Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot 2009

Forgotten Voice Blasts Home in Royal Hunt Cup
17/06/09

1 Forgotten Voice 4/1 Fav
2 Huzzah 25/1
3 Mia's Boy 9/1
25 ran

Forgotten Voice (Johnny Murtagh) coasting to a comfortable victory from Huzzah (Michael Hills blue cap) and Mia's Boy (Ryan Moore orange cap)
© racing-images.co.uk

Forgotten Voice, who had never previously raced on turf, spreadeagled the field in the Royal Hunt Cup, the 4/1 favourite winning by two and a quarter lengths, to justify the confidence of his trainer Jeremy Noseda. “It’s not often the plans you have in your mind for a long time come to fruition,” said Noseda, who explained that patience allied to planning had brought the desired results.

“We liked him as a two-year-old and he won at the back end of that season. Unfortunately he got injured in March of last year - my right hand man Dave Bradley saw a little problem on his leg and thank God he stopped him at just the right time,” he said.

“We decided to be patient with him, bring him back, and we hatched this plan sitting on a plane going to Keeneland last September. We realised that he was possibly a very well handicapped horse and we thought to ourselves that this horse could win the Royal Hunt Cup.

“I said we need two runs, get rated 95 and that would guarantee us a run in the race. Then we’ll go from there. The plan worked, we had a couple of starts and we were rated 101, but I still felt good about it. He’s been a tough horse to bring back - he’s not had a lot of racing and he’s very novicey. He’s been improving mentally now and it’s a good day.

“I had a two-part plan in my mind - this and the Magnet Cup but Johnny [Murtagh] tells me to forget the Magnet Cup and he’s normally a good man to listen to.

“Paul [Roy] must take a lot of credit. He’s been very patient. Thank God, it’s been rewarded today.”

Owner Paul Roy, chairman of the BHA, said flippantly: “ I always get the worst handicapped horses,” but that clearly wasn’t the case today.

Roy emphasised how important the plans are for all of his horses. “There is always a plan for all of our horses - meticulous planning, and attention to detail. I think that’s what makes Jeremy and the team so good.”

For jockey Johnny Murtagh, it was a third win at this year’s Royal Ascot, and took him to the top of the jockey’s table on places. “He’s probably a bit better than a handicapper and it’s been a long time since I rode a handicapper down to the start and was so confident. He went down to the start like a really nice horse - he’s a big strong galloper,” said the jockey.

"I was travelling well on the inside and I saw Philip Robinson drifting off the rail a bit. He was pulling his stick into his right hand and trying to straighten his horse up. Before he had him straightened, I made sure that I had a nice run and he’s an uncomplicated horse. He was hot favourite today, so I wanted to give everybody a run for their money and I also wanted to see how good he was. When I gave him a backhander, he hit the front a bit too soon. He’s big, fresh, still a big playboy with a lot of improvement in him.

"Three days is long enough to be top jockey here! I have 12 rides booked and I am aiming to have six winners. If I can six winners by the end of tomorrow, Richard [Hughes] can come and beat me then!”

HUZZAH ON COURSE FOR A BIG HANDICAP AS MIA’S BOY MAY TACKLE SUSSEX STAKES

Huzzah
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Barry Hills has already enjoyed a winner on the second day of the Royal Meeting with Ouqba in the Jersey Stakes but he had to settle for second with Huzzah, who ran home gamely behind highly impressive winner Forgotten Voice to take second by two and a quarter lengths.

Charlie Hills, assistant trainer to his father Barry, said: “We’re really pleased with him - he’s obviously been beaten by a very good horse. We used some different tactics this time and it seemed to work.

“We’ve always thought there was a decent handicap in the horse so let’s hope the handicapper isn’t too hard on him now.”

Mia’s Boy
© racing-images.co.uk

Trainer Chris Dwyer has made a tentative entry in the Group One Sussex Stakes for his third-placed finisher Mia’s Boy, whose owner Iraj Parvizi was watching the race from his home in Marbella.

“I’m delighted with him but I would just have liked a little more cut in the ground,” said Dwyer, who retired from training in 2006 only to return a year later and now trains five horses from his Burrough Green yard just outside Newmarket.

“He’s never let us down - he’s a great horse and he has a good race in him. I’ve been a bit ambitious and entered him in the Sussex. I’ll have a look at it and if it ended up on the soft side he might take his chance.”

Jim Goldie, trainer of the fourth-placed Nanton, was not at Ascot but was represented by his son, Jim junior. He and the seven-year-old’s owner Stuart Morrison were delighted to see the grey finish in the frame.

Morrison said: “That was fantastic. To be placed in a big handicap like this is great. The Scottish contingent is very happy. He wasn’t himself in the Spring Mile - he has to have good to firm ground which he got today and we don’t mind if it rains now.”