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Trade storms late in Woodbine Mile, caps big double for
Simcock
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| Trade Storm is expected to take up his spot in the starting gate in the Breeders' Cup Mile
(WEG/Michael Burns Photography) |
Nearly two hours after stablemate Sheikhzayedroad plundered the
Northern Dancer Turf, Trade Storm completed a dream day for trainer David
Simcock by landing the Grade 1, $949,461
Woodbine Mile. The veteran globetrotter had finished third to course
record-setting Wise Dan here last year, but found this year's renewal an easier
task and obliged in his preferred late-running style, booking his ticket to the
Breeders' Cup Mile.
"That's special, that one," Simcock said. "I mean they're both special, but
he's really one of my favorites of all time out of all the horses I've trained.
It's been frustrating with him sometimes, but even when he gets beat I adore the
horse massively, so it's a really special result. I think it is special for the
jockey as well."
Trade Storm was handing Qatar Racing Ltd.'s retained rider Jamie Spencer a
major international prize in the twilight of his career. Spencer is due to
retire from the saddle at the end of this season and transfer into a new role,
providing
"feedback and advice" to the Qatar Racing team in 2015.
Assured of his ideal scenario of a fast pace at
Woodbine, Spencer was content to drop Trade Storm well back near the rear of
the field. Up front, Bobby's Kitten set fractions of :23 4/5 and :47 2/5 while
hounded by Ancil. No sooner had the sophomore beaten off that pace rival,
spurting ahead through six furlongs in 1:12 1/5, than he was challenged by River
Seven, and wider out, Grand Arch also loomed a menace down the stretch. |
Trade Storm was still behind a wall of horses, but Spencer adroitly threaded
his way through the pack, and his mount had the gears to maneuver into the
clear. Also picking up smartly was Kaigun, and the pair both seized the yawning
gap between Bobby's Kitten and River Seven. Trade Storm punched first, and
faster, and bested Kaigun by a half-length in a final time of 1:36 4/5 on the
good turf. The 9-2 choice returned $11.10 to win.
"He settled well off a strong pace," Spencer said. "I felt confidence in the
horse that he was always going to pick up. I've ridden the horse for the last 18
months. Sheikh Fahad picked him out himself when he won in Dubai one night and
bought him. He is reaping dividends now and he's won quite a bit of prize money
in the last two years.
"Obviously the ground was a little softer than ideal for him," the rider
continued, "but we didn't have Wise Dan to contend with. So it looked a good
spot for him. The trainer, he's brought two horses here tonight and both of them
have won, it's a happy ending."
"He'll probably take up 'the win and he's in' and go down to Santa Anita and
enjoy himself and see how we get on," Simcock said of Trade Storm. "He'll get
his fast ground, which suits a fairly strong pace. It will probably be a tougher
race, but he is in excellent order and he never disgraces himself. When
there's a lot of pace into the race, he travels very strongly into it and he's
got a nice pick-up. All he needed was the gaps and he maneuvered his way
through."
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| Kaigun (left) didn't kick on until Trade Storm passed him, according to jockey Patrick Husbands
(WEG/Michael Burns Photography) |
Kaigun's jockey, Patrick Husbands, recounted his unorthodox passage through
the race."The horse was stumbling throughout the whole backside," Husbands said.
"Every two strides he was pitching, pitching, pitching. I was holding him
together. When we swung for home, it's like 'How much is he going to win by,'
but he would not run. So as the English horse (Trade Storm) came up on the
inside and passed him, he decided to run. The winner was fantastic. He ran a big
race. But I'm still in shock with my horse."
An ultra-game Bobby's Kitten salvaged third by a head from River Seven, with
Grand Arch a close fifth. Next came Lockout, Dorsett, His Race to Win, slight
7-2 favorite Jack Milton, Silver Freak and the tailed-off Ancil.
Trade Storm's first top-level victory boosted his record to 33-6-5-3 and made
him a millionaire with $1,430,552 in earnings. The six-year-old son of Trade
Fair was initially trained by John Gallagher. Unplaced in several stakes
attempts during his two- and three-year-old campaigns in 2010 and 2011, he
appeared to have class limitations. Trade Storm was transferred to Simcock for
2012, and the May 6 foal began to come around that summer at four. A near-miss
second in the Ascot handicap dubbed the Shergar Cup Mile, he put it all together
decisively in a lucrative handicap next time out during York's Ebor Meeting.
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Shipped to Dubai for the 2013 Carnival, Trade Storm emerged on the
international stage. He blitzed the field in a nine-furlong handicap, and bolted
to good-looking score in the Zabeel Mile. Following that Group 2 victory, Qatar
Racing Ltd. acquired him from Universal Racing, but kept him with Simcock.
Trade Storm then went winless in his 12 ensuing starts before Sunday. The bay
often acquitted himself creditably, however. Fourth in the 2013 Dubai Duty Free,
Sussex and Summer Mile, he ended the year with thirds in both the Celebration
Mile and Woodbine Mile. Trade Storm again wintered in Dubai, where his most
notable results were a second to Mshawish as the defending champion in the
February 27 Zabeel Mile and a fourth in the March 8 Jebel Hatta. He was coming
off a pair of close runner-up efforts back home -- in his English comeback in a
Haydock conditions event July 19 and in the August 23 Strensall at York.
Bred by G.T. Lucas in Great Britain, Trade Storm was not Breeders' Cup
nominated, but he can
still be made eligible. He is out of the unraced Slip Anchor mare Frisson,
and although there are few memorable performers in his
immediate family, his fifth dam is Night Off, England's champion two-year-old
filly of 1964 who went on to One Thousand Guineas glory in 1965.
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