Doom Bar Celebration Mile |
|
| Group 2, Goodwood 16:30 £100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1  |
|
| Saturday 27th August 2016 | |
1 Lightning Spear 4/1
2 Zonderland 11/4
3 Arod 10/1
5 ran Distances: 1¾l, hd, 3¼l
TIME 1m 35.96s (fast by 0.24s)
Lightning Spear flashes home as Qatar Racing tactics pay off
 |
David Simcock's stable have been in fine form and Lightning Spear bounced back from a disappointing effort in the Prix Jacques Le Marois to land this Group Two contest under Oisin Murphy.
Murphy rode a patient race as Arod and Jimmy Fortune set the fractions up front, with Toormore and Zonderland sitting in the leader's slipstream.
Favourite Thikriyaat was last and never going at any stage, leaving Zonderland to battle with Arod for the lead inside the final furlong.
Zonderland eventually mastered Arod following a protracted duel, but the pair had no anser to the finishing kick of Lightning Spear who won going away by one-and-three-quarter lengths.
Ascot's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, sponsored by Qipco, is firmly in Lightning Spear's sights and Simcock said: "We've always known what a good horse he is but things haven't gone right for him.
"I feel sorry for the horse because he has so much talent, but he's only really been let go twice. He didn't show up in the Sussex and at Deauville, it was a messy race run on tacky ground.
"I will aim him towards Ascot now and it will be the QEII. I've always said he's the best miler we've had and I believe that next year he will show his true potential."
Sky Bet reacted by shortening the winner into 14-1 from 25-1 for the Ascot Group One on October 15.
Doom Bar Celebration Mile (Group 2)
£100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
| Pos | Draw | Dist | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (2) | Lightning Spear 4/1 | Oisin Murphy 9-4 |
D M Simcock | 5 | |
| 2nd | (5) | 1¾ | Zonderland 11/4 | L Dettori 8-12 |
C G Cox | 3 |
| 3rd | (1) | hd | Arod (IRE) 10/1 | J Fortune 9-4 |
P W Chapple-Hyam | 5 |
| 4th | (3) | 3¼ | Toormore (IRE) 4/1 | W Buick 9-7 |
R Hannon | 5 |
| 5th | (4) | nk | Thikriyaat (IRE) 7/4f | P Hanagan 8-12 |
Sir Michael Stoute | 3 |
