BY JAMES PUGH4:39PM 21 JUL 2012

Report: Ascot, Saturday

King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes Sponsored By Betfair (British Champions Series) (Group 1) 3yo+, 1m4f

GERMAN filly Danedream proved last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe success to be no fluke after she landed another massive victory on the international stage, narrowly denying Nathaniel in a thrilling King George finish at Ascot.

The pair were locked together throughout the final furlong and the Peter Schiergen-trained filly put her head down when it mattered to deny last year’s King George winner another victory in the Group 1 contest.St Nicholas Abbey made up rapid late ground from the rear to take third ahead of Reliable Man, although Joseph O’Brien’s use of the whip on the third was judged excessive and earned him a seven-day ban and a £900 ban.

Winning trainer Schiergen said: “I thought we were second and now it’s better that we are first. She didn’t travel in her last race and there wasn’t a good pace but today there was a good pace and it was good for her.

“It’s a great feeling and this was very important for Germany. I think we will go to Baden Baden for a small Group 1 and then she will go back to the Arc. She won the race with her head and her heart.”

This year’s £1million contest had drawn opponents from across the world and all eyes were on John Gosden’s Coral-Eclipse winner Nathaniel, who was bidding to match the achievements of Dahlia and Swain by winning the race for a second consecutive time.

Peter Schiergen: “She won the race with her head and her heart”PICTURE: Martin Lynch

Robin Hood made the running and the Aidan O’Brien-trained pacemaker set a true pace for stablemate St Nicholas Abbey, who watched on from the rear of the ten-runner field.

Dunaden tracked the leader in second, Nathaniel was settled slightly further back and Sea Moon was held up, just one place ahead of St Nicholas Abbey, as the runners hurtled towards Swinley Bottom.

Melbourne Cup hero Dunaden took up the running with four furlongs left but he was soon passed by Michael Owen’s Brown Panther and then Nathaniel, who laid down a strong challenge under his jockey William Buick and burst to the front with two furlongs to travel.

Sea Moon, winner of the Hardwicke Stakes at the royal meeting, failed to pick up, before he stayed on to take fifth, but Nathaniel only had Danedream to worry about as the line neared.

The pair were locked in battle with just yards to go and neither horse shirked the challenge as they flashed past the famous winning post together.

But Danedream, ridden by Andres Starke, was called the winner by a nose, giving Germany its first victory in the all-ages contest (following just a month after the German-trained Energizer scored at the royal meeting) and she was welcomed back to the winner’s enclosure by rapturous applause.

In addition to O’Brien’s whip punishment, the riders of Danedream and Nathaniel also received ban for excessive use as Starke got six days and Buick two days.

John Gosden: delighted with King George runner-up NathanielPICTURE: Mark Cranham

Gosden was thrilled with the performance of Nathaniel and he said: “That was phenomenal. The filly is unbelievable and she’s come back to her best and chinned him on the line.

“I’m thrilled with him. He’s run a blinder, but the filly was back to her best and it’s as simple as that. I can’t believe he’s run two races like that two weeks apart.

“He’s done absolutely brilliantly to come back from the Eclipse and be beaten just a nose by Danedream. She’s come back to her best and anyone lucky enough to see how she destroyed the colts in the Arc knows how good that is. She’s a marvellous mare and full marks to her.”

Gosden said he may attempt to reverse the form in the Arc, adding: “I wouldn’t be frightened of coming back here for the Champion Stakes and we’ll look at the Arc. I’d love to meet the winner again but she’s very good.”

Sea Moon, bidding to give trainer Sir Michael Stoute a record sixth success in the race, failed to show his best form.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Sea Moon’s owner Khalid Abdullah, said: “He didn’t travel as well as we thought he might and he didn’t pick up when needed. In the Hardwicke he really travelled and quickened up and that wasn’t the case today.”

Ascot Result:  KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES SPONSORED BY BETFAIR (BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES) (GROUP 1)

			HORSE/SP	AGE	WGT	TRAINER/JOCKEY	OR	TS	RPR
«	1 4		Danedream (GER) 9/1	4	9-4	P Schiergen	128	*	*
						A Starke
«	2 3	nse	Nathaniel (IRE) 5/2	4	9-7	John Gosden	126	*	*
						William Buick
«	3 8	1½	St Nicholas Abbey (IRE) 5/1	5	9-7	A P O’Brien	124	*	*
						J P O’Brien
«	4 9	hd	Reliable Man 20/1	4	9-7 t	A De Royer-Dupre	118	*	*
						Olivier Peslier
«	5 6	½	Sea Moon 2/1F	4	9-7	Sir Michael Stoute	124	*	*
						Ryan Moore
«	6 2	1¼	Dunaden (FR) 8/1	6	9-7	M Delzangles	118	*	*
						Craig A Williams
«	7 10	½	Brown Panther 20/1	4	9-7	Tom Dascombe	117	*	*
						Kieren Fallon
«	8 7	10	Deep Brillante (JPN) 20/1	3	8-9	Yoshito Yahagi	118	*	*
						Yasunari Iwata
«	9 5	½	Masked Marvel 25/1	4	9-7	John Gosden	119	*	*
						Frankie Dettori
«	10 1	40	Robin Hood (IRE) 100/1	4	9-7 v	A P O’Brien	99	*	*
						Seamie Heffernan

10 ran TIME 2m 31.62s (slow by 1.62s) Total SP 119%
1st OWNER: Gestut Burg Eberstein & Teruya Yoshida BRED: Gestut Brummerhof TRAINER: P Schiergen
2nd OWNER: Lady Rothschild & Newsells Park Stud
3rd OWNER: Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor
TOTE toteswingers 1&2 £6.80, 2&3 £3.10, 1&3 £11.20 WIN £11.20 PL £3.20, £1.40, £1.70; Ex £40.60; CSF £30.37; TRICAST £129.83 TRIFECTA £148.90 Poo

Racingpost

Una femmina che ormai si è ritagliata una fetta importante nella storia del Turf Mondiale.  La sua storia la conosciamo tutti dalla “corsetta” di San Siro al trionfo francese agli allori inglesi di oggi. Gli altri escluso Nathaniel, buon secondo,  sono rimasti un passo indietro.

DF. sabato 21/07/2012