There was a fitting finale to the staging of the Champion S. (Eng-G1) at
Newmarket, as local hero Henry Cecil saddled TWICE OVER (GB) (Observatory) to
consecutive wins in the feature ahead of its move to Ascot in 2011. The
Juddmonte Farms homebred was also completing a quick Group 1 double for all of
his connections. Just 35 minutes earlier, the team’s unbeaten Frankel (Galileo
[Ire]) confirmed himself the leading British juvenile in the Dewhurst S.
(Eng-G1).
Jockey Tom Queally, also the regular rider of Frankel, had Twice Over
perfectly placed in a close stalking position. Leading the way was Arlington
Million (G1) hero Debussy (Ire) (Diesis [GB]), who was getting away with a
comfortable pace.
Twice Over pounced with a quarter-mile to go and forged clear. The only
challenger to emerge was 3-1 favorite Vision D’Etat (Chichicastenango), but the
French raider could get no closer than 1 3/4 lengths at the wire. Twice Over,
the 7-2 second choice, was firmly in command as he finished 1 1/4 miles in 2:08
2/5 on the good-to-soft ground.
“It’s fantastic,” Queally said of his Group 1 double. “It’s what it’s all
about. It’s a day I’ll always remember, and I’m sure a lot of other people will
too.
“Twice Over was marvelous today. They hacked along early and I didn’t want to
be as handy as I was, but given the pace of the race I took closer order. He
finished off his race well and felt as good as he has ever been.
“What more can I say? I’ll struggle to top this. My job’s easy, it’s Henry
who gets them there in tip-top shape. All I have to do is steer them. It’s a
great privilege for me to ride horses like this.”
“Twice Over is a lovely horse,” Cecil said, “and I am very pleased with that
result. It is great when it all goes right, and things do not always fall like
this. He did it very well and was in good form coming into the race.
“He is my favorite horse and will stay in training next year. I wish I had a
few more like him as he is a lovely person.
“He will have a rest now, and we will then take him back to the Dubai World
Cup (UAE-G1), when hopefully he will have a better draw than last year
(finishing 10th from post 11). He won’t go to the Breeders’ Cup as the Prince (Khalid
Abdullah) does not want to run him on dirt in America.”
The win underlines Cecil’s return to the top of the training ranks after
several barren years, and the trainer paid tribute to the winning owner for his
part in the revival.
“A few years ago I was at Catterick on this day, and I will go on for as long
as the Prince is with me,” Cecil said. “I have to thank the Prince, and if it
was not for him, then I would not be here now.
“Mentally I feel very good but I just wish my health was better.”
Vision D’Etat was three-quarters of a length up on third-placer Debussy,
while Gitano Hernando (GB) (Hernando [Fr]) was the same margin adrift in fourth.
The latter two are both penciled in for the Breeders’ Cup.
“He had a good run throughout the race,” said Eric Libaud, trainer of Vision
D’Etat, who is to be retired to stud for 2011. “He was just behind the winner,
but when he quickened, Vision D’Etat could not. He cannot act so well on the
sticky ground.”
John Gosden, trainer of Debussy, was philosophical about his horse’s
performance while focusing on the future.
“He ran a good race but was plainly beaten by two better horses on both
ratings and performance,” Gosden said. “We said after his last race that we
would freshen up him for this with a view to going next to Churchill Downs. That
is still the plan — just ask someone to make it rain out there!”
Gitano Hernando’s trainer Marco Botti was not completely happy with the run
his horse got through the race.
“The lack of pace did not help us,” Botti said. “We were then sat in a good
position, but William Buick on Debussy came across us and stopped us in our run.
We could not quicken again then off that slow pace.
“He has handled the turf well. Mr. Barber, the horse’s owner, will decide,
but we are likely to be heading for the Breeders’ Cup, possibly for the Classic
(G1).”
Completing the order of finish were Wigmore Hall (High Chaparral [Ire]),
Glass Harmonium (Verglas [Ire]), Fuisse (Green Tune), Sri Putra (Oasis Dream
[GB]), a very rank Poet’s Voice (Dubawi) and a tailed-off Alwaary (Dynaformer).
Also at Newmarket on Saturday, CRYSTAL CAPELLA (Cape Cross [Ire]) returned
from a year-long layoff to reclaim her crown in the Pride S. (Eng-G2). A narrow
winner of the 2008 Pride, the five-year-old had been sidelined since just
missing by a short head here last year.
In yet another superb training performance by Sir Michael Stoute, Crystal
Capella was fit enough to storm to a 4 1/2-length decision off the shelf. The
4-1 co-favorite negotiated 1 1/2 miles in 2:34 3/5 and could now aim for the
December 13 Hong Kong Vase (HK-G1).
Myplacelater (Where or When) grabbed runner-up honors by 1 1/2 lengths from
She’s Our Mark (Ishiguru). The longtime leader Barshiba (Barathea [Ire]) wound
up fourth, but the other co-favorite, High Heeled (High Chaparral [Ire]),
checked in eighth.
“That was very satisfying,” Stoute said. “Her problem has just been a splint,
but a big ugly splint that remained active and totally frustrated her. I thought
at one stage that she would have to go back to the farm, so I’m glad we
persevered as that was a high-class performance, and she’s got a great mind. She
had a problem with a splint on her other foreleg after her victory at York last
May (2009), and she had a hurried preparation for the Prix de l’Opera (Fr-G1),
then was only beaten a short head here in this race (last year).
“She is in the Hong Kong Vase, and we are
thinking very strongly of going there, as we’d have to pay a lot of money to
make her eligible for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). If we do go
anywhere, it will be Hong Kong.”
The Barry Hills-trained RED JAZZ (Johannesburg) earned a deserved success
after a series of narrow misses with victory under Robert Winston in the
Challenge S. (Eng-G2).
The three-year-old has gone close in top-class company several times this
season, and came into this seven-furlong event after his gutsy third in the
Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1) at Ascot three weeks earlier.
With Hills’ son and Red Jazz’s regular partner, Michael, in Canada to partner
Redwood (GB) (High Chaparral [Ire]) in the Canadian International (Can-G1),
Winston took the ride and steered the colt to a 2 1/4-length success over Cat
Junior (Storm Cat) and Main Aim (Oasis Dream [GB]). Red Jazz stopped the clock
in 1:26, a bit slower than Frankel’s 1:25 3/5.
“He has terrible feet and has had problems with them all year,” Hills said,
“but plenty of horses have got bad feet and we all have our problems.
“He ran the race of his life in the QEII but was hopping lame the week before
last.
“He might go to Dubai in the spring if we can find a race for him and we will
then look at the Lockinge (Eng-G1) and Queen Anne (Eng-G1) and see where we go.
He will make a stallion, this horse, and he will be better next year.”
“He is a real tough performer,” Winston added. “He proved that in Group 1
company at Ascot last time. He was going back to seven furlongs today but has
got plenty of pace to sit handy and, once I sent him on 2 1/2 furlongs out, I
always knew that he was going to dig deep for me.”
Delegator (GB) (Dansili [GB]), fourth as the 6-4 favorite, is still on course
for Churchill.
“It was too soft for him,” trainer Saeed bin Suroor said. “He’ll go for the
Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) now.”