Silvestre champion jockey: Solow and Muhaarar deliver on Champions Day at Ascot - By Tom Krish
Posted on - 18 Oct 2015
Silvestre champion jockey: Solow and Muhaarar deliver on Champions Day at Ascot
By Tom Krish
Muhaarar and Solow cemented their already lofty reputations but Jack Hobbs, the shortest-priced favorite in the Champions Day card, after shaping like a winner inside the last 200 metres, weakened to be third behind Fascinating Rock and Found in the Champions Stakes.
The going was good to soft on the straight course. The round course was termed good to soft and soft in places.
It was a cold afternoon but with no threat of rain. Flying Officer and Frankie Dettori won the Long Distance Handicap, the opener. John Gosden trains Flying Officer who is owned by George Strawbridge.
Muhaarar opened 2/1 and could be backed at 5/2 at race time in the Sprint Stakes. Always prominent, Paul Hanagan was in front with Muhaarar with 300 metres to run. Muhaarar went on to win by two lengths over Twilight Son. Hamdan Al Maktoum owns Muhaarar who is trained by Charlie Hills. The time was 1 13.34 for 1200 metres. Muhaarar is by Oasis Dream and out of Tahrir by Linamix.
That was Muhaarar’s fourth Group I win in a row, The three year-old colt’s streak began with the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot in June, then the July Cup atNewmarket, and then the Maurice de Gheest at Deauvillein August. . Muhaarar is to be retired.
Owner Hamdan Al Maktoum said, “we thought of America and the Breeders’ Cup. In America, they go round a bend and it tends to slow the Europeans up. At Keeneland, it is one furlong and then turn and turn.”
Jockey Paul Hanaghan heaped praise on Muhaarar. “He has been fantastic. For me, he has gotten better and better since we dropped him back to sprints. I got the lead early and he was much better at getting his toe in the ground.”
The Fillies-Mares contest over 2400 metres followed. Covert Love, Candarliya and Simple Verse were all at 5/1. Andrea Atzeni and Simple Verse were fourth and third and Simple Verse went after Journey who had taken up soon after entering the final turn. Under a drive, Simple Verse got up to win by three parts of a length. The time was 2 32.01 seconds. Sheikh Al Thani owns Simple Verse who is trained by Ralph Beckett.
Simple Verse is a three year-old filly by Duke Of Marmalade. The dam is Guantanamera who is by Saddler’s Wells. Simple Verse won the English St Leger at Doncaster in September. She was disqualified but has been reinstated on appeal.
Sheikh Al Thani expressed his delight. “This feels like the best day’s racing ever. This race means a lot to us. Having a winner on Champions Day is wonderful and we have waited five years.”
Jockey Andrea Atzeni will leave Qatar Racing and join Roger Varian next season. Atzeni said, “ it was the perfect way to end this successful partnership.”
Trainer Ralph Beckett explained the strategy. “We hoped to sit in behind and it panned out as we had thought. Simple Verse did a great piece of work on Monday and this time of year you’re worried you have left the race on the gallops but she has won and I’m thrilled.”
The Q E Ii Cup followed. Solow started at 11/8 and was backed down to 10/11 race time. With the indecisive Aidan O’Brien finally opting to go, Gleneagles was 6/4 when the wagering started. The drift began just before post time and the price went up to 9/4.
MaximeGuyon had Solow third and handy and asked his mount for an effort with less than 400 metres to run. The five year-old grey gelding shot to the front. The margin was three parts of a length over Belardo, a longshot. Gleneagles was well beaten. I’m sure excuses will follow.
The Weirtheimer Brothers own Solow who is trained by Freddy Head. Solow ran the mile in 1 41.92 seconds. Solow is the son of Songspiel and the dam is High Maintenance who is by Highest Honor.
This was Solow’s fifth Group I win in a row. He has now won nine consecutive races. He has won on several courses
Jockey Maxim Guyon talked about how well behaved Solow is. “He is an amazing horse. He is very easy to ride. He does not pull and he is very relaxed.”
Trainer Head, known for his exploits ( as a rider) with Miesque and (as a trainer) with Goldikova, was showering praise on his pupil. “What can you say? He’s always the same, gives the same sort of race. He’s brilliant. He’s a miler who can stay-a tough miler with a lot of stamina and who can go on any ground.”
We then came to the Champion Stakes over 2000 metres. Jack Hobbs was the rage and was bet down from 5/4 to 4/6. Jockey William Buick had to use Halling colt quite hard early coming out of stall 12 in the 13-horse field, was able to duck and track the pacemaker and took charge when the race took a serious turn. As Jack Hobbs got leg weary, Fascinating Rock, held up and saving ground, got through under a clever Pat Smullen steer and proved the best. The margin was a length and a quarter over Found who was one half ahead of Jack Hobbs. The time was 2 6.31 seconds.
Fantastic Rock, a four year-old colt, is owned by the Newton Anner Stud Farm. Dermot Weld is the trainer.Fantastic Rock was a 10/1 chance. Fastnet Rock is the sire of Fantastic Rock. Polaris, the dam, is by Polar Falcon.
The legendary Weld reacted. “Fascinating Rock has always had the potential to do what he did today. I had this race planned for six months. We knew it would be softer in the autumn and he loves soft ground.”
The ‘gentleman’ Pat Smullen, a credit to his profession, spoke his mind. “It would be silly of me to say that we came here thinking, ‘yes we are definitely going to win,’ but this is a very talented horse and it was the first time in a long time that he got exactly the right conditions, a fast run mile and a quarter with good ease in the ground. It brought the best out of him.”
John Gosden’s comment on Jack Hobbs is worth mentioning. “Drawn wide, we were going to have to use him with the pacemaker, he’s still such an immature horse and it caught him out in the last furlong and which is exactly what happened.”
Frankie Dettori did with Golden Horn in the Arc what William Buick did on Jack Hobbs. Dettori floated out and was able to sit second. Jack Hobbs blasted out and used himself quite hard in the first quarter of a mile. In any case, nothing ought to detract from the merit of Fantastic Rock’s success.
Tom Marquand won the apprentice title with 54 winners. Jockey Marquand rode his first winner on December 17, 2014. He is 17 and quite talented. He may show up one day in India.
Purses worth 4.1 million pounds were given away on Champions Day. The attendance was 30,697. The weather, I am sure, kept people away. Rod Street, Chief Executive of the British Champions Series was pleased. “We think this year has been the best yet in terms of quality, strength and depth and it has been all fantastic.”
British racing season (2015) officially ended on Champions Day. Racing continues until early November on grass. Then there is all weather racing until end of March.
The Godolphin operation, owned by Sheikh Mohammed, won the champion owner award.
Silvestre De Sousa was crowned the champion of 2015. Lester Piggott and Richard Hughes made the presentation. I went to the jockey’s room to see Silvestre. He was emotional. We have become good friends. He talked about his flying out to America on Wednesday. If I can get a few rides for him, he said that he would come to Chicago and ride at Hawthorne.
Silvestre ended up with 132 wins from 736 rides. He had a strike rate of 18%.
“I came to this country hoping to get one ride, win one race. See where I am today. It is a lot of hard work but I am happy my hard work paid off,” Silvestre told me.
Late Sunday, my wife and I leave London for Chicago. There is a harness racing event on October 24 in Toronto. I am planning to go there. Then it is ‘here we come’ Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup. It is a round trip of about 850 miles. The Breeders’ Cup races will be run on October 30 and 31.
Thanks to RWITC..I got a great Press Pass at Ascot.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the author's personal views.)
