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Racing News
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Motivator - Background Information On The Vodafone Derby Favourite
racing_news/
Derby favourite Motivator takes Dante glory
12/05/05
The Michael Bell trained MOTIVATOR, long time ante – post favourite for the Vodafone Derby, hardened his position at the head of the market when leading home a Tattersalls 1 – 2 – 3 in the Group 2 totesport Dante Stakes at York.
The unbeaten Group 1 winning son of MONTJEU earned a quote of 2 – 1 for Europe’s premier Classic immediately after his impressive win, and looks almost certain to head to Epsom as Derby favourite. Purchased by John Warren on behalf of the ‘The Royal Ascot Racing Club’ for 75,000 guineas at Part 1 of the 2003 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, MOTIVATOR is one of six Group/Listed winners from the first crop of six time Group 1 winner MONTJEU, himself a dual Derby winner, and is out of the Listed winning GONE WEST mare OUT WEST. Consigned from Salah Fustok’s Deerfield Farm outside Newmarket, MOTIVATOR is the third foal of racing age out of OUT WEST, and his MONTJEU yearling own brother looks set to be one of the highlights at the 2005 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Part 1, (October 4th – 7th).
Runner up THE GEEZER, purchased for 21,000 guineas for owner Jeff Smith at the 2003 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale by trainer David Elsworth, will be hoping to improve on the fourth place finish of the same connections’ NORSE DANCER in the 2003 Vodafone Derby after a highly creditable second, while third placed FALSTAFF, a 230,000 guineas Tattersalls Houghton Yearling purchase, is yet another top class performer by MONTJEU. THE GEEZER, by HALLING out of the BE MY GUEST mare POLYGUEZA, earned a 10 – 1 quote for the Derby, on a day when Tattersalls graduates carried all before them.
Earlier in the afternoon the regally bred ALL TO BEAUTIFUL, a 1,100,000 guineas own sister to dual Derby winner GALILEO, stamped herself as a filly with a great future when winning the Group 3 totepool Middleton Stakes for the Magnier/Tabor/O’Brien juggernaut, while the admirable QUITO, purchased for only 3,500 guineas at the 2002 Tattersalls July Sale by his shrewd trainer David Chapman, won the Listed Hambleton Handicap from two more Tattersalls purchases, BLUE SPINNAKER and KINGS POINT.
