Yard favourite Defoe delights Varian’s team with Hardwicke success
Victory for a yard favourite means that bit more and Defoe did his popularity no harm in producing a career-best performance to land the Hardwicke Stakes.
The ever-improving five-year-old is not just the apple of everyone’s eye at Roger Varian’s Carlburg Stables in Newmarket but also immensely treasured by the trainer’s family.
While the Varian team on course were beaming from ear to ear and fielding handshakes and hugs from left, right and centre after his thrilling half-length victory over Czech Republic challenger Nagano Gold, the trainer’s children Momoka, Eiji and Reika will have been watching intently on television from home.
Varian’s wife Hanako said: “Defoe is my favourite as he’s a lovely horse at home yet really tough on the track and that is a rare combination. He’s kind, a gentleman and all he wants to do is eat grass, even at the racecourse! He’s just so chilled out and a pleasure to have in the yard.
“He’s very kind to our children and he’s just so nice. Days like this are fantastic and it’s great for his owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who has been so kind to our family and the children –I’m certain they are watching at home.”
Last year’s Derby winner Masar loomed up promisingly on the outside entering the home straight but faded in the closing stages to finish a near five-length fifth in the Group 2 contest.
A return to Ascot for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 27, for which he was shortened to 8-1 (from 12), is next on the agenda for five-time Group-race scorer Defoe, who struck at the top level for the first time in the Coronation Cup at Epsom earlier this month.
Varian, celebrating his third Royal Ascot success, said: “Defoe is everyone’s favourite horse and he’s just hard not to like. He’s very straightforward, tries, always relaxed and getting better with age.
“It was a strong race on paper and he’s took his form forward from Epsom. It was a tough performance and he’s such a lovely horse to train.
“He had a good attitude as a colt and it was Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s decision to geld him at the end of last season, which is possibly going to elongate the horse’s career.
“We’ve always had faith in him being very capable to mix it with the best and hopefully we can bring him back for the King George. It has to be on the radar with a nice break between now and then and we’re excited for the rest of the season.”
It had been a testing week for winning rider Andrea Atzeni, who failed to strike on 15 earlier rides at the meeting, which made this triumph extra special.
Atzeni, mixing delight with relief, said: “It’s been a longish week but I did think my best rides came today and it’s great for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who is a big supporter of mine and puts a lot of money into the game.
“Defoe has always had lots of talent but has turned the corner this year and is just getting better and better.”
Christophe Soumillon: Masar cost Nagano Gold victory in the Hardwicke
Christophe Soumillon is convinced that but for Masar the Czech Republic’s Nagano Gold would have won the Hardwicke Stakes.
France’s perennial champion jockey took the mount on the 25-1 outsider of the field, but as soon as the stalls opened he was set an almost impossible task as Masar stumbled badly and checked him.
From there Soumillon was forced to race several lengths detached off the back of the field in what was a slowly run affair. However, having got his mount back on an even keel and into the race, he was then checked again by Masar as he began to challenge.
“Unfortunately Masar gave us a hard time at the start, hopefully everyone is still on their horse. He cost me the race anyway,” said a disappointed Soumillon.
Explaining the incident he added: “The problem was as he jumped out of the gate he crossed me, and then in the straight also he pushed me wide.”
Tomas Janda, racing manager to Nagano Gold’s owner/trainer Vaclav Luka jr – who trains roughly 100km from Prague but was not present – spoke of the mixture of joy and frustration the team felt after the five-year-old ran such a brave race.
“We are happy, but it was quite close and Christophe said he lost quite a lot at the start. Masar crossed him and he lost a lot there, and also in the straight, so he feels he could even have won. We are happy, but if you are so close you always think what could be.”
Explaining how the plan to travel the son of Sixties Icon came about, Jadna added: “He won a Listed race in France last year very easily and ran in Group 2 races, but it was always very, very slow. He was placed fourth, but only beaten three lengths, and over the winter we decided to come here.
“We run a lot of our horses in France every week, but for this horse England – or maybe Germany – is better because he needs a fast pace.”
All roads lead to Longchamp
That said, the Nagano Gold team are building the rest of his campaign around one race in France. There will be one start, in either Britain or – more likely at this stage – Germany, before a trip to the Arc.
“We’ve entered him for a Group 1 in Germany in August, so probably not the King George but of course we could change it, but the long-term plan for this season is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October. We don’t want many races for him so I think we will run just once more before the Arc and we hope it’s not too slow.”
He’s done it! Blue Point lands Diamond Jubilee four days after King’s Stand win
Blue Point landed the Diamond Jubilee Stakes under James Doyle just four days after winning the King’s Stand Stakes to become only the eighth runner since the second world war to complete a double at Royal Ascot.
The five-year-old, who was emulating Choisir’s remarkable feat in both races in 2003, went off the 6-4 favourite and held on to narrowly deny Sir Michael Stoute’s Dream Of Dreams, while early leader Kachy took third.
The Godolphin-owned colt, trained by Charlie Appleby, has now won all five of his runs this year, three at Group 1 level, and Sheikh Mohammed was delighted to see Blue Point strike again.
“He is a very good horse and after he won the King’s Stand it was quite an easy decision to run him again,” he told ITV Racing. “We wanted to see him another time at Ascot before he goes to stud at the end of the season. I think it was marvellous.”
James Doyle, who had his first victory teaming up with Blue Point on Tuesday, was understandably overwhelmed to have been a part of a history-making duo.
He said: “That was pretty special. He gave me a great feel after his last piece of work before the King’s Stand and I said then he was one of the quickest horses I’ve ever ridden. It was a little bit hairy at the finish, but he’s so genuine and I’ve never met a horse as tough as this.”
Blue Point has now been cut to 7-2 for next month’s July Cup at Newmarket with Paddy Power and Sky Bet.
Defeated by a head, Dream Of Dreams almost spoiled the party with Danny Tudhope inches away from making it a phenomenal five Royal Ascot victories from nine rides, while Sir Michael Stoute’s wait for a second Diamond Jubilee winner since Dafayna in 1985 goes on.
Third-placed Kachy stormed out of the stalls into an early lead and was able to keep pace to take third ahead of Speak In Colours, while Le Brivido followed up his fifth in the Queen Anne with the same place here.
Diamond Jubilee Stakes result
1 Blue Point 6-4f
2 Dream Of Dreams 12-1
3 Kachy 33-1
4 Speak In Colours 50-1
5 Le Brivido
6 The Tin Man
7 Invincible Army
8 Lim’s Cruiser
9 City Light
10 Projection
11 Tip Two Win
12 Key Stroke
13 Bound For Nowhere
14 Yafta
15 Enzo’s Lad
16 Sands Of Mali
17 Emblazoned
fonte : RacingPost
