Champions' Day at Newmarket
One of the most exciting professional British racing days is held at racing's Newmarket Headquarters in the Autumn on Champions' Day.
The two Group 1, three Group 2s, one Group 3 and the Cesarewitch (Heritage Handicap) are season targets of some of the world's finest international horses.
This year two horses lost their races rather than the winners won, beloved trainer Henry Cecil survived an enquiry to win the Champion Stakes, Ballydoyle's team took first, second and fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes, Darley Sun justified the pre-Cesarewitch hype in spades and France triumphed in The Pride Stakes.
There was some minor quibbling over the two Group 1s being run too early in the day and The Jockey Club Cup too late, but in the end it was a power-packed joy on very good ground.
Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum had several of the best horses competing on the day. Two of his, Quqba (Red Ransom USA) and Mawatheeq USA (Danzig USA), should not have lost their races and did.
His charismatic Aqmal (Selkirk USA) was the only successful runner and provided trainer John Dunlop with his 250th winner at Newmarket in The Jockey Club Cup.
Despite his losses, Sheikh Hamdan emerged as Newmarket's most successful owner for 2009 as he had at Ascot earlier in the year.
Brother Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's Godolphin was less successful though his Darley Stud provided the sires of two winners: Tiger Hill IRE (Cesarewitch) and Noverre USA (Rockfel Stakes).
The day opened with The Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes (Group 2), 7f, 3yo and upwards.
Arabian Gleam (Kyllachy), 5yo, defeated Quqba and Godolphin's Donativum (Cadeaux Genereux) by a neck and 3/4 length.
Taking nothing from the likeable winner who did nothing wrong. It was a strange race as it was difficult to understand how Quqba drifted left and backwards when he was urged to make his first challenge.
It was positively amazing that he recovered well enough to close to a neck in a race the 3yo should have won.
The second race was unblighted as Ballydoyle's brilliant team dominated one of the day's two feature races: The Jumeirah Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1), 7f, for 2yo.
Steinbeck IRE (Footstepsinthesand) was second favourite in betting and favourite of retained jockey Johnny Murtagh and trainer Aidan O'Brien.
O'Brien's 33-1 Beethoven IRE (Oratorio IRE) sprung a surprise followed by another O'Brien 33-1--Fencing Master (Oratorio IRE) for second.
This was a fine start for freshman sire Oratorio and his first crop of 2yos.
Steinbeck squeeked in fourth, Clive Cox' Xtension IRE (Xaar) third and favourite Chabal IRE (Galileo IRE) tenth.
Xtension is the first horse ever placed in a Group 1 race for the excited Cox and the striking colt will be aimed at the 2010 season's first Classic, the 2000 Guineas in May at Newmarket.
The third race and second feature of the day proved not to be the best day for favourites. O'Brien's 13-8 favourite Fame And Glory (Montjeu IRE) not only came in sixth in the Arc de Triomphe behind Sea The Stars IRE, but he could only manage sixth in The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (Group 1), 1m2f for 3yo and upwards.
Newmarket trainer Henry R A Cecil's 4yo Twice Over (Observatory USA) won and survived an enquiry for two interferences against the vastly impressive Mawatheeq of trainer Marcus Tregoning with 3yo filly Sariska (Pivotal) ridden by Kieren Fallon to third place justifying trainer Michael Bell's faith in the Oaks' winner.
Juddmonte-bred Twice Over's jockey Tom Queally was banned for a day for careless riding and the results stood.
It is a good thing. The crowd booed Tregoning's decision to lodge a complaint as Cecil is so popular in Newmarket.
The offences were unintentional. Queally had a defiantly drifting winner like his Fleeting Spirit in the Darley Sprint Cup.
Mawatheeq's jockey Richard Hills tried to squeeze him between horses and his horse refused showing more common sense than his jockey. The jockey seemed to freeze which made the horse's ability to recover and get within a 1/2 length of Twice Over truly amazing.
Twice Over qualified for the Breeders' Cup as did Beethoven. Both are expected to compete November 7 at Santa Anita.
Mawatheeq came out the moral winner and the 4yo is headed Eastwards for some of the big races in Japan and Hong Kong.
Sariska, a length behind, will be back next year for the Coronation Cup and the King George.
There was no dispute about the winner of the totesport.com Cesarewitch (Heritage Handicap), 2m2f, for 3yo and upwards.
Long touted as favourite, Darley Sun IRE (Tiger Hill IRE) cut down the cavalry charge at the end to a five-length canter victory for trainer David Simcock and apprentice jockey Andrea Atzeni. He is the first 3yo to win the Cesarewitch since Spirit of Love in 1998.
Simcock is thrilled with his confident young horse and looks forward to Cup races next year including the Ascot Gold Cup.
Two-year-old fillies had their chances in the Group 2 Lotus Evora Rockfel Stakes, 7f, and Michael Channon's 25-1 outsider Music Show IRE (Noverre USA) beat Jim Bolger's Atasari IRE (Whipper USA) by a neck and 4-6 favourite Tabassum IRE (Nayef USA) 3/4 length in third.
Tabassum's defeat was another disappointment for Sheikh Hamdan and Richard Hills on the day.
Music Show is quoted at 20-1 for the 1000 Guineas next year.
The Pride Stakes (Group 2), 1m4f for 3yo and upwards fillies and mares, was the target of trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre for his Ashalanda FR (Linamix FR) and she was fresh for the race.
Four-year-old Crystal Capella (Cape Cross IRE) ran an outstanding race from the front and was just overtaken near the line by Ashalanda literally in a leap forward. Saphira's Fire IRE (Cape Cross IRE) was third
Royer-Dupre also trained the magnificent mare Pride in 2006 who ended her racing career in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin. The beautiful grey Ashalanda may be headed East as well.
In the final race of the day, 3yo Akmal (Selkirk USA) provided a winning purse for Sheikh Hamdan and Richard Hills and their Nehaam (Nayef USA) came second in The Jockey Club Cup (Group 3), almost 2m for 3yo and upwards.
In another messy race, Hills almost lost it to Nehaam at the end, but his willing and combative chestnut gelding would not give in.
What a pity he was gelded!
Applause greeted popular trainer John Dunlop for his 250th winnner at Newmarket and the Sheikh's team finally had some compensation for their disappointing day.
Racing International http://www.racingint.com
The two Group 1, three Group 2s, one Group 3 and the Cesarewitch (Heritage Handicap) are season targets of some of the world's finest international horses.
This year two horses lost their races rather than the winners won, beloved trainer Henry Cecil survived an enquiry to win the Champion Stakes, Ballydoyle's team took first, second and fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes, Darley Sun justified the pre-Cesarewitch hype in spades and France triumphed in The Pride Stakes.
There was some minor quibbling over the two Group 1s being run too early in the day and The Jockey Club Cup too late, but in the end it was a power-packed joy on very good ground.
Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum had several of the best horses competing on the day. Two of his, Quqba (Red Ransom USA) and Mawatheeq USA (Danzig USA), should not have lost their races and did.
His charismatic Aqmal (Selkirk USA) was the only successful runner and provided trainer John Dunlop with his 250th winner at Newmarket in The Jockey Club Cup.
Despite his losses, Sheikh Hamdan emerged as Newmarket's most successful owner for 2009 as he had at Ascot earlier in the year.
Brother Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's Godolphin was less successful though his Darley Stud provided the sires of two winners: Tiger Hill IRE (Cesarewitch) and Noverre USA (Rockfel Stakes).
The day opened with The Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes (Group 2), 7f, 3yo and upwards.
Arabian Gleam (Kyllachy), 5yo, defeated Quqba and Godolphin's Donativum (Cadeaux Genereux) by a neck and 3/4 length.
Taking nothing from the likeable winner who did nothing wrong. It was a strange race as it was difficult to understand how Quqba drifted left and backwards when he was urged to make his first challenge.
It was positively amazing that he recovered well enough to close to a neck in a race the 3yo should have won.
The second race was unblighted as Ballydoyle's brilliant team dominated one of the day's two feature races: The Jumeirah Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1), 7f, for 2yo.
Steinbeck IRE (Footstepsinthesand) was second favourite in betting and favourite of retained jockey Johnny Murtagh and trainer Aidan O'Brien.
O'Brien's 33-1 Beethoven IRE (Oratorio IRE) sprung a surprise followed by another O'Brien 33-1--Fencing Master (Oratorio IRE) for second.
This was a fine start for freshman sire Oratorio and his first crop of 2yos.
Steinbeck squeeked in fourth, Clive Cox' Xtension IRE (Xaar) third and favourite Chabal IRE (Galileo IRE) tenth.
Xtension is the first horse ever placed in a Group 1 race for the excited Cox and the striking colt will be aimed at the 2010 season's first Classic, the 2000 Guineas in May at Newmarket.
The third race and second feature of the day proved not to be the best day for favourites. O'Brien's 13-8 favourite Fame And Glory (Montjeu IRE) not only came in sixth in the Arc de Triomphe behind Sea The Stars IRE, but he could only manage sixth in The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (Group 1), 1m2f for 3yo and upwards.
Newmarket trainer Henry R A Cecil's 4yo Twice Over (Observatory USA) won and survived an enquiry for two interferences against the vastly impressive Mawatheeq of trainer Marcus Tregoning with 3yo filly Sariska (Pivotal) ridden by Kieren Fallon to third place justifying trainer Michael Bell's faith in the Oaks' winner.
Juddmonte-bred Twice Over's jockey Tom Queally was banned for a day for careless riding and the results stood.
It is a good thing. The crowd booed Tregoning's decision to lodge a complaint as Cecil is so popular in Newmarket.
The offences were unintentional. Queally had a defiantly drifting winner like his Fleeting Spirit in the Darley Sprint Cup.
Mawatheeq's jockey Richard Hills tried to squeeze him between horses and his horse refused showing more common sense than his jockey. The jockey seemed to freeze which made the horse's ability to recover and get within a 1/2 length of Twice Over truly amazing.
Twice Over qualified for the Breeders' Cup as did Beethoven. Both are expected to compete November 7 at Santa Anita.
Mawatheeq came out the moral winner and the 4yo is headed Eastwards for some of the big races in Japan and Hong Kong.
Sariska, a length behind, will be back next year for the Coronation Cup and the King George.
There was no dispute about the winner of the totesport.com Cesarewitch (Heritage Handicap), 2m2f, for 3yo and upwards.
Long touted as favourite, Darley Sun IRE (Tiger Hill IRE) cut down the cavalry charge at the end to a five-length canter victory for trainer David Simcock and apprentice jockey Andrea Atzeni. He is the first 3yo to win the Cesarewitch since Spirit of Love in 1998.
Simcock is thrilled with his confident young horse and looks forward to Cup races next year including the Ascot Gold Cup.
Two-year-old fillies had their chances in the Group 2 Lotus Evora Rockfel Stakes, 7f, and Michael Channon's 25-1 outsider Music Show IRE (Noverre USA) beat Jim Bolger's Atasari IRE (Whipper USA) by a neck and 4-6 favourite Tabassum IRE (Nayef USA) 3/4 length in third.
Tabassum's defeat was another disappointment for Sheikh Hamdan and Richard Hills on the day.
Music Show is quoted at 20-1 for the 1000 Guineas next year.
The Pride Stakes (Group 2), 1m4f for 3yo and upwards fillies and mares, was the target of trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre for his Ashalanda FR (Linamix FR) and she was fresh for the race.
Four-year-old Crystal Capella (Cape Cross IRE) ran an outstanding race from the front and was just overtaken near the line by Ashalanda literally in a leap forward. Saphira's Fire IRE (Cape Cross IRE) was third
Royer-Dupre also trained the magnificent mare Pride in 2006 who ended her racing career in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin. The beautiful grey Ashalanda may be headed East as well.
In the final race of the day, 3yo Akmal (Selkirk USA) provided a winning purse for Sheikh Hamdan and Richard Hills and their Nehaam (Nayef USA) came second in The Jockey Club Cup (Group 3), almost 2m for 3yo and upwards.
In another messy race, Hills almost lost it to Nehaam at the end, but his willing and combative chestnut gelding would not give in.
What a pity he was gelded!
Applause greeted popular trainer John Dunlop for his 250th winnner at Newmarket and the Sheikh's team finally had some compensation for their disappointing day.
Racing International http://www.racingint.com
Posted by susan trevelyan-syke at 10/27/2009 12:35 AM 
Categories: Champions' Day at Newmarket 2009
Tags: Champions' Day at Newmarket 2009
Categories: Champions' Day at Newmarket 2009
Tags: Champions' Day at Newmarket 2009
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