Cinquanta volte Lanfranco nel Royal Ascot! Free Eagles la spunta nelle Prince of Wale’s. Sorprese nelle Jersey e nelle Duke of Cambridge con Dutch Connection e Amazing Maria. Acapulco, che classe nelle Queen Mary.
Free Eagle denies Gatsby in Prince Of Wale’s Stakes
Free Eagle (far side) holds on by a short head from The Grey Gatsby
PICTURE: Martin Lynch (racingpost.com/photos)
Free Eagle gets better of Gatsby in thrilling finish
Report: Royal Ascot, Wednesday
Prince of Wales’s Stakes (British Champions Series) (Group 1) 1m2f, 4yo+
DERMOT WELD proved once again that there is no better trainer at producing a horse perfectly on the day after a long absence as Free Eagle got the better of The Grey Gatsby in a photo-finish to win his first Group 1 on his seasonal bow.
With just four runs to his name, and unsighted since finishing third in the Champion Stakes over the same course and distance on heavy ground last October, Free Eagle came into the Prince of Wales’s off an interrupted preparation with his trainer stating the race had come sooner than he deemed ideal.
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ASCOT RESULTS Day 2 wednesday 17 june 2015 |
GOING: GOOD TO FIRM (Stands’ side 9.3, Centre 9.1, Far side 9.2, Round 8.6) changing to GOOD TO FIRM (Firm in places) after Race 2 (3.05). Weather conditions: light cloud, brighter spells, warm.
STALLS: Straight – Centre; Round – Inside
2:30 - Jersey Stakes (Group 3)7f, Class 1, £42,532.50 1 Dutch Connection 14/1 16 ran Distances: ½l, ¾l, hd Jockey: Jim Crowley WIN £17.60 PL £4.80, £3.40, £2.40 |
3:05 - Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) (Fillies)5f, Class 1, £56,710.00 1 Acapulco 5/2F NR: Caledonian Gold, Cobana Sand(IRE), Dark Side Princess 20 ran Distances: 1½l, 2½l, 2½l Jockey: Ryan Moore WIN £3.90 PL £1.90, £2.30, £2.60 |
3:40 - Duke of Cambridge Stakes (formerly Windsor Forest Stakes) (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares)1m, Class 1, £76,558.50 1 Amazing Maria 25/1 NR: Euro Charline, Evita Peron 6 ran Distances: 2l, 2l, 2½l Jockey: James Doyle WIN £18.00 PL £5.30, £2.00 RULE 4: Euro Charline was withdrawn. Price at time of withdrawal 6-1. Rule 4 applies to all bets – deduction 10p in the pound. |
4:20 - Prince of Wales’s Stakes (British Champions Series) (Group 1)1m2f, Class 1, £297,727.50 1 Free Eagle 5/2F NR: California Chrome (USA) 9 ran Distances: shd, 2¾l, ½l Jockey: Pat Smullen WIN £3.60 PL £1.40, £1.50, £2.90 |
5:00 - Royal Hunt Cup (Heritage Handicap)1m, Class 2, £108,937.50 1 Gm Hopkins 8/1 30 ran Distances: nk, 1½l, ½l Jockey: Ryan Moore WIN £9.70 PL £2.70, £3.20, £4.10, £6.60 |
5:35 - Sandringham Handicap (Listed Race) (Fillies)1m, Class 1, £39,697.00 1 Osaila 13/2 17 ran Distances: nse, 1½l, shd Jockey: Frankie Dettori WIN £8.60 PL £2.10, £1.40, £1.90, £2.20 |
Yet punters sent him off the 5-2 favourite and he duly obliged, though it was not without worry for his supporters as the fast-finishing The Grey Gatsby forced the judge to make a decision.
Smullen was awarded the race on the line, but he won it approaching the home turn as he moved his mount past Criterion and onto the quarters of pace-setter Gailo Chop.
At that point Jamie Spencer, sat in Smullen’s slipstream, looked to be in the perfect position on The Grey Gatsby but he was done no favours by Frankie Dettori who delivered his challenge on Western Hymn to the outside leaving Spencer with nowhere to go.
It was a case of what might of been for supporters of the 9-2 shot as Spencer had to sit and suffer as he waited for a gap to appear.
That gap was made by Smullen forging clear, and Spencer followed him through and then set about closing on the leader. There was not enough real estate left and he failed by the shortest of margins.Western Hymn, at 8-1, held on for third, two and three-quarter lengths adrift from the pair.
Once out Jamie Spencer set about reeling in Free Eagle
PICTURE: Getty Images
But the frustration of The Grey Gatsby camp was matched by the elation of Free Eagle’s connections. “I’ve never enjoyed a winner like it,” said Smullen.
“I’ve been saying for so long how good this horse is and we’ve had a stop-start campaign with him until now, but he showed today how good he is.
“They didn’t go over fast and I probably committed sooner than I planned, but all credit to him he kept going all the way to the line even though The Grey Gatsby challenged late.”
On the four-year-old’s trainer, Smullen added: “I can’t tell you how much of a training performance this is. It hasn’t been easy at all – Dermot’s done wonders to get him here today. I didn’t think he’d be able to show his best today, but he did.
“I think this horse will improve going a mile and a half, but he’s got a lot of pace. He’s all class and I’m just relieved he’s shown it because I’ve been saying it for a long time.”
The praise was mutual and Weld added: “He got a brilliant ride from Pat and he’s a very good horse. When you’ve a brilliant horse like him it makes the training easy, but it hasn’t been easy. He got a heavy head cold a couple of weeks ago and I thought today was in doubt, but we got him right on the day that matters.
“I was worried [at the finish] because fitness was my big concern – he hasn’t run for nine months – but today I had him as good as I could with the limited preparation.
“The Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc could be his long-term targets.”
Free Eagle: is 12-1 with Paddy Power for the Arc
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
There were no sour grapes from The Grey Gatsby’s trainer Kevin Ryan, who was full of praise for his jockey. He said: “Over the first two furlongs I thought they were going to go a gallop, but they sort of half pulled up.
“Jamie gave him a fantastic ride though. It was a fantastic race and he’s back to his best.
“I knew we had him in great shape and I was confident he’d put up a good race. I’m not disappointed. People think I probably should be, but I’m not. I’ve got the horse back to his best and we look forward to more big races.”
Betfred cut the winner to 10-1 (from 16) for the Arc, while Paddy Power, who went 12-1 (from 14) for the Arc, cut Free Eagle to 2-1 (from 7-2) for the Irish Champion Stakes.
Acapulco: returned in splendid isolation under Ryan Moore
PICTURE: Martin Lynch (racingpost.com/photos)
Acapulco and Moore in different class to rivals
Report: Royal Ascot, Wednesday, Queen Mary (Group 2) 5f, 2yo fillies
ACAPULCO, like her jockey Ryan Moore, proved herself a class apart from her rivals as she tore up the turf to thrash her opposition and give her jockey a fourth winner at the royal meeting.
Heavily backed all morning, Acapulco was sent off the 5-2 favourite, having opened at 6-1, and never gave her backers a moments doubt.
The field split in two and Moore settled Acapulco prominently in the near side group. Her long stride and superior ability meant she was in front with two furlongs to run without Moore moving a muscle.
When he did she shot clear.
It was a jaw-dropping burst that left her rivals trailing and it was the Michael Dods-trained Easton Angel, who travelled in mid-division in the far side group and made headway in a manner that would have been impressive if it were not for the winner, who fared best of the rest.
“She’s very special,” said Moore. “Wesley, ‘said she’s like a four-year-old’, and she rides like one. She’s got a great attitude and loads of pace.
“I wasn’t even quick away. I just cruised up and she had far too many gears for them. I’d say she’s all speed.”
There was a length and a half back to the 13-2 runner-up, with a further two and a half lengths to 6-1 shot Besharah in third.
“She’s a sweetheart – what a lovely filly,” said Ward. “She’s got immense talent and immense speed and really showed that today. She proved it and is a wonderful filly.
“We went over all the horses in the sale and got down to the final two or three and Mr Tabor was there and I pointed out the one I liked and we ended up with the right one.
“This is a huge relief. You don’t want to come in here and go home with your head hanging low so to get off the mark is amazing.”
Of the runner-up, Dods said: “We have [probably got the best two-year-old filly in Britain], but nobody likes finishing second. It was a great run and we’re delighted, but we like to win.
“She’s run her heart out and Paul [Mulrennan] said if he’d been drawn closer to the winner, he’d have given her more of a race because we were very isolated in stall one.
“She’s seriously good and there are some big races in her. Paul said she’d get six furlongs so we’ll sit down and make a plan.”
Betfred have installed the winner at 3-1 for the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August.
Frankie Dettori riding Osaila to victory in The Sandringham Handicap Stakes
Ascot prepares for day three of the royal meeting on Thursday
Ascot waters for day three of royal meeting
ASCOT groundstaff applied 5mm of water to the track on Wednesday evening after the going quickened to good to firm, firm in places on day two of the royal meeting.
A consensus of jockeys described conditions having quickened from day one with comments ranging from “lightning quick fast ground”, according to Jim Crowley, “very firm” (Paul Hanagan) and “like a road” (Richard Hughes).
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Among those preferring easier conditions is the Gold Cup favourite Forgotten Rules, whose trainer Dermot Weld issued a plea for “a little bit of kindness” in the surface on health and safety grounds.
Ascot clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: “We are putting 5mm on the whole track overnight. Ideally the aim is to take the sting out that got in there today. Obviously it is firm in places and we would like to start getting somewhere nearer to good to firm tomorrow. We think 5mm will do that.
“There might be a sprinkle of rain tonight, but it is minimal and under 1mm, and then the forecast is generally dry until Saturday when there is the threat of occasional showers.”
fonte : RacingPost
