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Electrolyser leads all the way in Fenwolf.
Late this afternoon, Electrolyser projected himself towards the head of the Cesarewitch market with an all the way win in today's Listed Fenwolf Stakes at Ascot.
Jukebox Jury makes it a 'hit' day for Johnston.
A day which started with some agonising runner up performances turned into a day of 'hits' for trainer Mark Johnston, and it was topped by Jukebox Jury landing the Group 1 Preis Von Europa in Cologne this afternoon.
The son of Montjeu suffered injury setbacks earlier this year, but since turning in a sound performance behind Conduit in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, he has had an excellent latter section of the season, now winning three Group races in a row.
Shakesperian gives Johnston a successful performance.
Mark Johnston may have been frustrated to see his Bikini Babe and Layali al Andalus run out of steam just before the end of their respective races, but his Shakesperian more than made up for those setbacks when holding on to land the million euro prize in the Goffs Million Mile.
Sent on at the start by jockey Joe Fanning, Shakesperian replayed his performance in the Solerio Stakes, leading from start to finish, and having the guts and stamina to hold all comers, albeit it became a close thing towards the finish, but the line came in time for him to hold off Jim Bolger's Marfach by a short head.
Richard Hannon's Nurture took third position, but favourite Azmeel was done no favours by the draw, and was never able to figure in today's contest.
Beresford run gives Abbey Derby claims.
Aidan O'Brien's St Nicholas Abbey showed he is a potential Classic horse when sweeping past his rivals to land today's Group 2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.
The Mark Johnston trained Layali al Andalus took it up at the two furlong pole, but St Nicholas Abbey cruised alongside for Johnnie Murtagh, and within the final furlong, the son of Montjeu eased to a three quarter length triumph.
The bookmakers were immediately impressed by today's effort, making St Nicholas Abbey one of the anti post favourites for the 2010 Epsom Derby.
Lady too strong for Babe.
Mark Johnston's Bikini Babe tried to make all in today's Group 3 C L Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh, but after fighting off the attentions of the majority of her rivals, in the closing stages she lost out by half a length to the Paul Deegan 25/1 outsider Lady Springbank.
The victory was unexpected as the winning filly was last seen finishing sixth in a Listed event, but jockey Willie Supple seemed to galvanise her in today's contest, and her first place in a Group 3 gave inexperienced trainer Paul Deegan his biggest success to date.
Sayif boosts Chapple Hyam come-back.
With his horses not firing, Peter Chapple Hyam would have been the first to admit he was under some pressure earlier this year, but since York's Ebor Meeting in mid August, his representatives have revitalised his racing fortunes, and Sayif gave them another boost when winning the Diodem Stakes this afternoon.
A very promising juvenile, Sayif had started this season well with a win at Leicester, but then like many of the Chapple Hyam runners, he lost his way. But a strong finishing fourth in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock showed he was on the way back, and today, he flew away from his field in the last furlong, scoring by two and a half lengths from the ever consistant Tamagin.
Connections confirmed after the race he would now be put away for the winter, and will return in 2010 for the major sprint races.
Hannon juveniles dominate Goffs Million Sprint.
Richard Hannon is getting into the habit of farming the major Sales Races in Ireland, and following on from Dick Turpin's success at Fairyhouse earlier this year, his Lucky General pounced late under Richard Hughes to land the major part of today's 1.6 million euros on offer for the Goffs Million Sprint at the Curragh. As if that were not enough, his Full Mandate ran on to score second position under jockey Mick Kinane, with the first of the home contingent King Ledley having to settle for third place.
Mawatheeq comfortable in Cumberland Lodge.
Marcus Tregonning secured his fifth training success in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes when his Mawatheeq stepped up to a mile and a half for the first time and secured an impressive two and a half lengths victory over Godolphin's Campanologist.
After the race Tregonning said,
"He has improved since his win at Doncaster's St Leger meeting, and he is so lightly raced I see no reason why he should not continue racing as a five year old. He could even be a Group 1 winner in time."
McCoy earns Betfair punter eight thousand pound windfall.
Lots of Betfair punters lost out by betting against A P McCoy on the in-running market on today's first race at Market Rasen. Riding second favourite Shadow Dancer, McCoy looked in trouble a long way out, and while one shrewd punter put £8 on the maximum in-running odds of 999/1, most punters kept backing him to lose.
VBut in typical McCoy fashion, he pushed and bullied Shadow Dancer back into contention, and to the delight of the £8 punter who earned himself £8,000, A P drove his mount to the front and landed the spoils.
Champion tilt for Zacinto?
Zacinto's excellent effort to finish second to Rip Van Winkle in Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot may have earned the lightly raced three year old a tilt at this year's Champion Stakes at Newmarket on 17 October.
Speaking on behalf of owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said after yesterday's efforts,
"His performance against Rip Van Winkle did not suprise us. We have known for some time he is a serious racehorse, and we think there is plenty more to come.
The way he managed to hold on to such a good miler suggests a step up to ten furlongs will not present a problem, and providing he comes out of the race without any setbacks, I would think a tilt at the Champion Stakes is a strong possibility."
Hibaayeb Breeders Cup decision in next forty eight hours.
Clive Brittain has confirmed Hibaayeb came out of yesterday's Meon Valley Stud Fillies Mile in apparently good condition, saying,
"She seems fine, and had eaten up by 10.30 pm."
And while the veteran trainer admitted he would be keen to give his Group 1 winner a trip to America for the Breeders Cup, he suggested he would have to wait at least forty eight hours before any decision on her participation could be considered,
"She now automatically qualifies to run at Santa Anita, but we will have to see how she picks up over the next forty eight hours, and although I am obviously keen to have a go, it will be up to connections to decide if we go for a Breeders Cup prize."
Gosden accuses France Gallop of inconsistancy.
In an interview with the Racing Post, trainer John Gosden confirmed Lord and Lady Webber are appalled at the decision to uphold Dar re mi's demotion in the Prix Vermeille, and he accused France Gallop of inconsistancy in their handling of the affair.
"We were accused of effecting the finishing position of Soberania, but even the German jockey aboard that filly admitted he lost no positions through Dar re mi's move in the closing stages of the race. Besides, Stacelita and her pacemaker caused the whole incident by using team tactics, and if the rules are to be applied uniformly, they should both have been charged for the incident.
There is no doubt politics were at work behind the whole thing, even to the releasing of the appeal result late on a Friday evening when they had advised everyone it would be issued the following Tuesday."
Despite his venom towards France Gallop, Gosden has suprisingly not ruled out Dar re mi's participation in the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe next Sunday.
Cambridgeshire going likely to be good to firm.
Based on the current going at Newmarket, and the weather forecast for the week suggesting little rain, officials at Racing HQ have indicated they expect good to firm going for the two day Cambridgeshre Meeting this coming Friday and Saturday.
Gosden expects big Showcasing performance.
John Gosden believes Showcasing's win in York's Gimcrack Stakes combined with his very close second on his racing debut to top rated two year old Arcarno should give him the ammunition to see off his rivals in this coming Friday's Shadwell Middle Park Stakes. In a brief comment, Gosden said,
"He has the form, and providing we get him to Newmarket in the right condition, I would be very hopeful of success in the Middle Park."
Delegator Breeders Cup Mile participation in the balance.
Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin organisation were reported to be bemused by Delegator's ineffective run in yesterday's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and his participation in the Breeders Cup Mile is now said to be in the balance.
Big guns to face-off in Cheveley Park Stakes.
At the latest decleration stage, Brian Meehan's Lowther Stakes winner Lady of the Desert is on course to meet Criquette Head Marik's Special Duty in this week's running of the Cheveley Park Stakes.
With Special Duty having finished a close second to Arcarno at Deauville, the two fillies have outstanding form, and if one of them comes out of this week's Group 1 race as a clear winner, then that filly is very likely to go into the winter as the anti post favourite for next May's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Aqlaam could have run his last race.
After setting the early pace in yesterday's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Aqlaam faded badly in the latter stages and actually finished last of the four runners. Immediately after the race, connections expressed a mixture of disappointment and concern about his well-being. Speaking on behalf of Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, racing manager Angus Gold said,
"I have not had time to discuss today's race with the Sheikh, but after his win in the Prix du Moulin, his performance today was too poor to be believed. We have had on-going problems with injuries for over eighteen months, and if he has suffered another setback, I would imagine having already won us a Group 1 we will look after him and retire him to stud.
Of course, if he comes out of this race bouncing, we would have to assume he was under the weather today, and in those circumstances he could race on, but to be honest, it will be up to the Sheikh."
Libaud bullish about Vision D'Etat.
Trainer Eric Libaud was not bothered about Vision D'Etat's second in his last run in the Prix Foy, for the handler is confident his charge has come on dramatically for the run, and he expects his four year old to show the same kind of form in Sunday's Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe that he exhibited when landing the Prince of Wales's Stakesat Royal Ascot in June. Indeed, Libaud is extremely confident Vision D'Etat will surpass the fifth position he achieved in last year's race, and if Sea The Stars does not run, then the handler believes his charge can win this year's Longchamp centrepiece.
Scoop Six rolls-over again.
With long priced winners continuing to dominate weekend racing, all tickets had been eliminated by leg 4 of yesterday's Scoop Six Bet. This means next Saturday's Win Fund starts with a pot of £409,733, while the Bonus Fund will commence with a total of £175,600. With next week being Cambridgeshire Saturday, it would be expected that the combined total of both pots will reach the three quarter of a million pounds mark.
Ave may move up to Group 1.
Having stepped up from her Listed Upavon Fillies Stakes victory at Salisbury with success in yesterday's Group 3 Denny Cordell EBF Fillies Stakes win at Navan, connections of Ave are reported to be considering a crack at Group 1 company prior to the end of the current flat season.
The Sir Michael Stoute trained three year old daughter of Danehill Dancer has been very progressive so far this season, and her length and a half win yesterday suggested there was plenty more to come in the future.
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