final. You want to see if they can do on the racecourse what they show you at home, and it's much better being here with runners who are good enough to run in the top races rather than sitting at home at West Ilsley with nothing to run."
Craig Williams said: "My thanks go to Mick Channon. I am going home a week on Monday, October 23, and I can't wait to get back."
FOURTH RACE QUOTES
DARLEY DEWHURST STAKES (GROUP ONE)
NOVERRE OFF TO BREEDERS' CUP
David Loder, the trainer of the second Noverre, said: "I thought he ran a very good race. Frankie (Dettori) felt that Noverre was a bit unlucky. If he had got in the clear a bit earlier then he might have given the winner a bit more to do.
"Assuming Noverre comes out of the race well, Sheikh Mohammed is very keen to go for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile ($1 million, 1m 110yds, Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 4, 2000)."
Chris Richardson, the manager of Cheveley Park Stud, the owner of the third Tempest, commented: "I am thrilled - he is a big horse and still a bit weak.
"He came to win his race and was not beaten too far. He prefers a faster surface. This was his last race of the year.
"It is exciting to have such a nice colt."
WINNING QUOTES RACE FIVE
DUBAI CHAMPION STAKES
MAYBE JAPAN
Trainer Sir Michael Stoute is looking at the possibility of next month's Japan Cup for Kalanisi after his defeat of Montjeu.
"I have always thought he would get a mile and a half and he has had only five races this season," he said, "but obviously I shall have to talk it all over with His Highness (the colt's owner breeder the Aga Khan).
"He is quite a character and a really tough and brave horse. It has been a very good season for us and I hope that the desire to keep winning at the top level like this isn't getting any older."
Johnny Murtagh, who has now won nine Group One races this year, said how grateful he was "to John Oxx and Sir Michael for letting me ride these marvellous horses for the Aga Khan all over Europe this year. They are two marvellous gentlemen to work for and I would like again to say thank you to them."
Murtagh, who was accompanied on to the winner's podium by his young son Charles, said that Kalanisi "really deserved that after his two very hard races against Giant's Causeway (at Sandown and York).
"When I saw Momtjeu coming up alongside me in the final furlong I just moved my fellow over towards him. It was always going to be tough for Montjeu with this race coming only two weeks after the Arc and I knew that my fellow would really battle. He is as tough as nails."
Trainer John Hammond put a brave face on Montjeu's defeat. "You come here to win and then you finish second," he said, though he agreed that second was better than being third or fourth.
"I felt that it was the right thing to come here or else we wouldn't have, but it is hard to keep horses going right at the top for two seasons.
"The owners have been very good to me with the horse and have been very sporting about the way in which they have campaigned him, but the bottom line is that we came here to win and we didn't."
FIFTH RACE PLACE QUOTES
THE DUBAI CHAMPION STAKES
DISTANT MUSIC ONE TO
LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR
Barry Hills, the trainer of the third Distant Music, said: "He's run a great race - I am really pleased. Michael just thought that he found the ground a bit loose going into the dip - Distant Music wants good, quick ground.
"He gets a mile and a quarter - I always thought he would. He's been wrong for half of the year which was unfortunate.
"He'll stay in training and I look forward to running him in the top mile and a quarter races. That was it for this year."
Henry Cecil, trainer of the fourth Love Divine, said: "She's run terribly well. They were just a bit strong for her going up the hill. She's run a big race.
"There is a good chance that she will stay in training."
WINNING QUOTES RACE SIX
OWEN BROWN ROCKFEL STAKES
WINNING
TREGONING
Marcus Tregoning and Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager Angus Gold were biting their nails after the call of a stewards' inquiry following the all-the-way 25-1 success of Sayedah.
"I don't think she did anything wrong, unless she came across a bit too quickly," said Tregoning.
"I have always thought a lot of this filly and was not surprised that she won. You can see what we felt about her that she came here after being second in two maiden races, but it is one thing to come to a race like this expecting to run well, which we did, and another to see her win well.
"Her pedigree suggests that she is more of an Oaks filly than a Guineas one," the trainer went on with regard to post race Guineas quotes of which the highest was the 33-1 from Chandlers.
"I think she likes to get her toe in a bit and this easier ground suited her better than at Newbury. She will also do better as she goes further," added Tregoning of the filly, whose owner won the race last season with his subsequent Sagitta 1,000 Guineas heroine Lahan.
WINNING QUOTES RACE SEVEN
NGK SPARK PLUGS HANDICAP
BLINKERS WORK
Social Contract, wearing blinkers for the first time, sprang a 25-1 surprise in the last race, with his better-fancied stablemate Pays d'Amour in third.
"It gets like that at this time of the year, you have to run two or three in races like this and they have all run well," said trainer Richard Hannon, who also had Norfolk Reed (11th) in the race.
"When Jimmy Fortune rode him last time he said that the horse was just ducking in behind every time he pulled him out to make an effort," added Hannon, somewhat amused to realise that Fortune now rode the runner-up Lord Pacal.
"I would like to keep this horse for next year, as I think he could be a useful horse at around sprint distances," the trainer went on after Paul Fitzsimons had brought Social Contract home a length in front of Lord Pacal.
CROWD AND REACTION
Today's crowd was estimated at 16,000.
Nick Lees, Newmarket's Director Of Racing, said: "We are bit disappointed with the crowd figure as this was as good a Champions' Day as we have had.
"The racing has been wonderful and of very high quality throughout the afternoon."
JOCKEYS SUSPENDED
Richard Hills and Eddie Ahern were both suspended after the Owen Brown Rockfel Stakes.
Hills, who rode all-the-way winner Sayedah, was found guilty of irresponsible riding of a minor nature in the way that he took his filly across to the rails from his outside draw of 16.
"He caused interference to Ami's Angel, whom Kevin Darley had to snatch up, and thus to Ameerat," said stewards' secretary Patrick Hibbert-Foy. Hills was suspended for four days (October 23 to 26).
Ahern was adjudged guilty of careless riding on runner-up Katherine Seymour. He was stood down for one day (October 23) and the placings of Katherine Seymour and Imagine, who finished third, were reversed.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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