Sacred upheld her fine record fresh to oblige favourite-backers in style and lead home a William Haggas one-three in Lingfield’s Fitzdares Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes.
The five-year-old was the undoubted class act of the line-up and was anchored in rear alongside Haggas-trained stablemate Queen Aminatu in the early stages, as Richard Hughes’ Candle Of Hope was away well from a wide draw and led from Nell Gwyn third Secret Angel.
Rounding the final bend Ryan Moore and the 13-8 market leader still had plenty of traffic ahead of them, but soon began to chart their path to the winning line.
It did not take long for the duo to have old rival Sandrine covered as Sacred proved she still possessed plenty of zip to record a clear-cut two-and-a-quarter length victory.
Queen Aminatu plugged on for the bronze medal and in the aftermath of the Group Three contest, the Cheveley Park-owned winner was handed quotes of 10-1 from 14s by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“We’ve kept her in training to try to win a Group One remembering she was only beaten a length in the Jubilee last year,” said Max McLoughlin management assistant to the owners.
“She’s a high-class filly and a Group Two winner, and it was great to see her do it so impressively.
Sacred and Ryan Moore winning the Fitzdares Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes at Lingfield (PA)
“She will go to Ascot and could have another crack at the Jubilee, although she’s also in the Duke of Edinburgh.”
Moore added: “She’s a lovely filly who has won multiple Group races, and the all-weather round here suited her.
“She quickened up very well and I was impressed with her. She’s a seven-furlong filly.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2.72147398-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-05-13 14:58:382023-05-13 14:58:38Sacred sails to silky smooth Chartwell Stakes victory
Queen Aminatu and Sacred give trainer William Haggas a strong hand in the Fitzdares Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday.
Sacred emerged as a Classic contender when winning the Group Three Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket two years ago – and while she came up short in the 1000 Guineas the following month, she has since won the Group Two Hungerford Stakes and a Listed prize at Newbury, both over Saturday’s trip of seven furlongs.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned mare will be tackling an artificial surface for the first time in public this weekend, though, whereas her stablemate Queen Aminatu is an all-weather regular.
The daughter of Muhaarar has won twice at Lingfield already and also struck gold on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle. Her owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer is keeping his fingers crossed she can bounce back from a disappointing recent run in a Group Three on turf in Ireland.
“Queen Aminatu got bogged down in Ireland, she couldn’t get her feet out of the ground, it was too deep,” said Oppenheimer.
“I think other horses felt the same, it poured with rain the day before and I think it was rather a non-event.
“The question is, it has only been 12 days since she ran at the Curragh and she’s not a big filly, so maybe that will be a bit much for her.
“It seems worth taking the risk because it is a Group Three and she enjoys the all-weather.
“We will see how she goes, we don’t want her to have a hard race obviously, but I think she will enjoy the surface. I just hope she isn’t too tired from her trip to Ireland.”
White Moonlight winning at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)
Andrew Balding saddles dual Group Two winner Sandrine, while Saeed bin Suroor is looking forward to running White Moonlight.
The latter finished second twice in Dubai earlier in the year before failing to land a blow in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia
“White Moonlight is an improving filly this year and has been working nicely at home,” the trainer told www.godolphin.com.
“She has won on the all-weather before and dropping back to seven furlongs will suit. She is fresh and ready for this, and I’m looking for a good run.”
Candle Of Hope, who carries the colours of the King and Queen, will be an outsider, but trainer Richard Hughes believes she could outrun her odds.
He said: “I needed to get a run into her and we went to Goodwood last week knowing the ground was against her but she needed to have a race.
“I though that was a hell of a run considering I just needed to get a run into her. She had been on the boil for too long waiting for her ground. But she ran above herself, I thought, on ground that would be totally against her.
“Now this has switched to the all-weather, we thought we would give it a go. She probably should have won there first time out this year, she was very unlucky. Going back there I know we’re taking on horses rated higher, but she’s getting plenty of weight and is tough as boots.”
Secret Angel (Karl Burke), Nizaaka (Jane Chapple-Hyam) and Love Interest (David O’Meara) complete the line-up.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2.71663628-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-05-12 16:56:112023-05-12 16:56:11Haggas duo hunting Chartwell prize
Hamish became the first horse in over 20 years to secure back-to-back victories in the tote.co.uk Bet £5 Get £20 Ormonde Stakes at Chester.
The William Haggas-trained gelding may be a seven-year-old, but he has been raced sparingly, with this only his 15th career start.
His six previous victories include three at Group Three level, with his win on the Roodee supplemented by success in the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot in October.
With conditions to suit, Hamish (7-4) was given plenty of time to find his feet by Tom Marquand as 11-10 favourite Changingoftheguard set out to make all.
Hamish and Tom Marquand after winning at Chester (Neil Morrice/PA)
The complexion of the race changed before the home turn when Changingoftheguard came under pressure while Hamish was only getting going and he was ultimately good value for the winning margin of a length and a quarter. Lone Eagle stuck to his task well to split the pair in second.
Hamish is only the fourth horse to win a second Ormonde Stakes and the first since St Expedit claimed successive wins in 2001 and 2002.
Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: “He was second in the Irish Leger last year and is in at York (Yorkshire Cup) next week. He could run there if there was some cut in the ground and he told us he was ready, as William’s father (Brian Haggas, owner) loves York.
“He had a tendon injury as a four-year-old – who knows what he might have achieved without that? But he’s one Andrew Tinkler and I fight to ride (at home), you get such an attachment to a horse like him.
“He once ran on good to firm at Newbury but he won’t be asked to race on anything faster than genuine good ground again.
“The whole family like a bit of cut in the ground, and all credit to him today as it wasn’t run to suit him.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2.72121026-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-05-11 15:37:342023-05-11 15:45:06Hamish joins an elite club with successful Ormonde Stakes defence
Hamish has the chance to dazzle at Chester once again when he defends his tote.co.uk Bet £5 Get £20 Ormonde Stakes crown.
William Haggas’ seven-year-old ran out a comfortable winner of the Group Three contest 12 months ago and will bid to enhance his record on his return to the Roodee.
Following his success last year, Hamish went on to get within a length of Kyprios in the Irish St Leger, before winning the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot and a narrow defeat at Newbury brought the curtain down on his campaign.
A great hour for team Haggas!
Hamish follows Sea La Rosa's victory in Paris by landing the Group 3 Peroni Nastro Azzurro Cumberland Lodge Stakes at @Ascot under Pat Dobbs… pic.twitter.com/9AhhCa9CVi
Conditions look ideal for the gelded son of Motivator ahead of his return and having been kept on the sidelines for plenty of the season due to the dry summer last term, connections are keen to make the most of the soft ground while they can.
Haggas said: “He’s very well. He carries a penalty but he’s well. He could have done with a better draw, but he’s ready to go and he enjoys a bit of cut in the ground – I believe it is going to be quite soft up there. He should enjoy that.
“He won OK last year and he was good throughout last year. He’s a pretty good horse who doesn’t run very often. Last year it was dry as a bone and his season was curtailed. But he’s ready to go now and we will try to take advantage of the ground while we have it.”
Changingoftheguard was an impressive winner of the Vase at this meeting last year before finishing a respectable fifth to Desert Crown in the Derby.
Changingoftheguard ridden by Ryan Moore on their way to winning the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot (Adam Davy/PA)
He was last seen scoring at Royal Ascot and reappears after 328 days off the track, bidding to give Aidan O’Brien his sixth victory in the race.
“He was very impressive when beating New London in testing ground in the Chester Vase here last season and followed up with a good fifth in the Derby and then with his King Edward VII win,” the colt’s jockey Ryan Moore told Betfair.
“We never saw him after Royal Ascot as he picked up an injury but we are obviously very happy with him now, or else we wouldn’t be here, and hopefully he can get a Group One on his CV this season. It’s a deep and tough race for a Group Three, but this is a good starting point for him.”
O’Brien said: “It’s a long time since he ran, but he got a mile and a half well last year and we’ve been happy with his work.
“Obviously he’ll come forward from the run, but we’ve been happy with everything he’s been doing.”
Max Vega got the better of Hamish when the pair met in the St Simon Stakes in October and also finished ahead of stablemate Lone Eagle when third and fifth respectively in the John Porter on reappearance. They give Ralph Beckett a solid hand.
Old Harrovian represents Andrew Balding and is upped in class following back-to-back triumphs in novice events, while Enemy enjoyed a fine winter overseas, winning a Meydan handicap and going close in the valuable Red Sea Turf in Saudi Arabia before finishing down the field on Dubai World Cup night most recently.
With John and Thady Gosden’s Israr a significant non-runner, the field is complete by Andrew Slattery’s Irish raider Sunchart.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2.68766877-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-05-10 16:16:352023-05-11 09:30:07Haggas upbeat on prospect of Ormonde defence from Hamish
British raider Dubai Honour had to make do with minor honours in third as Romantic Warrior successfully defended his crown in the FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin.
Following a successful winter in Australia with Group One wins in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, the William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour headed for the Far East bidding to become the first British-trained winner in Hong Kong in over 10 years.
The five-year-old had run at Sha Tin before, finishing a close-up fourth in the 2021 Hong Kong Cup, and having seemingly taken his form to another level this year Haggas had high hopes his charge could provide him with a maiden Hong Kong success.
Ridden by Tom Marquand, Dubai Honour moved nicely in midfield for much of the 10-furlong contest and appeared well positioned behind local favourite Romantic Warrior.
However, he was ultimately unable to go with the brilliant winner and while he stayed on admirable, he was also narrowly beaten to the runner-up spot by Prognosis.
Haggas said: “I’m not putting it up as an excuse, but Tom said the gallop was a bit slow and the ground was a bit quick for him.”
Romantic Warrior, who since his success of 12 months ago had also added the Hong Kong Cup to his impressive CV, was bidding to bounce back to winning ways after being beaten in his last two races by Hong Kong legend Golden Sixty – who earlier in the day had won his third Champions Mile.
On the strength of that form Danny Shum’s five-year-old was a hot favourite to make it back-to-back QEII wins and a jubilant James McDonald was able to stand up in the stirrups and salute the crowd before passing the post, such was his dominance at the line.
McDonald, who is now three from three aboard Romantic Warrior, said: “He’s such a beautiful horse. He’s electric out of the gates and is a push button operator with a great will to win.
“He is so relaxed and put on a spectacular performance. His Hong Kong Cup win in December was huge and will be hard to replicate but he was just perfect today – he’s a star.”
Romantic Warrior proved too good for Dubai Honour at Sha Tin (Neil Morrice/PA)
Shum added: “I’m a bit relieved to be honest and I would like to thank my stable team and especially Gary Lau his work rider.
“Before his last run the vets had to look at him as he developed a mild fever and since then I’ve checked him every morning.
“I’m now keen to take him to Japan for a first start there in October.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/bb9b3d69-99fa-4b39-9938-2f07f5352a4f.jpg5121024DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-30 10:44:572023-04-30 10:44:57Dubai Honour third as Warrior steals show in QEII
William Haggas said he was “pretty keen” to set up a base in Australia after watching Dubai Honour blitz the field to provide him with a third win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in the past four years.
Haggas was unable to be on course for either of Addeybb’s victories in one of Australia’s premier 10-furlong races due to the Covid pandemic, so he was keen to be there to watch Dubai Honour – especially after the gelding had won the Ranvet Stakes so impressively prior to it.
With Tom Marquand back in the saddle having returned from injury, Haggas will have been content throughout as he watched his jockey track Godolphin’s prolific Group One winner Anamoe into the straight.
And when Marquand got Dubai Honour into the clear the race was over, as he quickened up impressively to win by two and a half lengths. Anamoe was caught on the line for second by Mo’unga.
Reports in Australia during the week said Haggas has looked into setting up a satellite yard with Andrew Balding, and results like this will only make that more of a possibility.
“He’s very keen and I’m pretty keen so we’ll see what happens,” Haggas told www.skyracingworld.com.
Regarding his winner Haggas said: “Anamoe is a great horse, take nothing away from him.
“But this horse has come forward for being here and he’s won well today.
“Don’t underestimate him. He’s a pretty good horse and he was never quite right last year and he was boxing against some good horses – top, top horses.”
Marquand said: “For the boss to target the Queen Elizabeth with another horse and pull it off, it’s just insane.
“Genuinely, I’ve jumped aboard this horse on the right day at the right time and it’s everyone else behind it that got the job done. All I had to do was point and shoot.”
The winner is now set to head to Hong Kong before heading back to Newmarket.
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2.60838214-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-08 15:15:202023-04-08 17:10:08Haggas raises Australian satellite yard idea, as Dubai Honour wins again
Queen Aminatu flew home to land a hat-trick in the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle.
William Haggas’ daughter of Muhaarar is unbeaten since being switched back to the all-weather and having struck at both Lingfield and Deauville at the back-end of 2022, she continued her love affair with the synthetics in this £150,000 contest at Gosforth Park.
Held up off the steady pace by Cieren Fallon, the Anthony Oppenheimer-owned four-year-old looked like she could struggle to find a run as the race began to develop. But she turned on the afterburners once she found some daylight and showed a devastating turn of foot to run down Rae Guest’s Aramis Girl and the 11-10 favourite Manaafith inside the final furlong.
It was the master of Somerville Lodge’s second victory in the seven-furlong event following Diagnostic in 2018 and there could be plenty more big days to come for the upwardly-mobile filly, with her jockey indicating a trip to Royal Ascot could be on the agenda.
Fallon said: “We went a nice gallop and I was just waiting for gaps really. She settled nicely and when I clicked the go button – wow – she put it to bed in a matter of strides.
“I was drawn next to Jim (Crowley) which was crucial, so I just wanted to follow him as I felt he was the one to beat on Manaafith. She’s a versatile filly who settles really well and with that turn of foot she has, she puts races to bed in no time.
Queen Aminatu ridden by Cieren Fallon (second left) wins the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle (Richard Sellers/PA)
“I understand she stays in training, she’s improving loads. It’s exciting.
“I rode her work last week and said to the boss I thought she was a Group horse. To win a race like this like that, proves it.
“She’s always going to go and improve for her first run of the year, so with a bit of luck you’d think she can go and win a Group race.
“I think Royal Ascot will be the plan.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2.71663509-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-04-07 16:38:392023-04-07 16:38:39Queen Aminatu reigns in Fillies And Mares’ heat
William Haggas goes in search of a record fifth Pertemps Network Lincoln on Saturday with Al Mubhir lining up at Doncaster for the Somerville Lodge handler.
Haggas is locked with Jack Robinson on four victories apiece in the season-opening handicap, but appears to have an outstanding chance of becoming the outright leading trainer in the one-mile event with the likely favourite, who will be the mount of Andrea Atzeni.
An easy winner in heavy ground at Haydock at the back-end of last season, the four-year-old has undergone wind surgery ahead of his reappearance, with Haggas expecting conditions to be in his favour.
He said: “Al Mubhir did well last year. He is a nice horse who won on heavy ground at Haydock and the ground looks like it is coming right for him. He’s pretty fit and all being well, he should run a nice race.
“I thought he was going to be a good horse. He won his maiden very nicely at Newmarket as a two-year-old and then I thought he was going to be a nice three-year-old.
“Then he was very disappointing. He was pretty unruly as well and lost his way a bit.
“But he finished the season well. I don’t know how good he is, but he’s always been a nice horse and I think he’s in good shape.”
Haggas will also be represented in the race by Montassib, who was last seen finishing second to Wanees at Haydock in September.
The winner went up 3lb for that success and now races off a mark of 96, but trainer Charlie Hills is hopeful there is still improvement to come from the costly son of Le Havre.
“We’ve had this race in mind since his last run last year,” explained Hills.
“We are happy with him and he has form in soft ground which is great and I just feel that a nice, strongly-run mile, will suit him well.
“He’s a lightly-raced horse and still unexposed to what we think he could be, so hopefully he will run a decent race.”
Baradar made the perfect start to life with George Boughey when scoring over seven furlongs at Town Moor on debut for the Saffron House handler in November.
All three of the five-year-old’s victories have come with cut in the ground and connections are hoping he will relish testing conditions once more, stepping up to a mile.
Baradar ridden by David Egan (left) wins the BetGoodwin Our Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Stakes at Doncaster in November (Nigel French/PA)
“There’s obviously some nice horses in there lurking off good marks, but this has been the plan for our horse all along,” said Tom Pennington of Amo Racing.
“His three wins have come on soft and heavy ground, so the more rain the better for him.
“He’s in good form and has got good course form, finishing third in the Vertem Futurity as a two-year-old and won there at the backend of last year very impressively for George.
“He’s got the same draw as the winner came from last year (stall four), he’ll be ridden patiently and the ground will suit him.”
Another with both track and soft ground form to his name is Charlie Fellowes’ Atrium who was last seen striking over course and distance and now returns to South Yorkshire in search of a three-timer.
“He is in good order and has had a pretty clear run throughout the winter,” said Fellowes.
“This has been the plan since he got balloted out of the Balmoral and I’m pretty happy with him.
“It is in no doubt he is better with a bit of dig in the ground, but to win a Lincoln off 100 you have to be pretty much a Group horse and even though he was progressive last year, there’s no doubt he needs to take another step forward to be in that bracket.
“We hope he has taken that step forward and I’ve been delighted with his work. He’s never been a great work horse, but actually his work recently has been pretty good. It won’t take much for him to improve again.”
Second behind Atrium here in September was the thoroughly-consistent Empirestateofmind, who is one of two in the race for John Quinn and owner Ross Harmon along with stable stalwart Safe Voyage.
Quinn said: “Safe Voyage seems very well. He’s a 10-year-old now, but his last run was a very good run at Ascot in the big handicap and he still retains plenty of ability.
Safe Voyage ridden by Jason Hart (centre) wins the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes at York (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
“Whether he can win a Lincoln at this stage I don’t know, but he’s fit and well and he’ll love the ground.
“Empirestateofmind is in good fettle as well. He had a good year last year and was touched off on his last run of the season at York.
“The handicapper put him up another 4lb for that and he’s gone up 7lb for finishing second three times in his last three runs. With that in mind I thought it would help to claim off him and your man (Taylor Fisher) is good value for his (5lb) claim I think.
“The horse is in good form, he’s fit and will like the ground.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2.70896643-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-03-31 16:38:082023-03-31 16:38:08Al Mubhir heads Haggas quest for fifth Lincoln success
William Haggas will drop Protagonist in trip for Saturday’s Doncaster Mile at Randwick after being tempted by the huge prize money.
Ben Thompson will replace James McDonald aboard the six-year-old, who won a Group Three at Rosehill on unsuitably fast ground on his first start in Australia.
With just under £1.3million to the winner, the Newmarket handler, who has enjoyed great success with his runners in Sydney, could not resist chancing his arm with plenty in his favour, with former stablemate My Oberon among the opposition.
“Protagonist runs on Saturday and we are dropping him back in trip, which I’m not sure is the right thing, but it is too much money (not to),” admitted Haggas.
“He runs in a mile race at Randwick and there will be some rain. I think there is a bit of cut in the ground at the moment and it’s a soft six.
“So there is rain around and he’s got a good draw (eight of 20), although he’s got a jockey I don’t know at all. But he’s a pretty straightforward horse to ride.”
Though regular partner Tom Marquand has recovered from injury, he will be unable to make the allotted weight of 7st 12lb.
Haggas added: “It’s great that Tom is on the way back. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done around 50 kilos for about 10 years, but there we go.”
Should he run well, last season’s British trainer’s championship runner-up could allow the son of Wootton Bassett to run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, one of the biggest races on the Australian calendar.
In 2020, Haggas landed the prize with Addeybb, having previously won the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill. The following year, Addeybb repeated the trick in the Queen Elizabeth, overturning his form with Verry Elleegant, who had beaten him narrowly in the Ranvet.
The Haggas-trained Dubai Honour was given a brilliant ride by big-race pilot Ryan Moore to land this year’s Ranvet by four-and-a-half lengths.
Haggas could potentially run both Protagonist and Dubai Honour in the 10-furlong Queen Elizabeth this year.
He said: “Protagonist may back up in the Queen Elizabeth as well, but Dubai Honour will run in that on Saturday week. He won well in the Ranvet.”
Dubai Honour will line up in the valuable Queen Elizabeth next weekend (David Davies/PA)
Purplepay, who took the Group Two Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly on French Oaks day in June, was well held on her Australian debut.
The Zarak filly will be equipped with headgear when she lines up in the Group One Queen Of The Turf Stakes on the same card.
Haggas said: “Purplepay worked very nicely apparently this week and she is going to run in blinkers on Saturday week. The ground was too firm for her last time.”
Meanwhile, last year’s Ebor third Earl Of Tyrone, who scored on his Kempton debut for the yard having been with Paddy Twomey last summer, will not line up in the Sydney Cup.
Haggas explained: “Earl Of Tyrone has gone wrong, unfortunately. He strained a tendon, so he’s done for at the moment.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2.69464387-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-03-30 09:20:242023-03-30 09:20:24Haggas plots more raids on Australia’s biggest prizes
A British-trained horse landed the Paddy Power Irish Lincolnshire for the first time as William Haggas’ Lattam pulled off a last-gasp lunge for the line.
Starting at 8-1 under Chris Hayes, the chestnut was not close to the action in the early stages of the Curragh feature and only began to make progress two furlongs from home.
He did not have a clear passage from the rear of the field to the line and Hayes had to edge left to find some room, eventually pushing through a gap to mount a late challenge in the final half-furlong.
Saltonstall was leading on the rail as Lattam appeared on the scene, with the two horses crossing the line almost in unison and the judge called in to split them.
Haggas’ horse had prevailed by a short head, with Saltonstall the runner-up at 25-1 and his Ado McGuinness-trained stablemate Casanova third at 40-1.
🇮🇪 THRILLER in the Irish Lincoln!
🇬🇧 Lattam comes from the clouds to deny Saltonstall and make it a successful raid for William Haggas!pic.twitter.com/e0JaqblHjo
“He told me to leave it very late and I did what I was told!” said Hayes.
“He travelled lovely, relished the ground. After Mr Haggas had finished giving me the instructions I said ‘so basically aim to be getting there inside the furlong pole’ and he said ‘Oh God an awful lot later if you can, but see how you’re travelling’.
“I thought I was going to get there too soon and I sat, then the gap was closing and I had to switch. It was a short-head away from a shocker, but we won so I gave it a great ride!
Kevin Stott made the journey to Ireland worthwhile as 3-1 favourite Bucanero Fuerte landed the Alkumait Standing At Capital Stallions Irish EBF Maiden on debut for Adrian Murray.
A very taking debut from Bucanero Fuerte under a cool 😎 ride from Kevin Stott in the first 2yo race of the year at the @curraghrace 🙌
The Wootton Bassett two-year-old crossed the line two and a three-quarter lengths ahead of Sturlasson, potentially taking the first step on the path to Royal Ascot for owners Amo Racing.
“He went through the motions really nicely and was very professional,” said Stott.
“He pricked his ears when I was in front and hasn’t actually had much of a blow.
“That was the first time I’ve sat on this horse, he gave me a really nice feel. We’ve got some nice two-year-olds in.”
When asked if he could be a Royal Ascot horse he added: “We’ll have to see how he comes out of the race and what happens going forward but of course he’ll be a contender, I’d say.”
On Irish rides for Amo Racing, to whom he is retained, Stott said: “Obviously I’ll come over when the boss wants me to come over. I love coming here, the people are really nice and the racing is very competitive.”
https://devplatform.ggzssd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2.71514057-scaled.jpg12802560DaveMhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngDaveM2023-03-25 17:43:212023-03-25 17:43:21Last-gasp Lattam lifts Irish Lincolnshire for Haggas
