THE GREATEST RACE MEETING IN THE WORLD ATTRACTS THE BEST HORSES AND THE BEST RACING EXPERIENCE (PART 2) |
By David Clarkson26/06/2012 |
Chief Correspondent - from London |
 Black Caviar just hangs on to win at Royal Ascot At the post-race media conference after Black Caviar had maintained her unbeaten record by the narrowest of margins Peter Moody was very downbeat about Black Caviar’s win by only a head and a neck over the two fast-finishing French fillies Moonlight Cloud and Restiadargent in Saturday’s Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. The 42-year-old trainer from Charleville, Queensland said he was aware that even after 400m the mare was not travelling as fluently as she had raced in her previous 21 racecourse outings. Moody indicated that whilst it had been expected that Black Caviar would compete in Australia in the Spring, no decision on the mare’s racing future would be made until she returned to Melbourne and he suggested the distinct possibility that the daughter of Bel Esprit may never race again. He explained to the large gathering in the Ascot press room that Black Caviar had raced with numerous minor niggling injuries throughout her career. As a Northern Hemisphere six-year-old he stressed that the horse would not improve and expressed deep regret that English racegoers had not seen the unbeaten mare at her racing peak.
32-year-old jockey Luke Nolen told the packed room that he had “shit himself” in the final 100m of the race after easing Black Caviar in the final stages of the race, expecting Black Caviar to coast to victory. She switched off and her one and a half length lead was quickly diminishing when the finishing post saved Nolan from the greatest embarrassment in the history of global racing. The first three crossed the line in a blur as I stood 2 metres after the line with ex-jockey and broadcaster Brough Scott. No one was sure if the unthinkable had occurred as the judge called for the photograph. The print showed a very narrow margin between first and second. But the unbeaten record remained intact.
With Betfair Black Caviar started at $1.27 and in-running traded up to $1.98. She was the most traded horse in a race in Betfair's 12-year history. Of $20m traded on the race, 95% was on Black Caviar. |
 Princess Highway Princess Highway ran out an impressive winner of the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Dermot Weld's daughter of Street Cry had impressed in winning both starts this season, latterly when landing the Group Three Blue Wind Stakes, but took her form to a new level in the 12 furlong Group Two.
Vow led the field at a steady pace in the early stages, appearing to cause scrimmaging in behind, until Darryll Holland took the bull by the horns and kicked on aboard Investec Oaks second Shirocco Star. It appeared as though he may have stolen the race with that move as he quickened again off the home turn, taking several lengths out of the field.
The Fugue, sent off favourite on the back of an unlucky run at Epsom, and Princess Highway were sent in pursuit but it soon became apparent that Pat Smullen was travelling far better aboard the Irish raider. The three year old made her rivals appear pedestrian as she lengthened clear to record a mightily impressive six length success with The Fugue edging out Shirocco Star by a short-head for the minor honours.
Weld and Smullen had combined to take this race with the winner's dam in 2002 and Princess Highway was a fifteenth winner at the Royal Meeting for the veteran handler. A clue to Princess Highway's chance was lurking in the form book, as she had Epsom heroine Was back in third when winning at Naas last time out.
Weld said: "It's nice to come back and win the same race we won a number of years ago with her dam. She's been a backward filly but progressed well during the spring and she beat the winner of the Epsom Oaks (Was) convincingly last time out.
"I thought this was an excellent renewal of the Ribblesdale, so we really had to improve to win today, and she's gone and done it. Ascot has always been very lucky for me and she is a late developing filly. My only concern was that the ground had maybe gone a bit slow for her, but they went a very true pace and Pat very wisely took his time on her and rode a brilliant race as always."
"She's very progressive and we've got plenty to look forward to for the rest of the year. She was a late-maturing filly and the logical progression for her is the Irish Oaks (July 22).
"The trip was one of my biggest concerns, along with the ground. She answered all the questions today.
Smullen said: "She's a beautiful mare to ride. She's uncomplicated, travels and quickens. Our only fear was that the ground had gone too soft for her, but she handled it extremely well and it's actually not too bad. I think she'd prefer better ground. She beat the Oaks winner quite well at Naas, so the form was there. |
 Spread across the course - the two-year-old bay colt Reckless Abandon is far right Reckless Abandon won the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot despite steering an erratic path.
The son of American stallion Exchange Rate, who had beaten the reopposing Annunciation on debut, hit the front in the five furlong contest travelling strongly only to veer markedly to the left.
Adam Kirby, however, managed to keep his colt's momentum going with the stand's side rail to help to claim a first Royal Ascot success.
Annunciation had taken the field through their early paces but Richard Hannon's runner was in trouble approaching halfway with challengers spread across the width of the track.
Favourite Cay Verde moved up ominously only to falter but Gale Force Ten, a rare runner in the race for Aidan O'Brien, came home strongly as did Ian's Dream and Morawij with the latter just missing out on the places.
The winner margin was three quarters of a length and the same and was a third Royal Ascot success for trainer Clive Cox.Cox said: "He did it on his first start and in a perfect world, in a normal spring, he would have had a couple of runs.
"It's a great team effort to have the horse here in this kind of order and I'm delighted for the owners, who have been good supporters. He's very talented. Adam has done a grand job on him and I'm very proud. It's just greenness (that saw him hang to the rail) and I think most of my horses improve with racing. He knew his job to win first time, but he's just got that tendency."
Cox will now aim the winner at the Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, saying: "He's got bags of speed."
Kirby said: "I had my stick in my left because I thought I'd bring him over to the right, away from the crowd on the left because when he won last time he just ran around. he's just a big baby. As soon as I went for him, he ran left straight away . He's very special." It later transpired that Kirby had broken the whip rules during his victorious performance.The stewards found he had used his whip above the permitted level, an offence which merits a suspension of between two and six days.
Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Gale Force Ten, said: "I'm delighted with the run. We've often run a horse back in the Railway Stakes after this, so he would be a possible for that."
Jeremy Noseda said of Ian's Dream: "I think he would prefer faster ground, but considering that was the second start of his life you'd have to be delighted with him. |
 Not your usual hat |
 Ishvana (orange) wins the Jersey Stakes in a great finish |
 Her Majesty |
 My favourite dress |
 Dark and demure |
 Colourful racing identities |
 Unusual headwear |
 The Queen chats with Mr & Mrs John Messara (Chairman Racing NSW) |
 Clerk of course Chris Stickels presents top-grade racing surfaces |
 The presentation - Prince Charles enjoying a chat |
 Big competitive fields - Call It On leads the field in the Ascot Stakes |
 Big hats |
 Craig Williams talks to the media |
 The joy of the winning trainer - Brian Meehan (left) |
 Not really at ease - winning jockey Adam Kirby |
 Glamour |
 Dawn Approach wins the 2-y-old Coventry Stakes |
 Another identity from Australia via Hong Kong - Jamie Stier (ex HKJC Chief Steward) now Director of Racing for the British Horseracing Board |
 Energizer (Monsun- Erytheis) German raider Energizer landed the Tercentenary Stakes. Trained by Jens Hirschberger and ridden by Adrie De Vries, the son of popular stallion Monsun became the first German trained winner at Royal Ascot.
The three year old showed his talent with a fourth placed finish behind Caspar Netscher in the German Guineas on his previous start.The step up in trip appeared to be the making of him, however, as he ran on strongly in the closing stages of the 2000m Group Three to score by two and a half lengths and the same from Stipulate and Rewarded.The runner-up was one of two horses owned by Prince Khalid Abdulla with the other, favourite Wrotham Heath, taking the field along at a decent pace.
Richard Hughes took Crius wide under the trees in search of better ground but that ploy failed to pay dividends as his mount was around 10 lengths adrift turning in before returning tailed off.The remainder of the 10 runners were all in a position to challenge for the honours but it was the German challenger who proved strongest in recording a famous success.
"After our Guineas, we wanted to step him up in trip and we were confident going into this race," said Hirschberger."I didn't know the form of the other horses, but looking at Caspar Netscher's form I thought we had a good chance”.
"The next race for him might be the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis. That's the next plan and we might come back to England."
It was jockey De Vries' second ever visit to Ascot and his first British winner.He said: "It's a great thrill. I was very hopeful especially when I saw him in the paddock nice and relaxed. "He had been a bit too keen but with the hood on he has changed and settled in his race."We wanted to step him up after his last run and he showed a really good turn of foot."
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Stipulate's owner Khalid Abdullah, said: "It was a good run. He could have done with the ground a bit quicker, but it was still a decent race and he's going to be all right.
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Melbourne Cup and Hong Kong Vase winner Dunaden ran a creditable second behind Sea Moon in the 2400m Hardwicke Stakes and French trainer Mikel Delzangles expects him to return to Ascot for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up ran third. Trainer Ed Dunlop was pleased with the run and will probably give him one more run before heading down under for another attempt to win the Melbourne Cup.
In next week’s column I will review the remarkable achievements of first season stallion New Approach, who had three winners at the meeting. |
 Just a blur as they past me on the post |
 British dress |
 Her Majesty - the bookies paid out on green on Day 5 |
 Frankie Dettori - Unlike his first win at the meeting I didn't quite get the photo right. Here he dismounts the New Approach colt Tha'ir after winning the Chesham Stakes
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 Queensland racing administrator Stephen Ferguson rings Australia after Black Caviar's race. He seemed to enjoy Royal Ascot - see you at the Farm Stephen. |
 Black Caviar's connections at the presentation with Queen Elizabeth II. Her interest in racing is a phenomenal asset to the sport. |
 Chairman of Stewards on Day 5 - Rupert Sweeting |
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 Sea Moon wins the Hardwicke Stakes |
 From the mare's mouth : "I'm still unbeaten" |
 The mood wasn't all doom and gloom at the post-race press conference |
 Camborne - winner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes. Another Royal Ascot success for John Gosden, William Buick and Princess Haya of Jordan. The end of a truly fabulous Royal Ascot - the best racemeeting in world racing by 11 lengths (Frankel) or a head (Black Caviar). |
