After soft-ground specialist Addeybb dismissed Magic Wand and Elarqam in last June’s Wolferton at Royal Ascot, trainer William Haggas had the inspired idea to aim for a rich prize, at the same trip, where he had the greatest chance of getting his ideal conditions – the Queen Elizabeth (G1) during The Championships at Randwick. That plan came to fruition when Addeybb reveled on a heavy course to earn his biggest career victory.
The British shipper enhanced his claims in the interim. Runner-up to Magical in the Champion S. (G1) in his 2019 finale, Addeybb made a successful Australian debut in the March 21 Ranvet (G1) at Rosehill. By determinedly fending off favored Verry Elleegant in his comeback, Addeybb suggested that he had the home team covered come his main objective at The Championships.
But Japanese champion Danon Premium was another matter. The son of Deep Impact brought high-class form at this about 1 1/4-mile distance, having beaten eventual Horse of the Year (and Cox Plate [G1] heroine) Lys Gracieux at Chukyo last March and finishing second to Almond Eye in the Oct. 27 Tenno Sho Autumn (G1).
What Danon Premium did not have, however, was soft-ground form. The rain arrived for Addeybb, who took full advantage befitting a son of Pivotal.
Under Tom Marquand, Addeybb was well placed to stalk from his rail post, tipped out for the drive, and struck the front. Danon Premium cruised into contention wider out and briefly promised a battle between the market leaders. Yet narrowly favored Addeybb found another gear, while the Japanese colorbearer couldn’t lift in the bog.
Pulling 2 3/4 lengths clear, Addeybb slogged home in 2:06.92. Verry Elleegant wore down Danon Premium by a half-length for second. Master of Wine, German-bred but imported from Great Britain, took fourth.
ADDEYBB wins the Queen Elizabeth.
Take a bow @TomMarquand 👏 pic.twitter.com/NlaTp05moV
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 11, 2020
Addeybb, a 6-year-old campaigned by Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum, first burst onto the scene by capturing the 2018 Lincoln. He added the Sandown Mile (G2) next out, but the sparingly raced gelding did not earn another Group laurel until last summer’s Rose of Lancaster (G3) at Haydock. The logical end-of-season goal would be Champions Day again at Ascot, pending how the British calendar is reorganized in the era of coronavirus.
Another past Royal Ascot winner, Con Te Partiro, also starred at Randwick Saturday in the Coolmore Legacy (G1). Victorious in the 2017 Sandringham when trained by Wesley Ward, the Scat Daddy mare has reached new heights of late for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Australia.
Newgate S F’s Con Te Partiro was supposed to be in foal by now, but after failing to conceive, she returned to training better than ever. Breaking through with her first Group 1 tally in the March 14 Coolmore Classic (G1) at Rosehill, she was sixth in last Saturday’s Doncaster Mile (G1) on Day 1 of The Championships, and rebounded with a vengeance here. Tim Clark steered the 8-1 chance through the metric mile in 1:39.18 while downing favored sophomore Funstar.
CON TE PARTIRO runs away from Funstar to win the Coolmore Legacy Stakes.@GaiWaterhouse1 pic.twitter.com/bFVfyD0n0z
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 11, 2020
In the Australian Oaks (G1), Godolphin’s homebred Colette confirmed herself a rising star with her fourth straight win. The James Cummings pupil was wheeling back after a terrific display in the Adrian Knox (G3) on The Championships opener, and proved as emphatic on the stretch-out. The Hallowed Crown filly swept to a 2 1/2-length victory, covering about 1 1/2 miles in 2:36.37 beneath Glen Boss. Toffee Tongue played second fiddle again to duplicate the Adrian Knox exacta.
COLETTE wins the Australian Oaks. @boss_glen wins his fourth. @godolphin | @JamesCummings88 pic.twitter.com/V50oqsLzbt
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 11, 2020
The Godolphin/Cummings team was just denied in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (G2), with Splintex barely hanging on at the wire from the fast-finishing Flit. Trained by Mark Newnham and piloted by Robbie Dolan, the Snitzel colt clocked about 6 furlongs in 1:12.37 to earn his first stakes score.
SPLINTEX edges out FLIT on the line in the 3yo Sprint.@mark_mnracing pic.twitter.com/fm9sqH0kTZ
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 11, 2020
Snitzel’s 2-year-old daughter Away Game went marginally faster in the Percy Sykes (G2), the favorite muscling her way out of the pocket to impose her authority in 1:12.26. Most recently second in the Golden Slipper (G1) and fourth in the Blue Diamond (G1) two back, Away Game was reverting to female company for the first time since landing the Feb. 1 Widden (G3). She’d earlier beaten the boys in the Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YO Classic.
AWAY GAME is a beast.
Never in doubt.@cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/fC1TqOGuNX
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 11, 2020
Away Game was part of a banner day for Boss, who racked up three wins to earn the Nathan Berry Medal as the top jockey of The Championships, and for the training tandem of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. Their new recruit, Etah James, sprang a 13-1 upset of males in the Sydney Cup (G1). Targeting the about 2-mile affair following her fourth in the Auckland Cup (G1), the veteran mare coped with conditions to edge The Chosen One by a head in 3:28.46.
Raheen House, who’d won the Chairman’s Quality (G2) on Day 1, settled for third. Addeybb’s stablemate Young Rascal, the favorite, likely didn’t see out the trip in seventh.
It’s a boilover in the Sydney Cup as $15 shot Etah James runs over the top of them and proves the superior stayer for @cmaherracing. @boss_glen does it again and wins his second G1 for the day #TheChampionships pic.twitter.com/9dXPmCEpN8
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 11, 2020
Etah James is by Raise the Flag, a son of Sadler’s Wells and blue hen Hasili. The New Zealand-bred veteran now becomes his first Group 1 winner. Her only prior Group success had come in the 2018 Lord Reims (G3).
The Championships concluded with the Esplin Family’s homebred White Moss scoring a repeat win in the Sapphire (G2). Dashing to the lead with Nash Rawiller, the Jason Coyle mare safely held favored Fasika by a length in 1:11.81. The aptly named gray daughter of Mossman might have appeared a ghostly figure as she raced past the empty stands, spectatorless as a result of the stringent COVID-19 measures.
White Moss wins the Group 2 @tabcomau Sapphire Stakes to finish The Championships Day 2 – @Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day. An amazing day at Royal Randwick. We wish you all could have been here! pic.twitter.com/RwaxWSyOaM
— Australian Turf Club (@atc_races) April 11, 2020
