QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes |
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| Group 1, Ascot 13:20 £632,505 added, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 17th October 2015 | |
1 Muhaarar 5/2F
2 Twilight Son 4/1
3 Danzeno 12/1
20 ran Distances: 2l, 1½l, nk
TIME 1m 13.34s (slow by 0.74s)
Muhaarar runs away with the Sprint and lands his fourth Group 1 of the season
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Sheikh Hamdan bred Muhaarar, who is likely now to retire to his owner's Shadwell Stud in Norfolk.
"We had been thinking of America [the Breeders' Cup meeting later this month] but whereas European sprinters race in a straight line, in America they go round a bend and that tends to slow the Europeans up, and at Keeneland it is one furlong and then turn and turn," he said.
"Muhaarar had three Group One races in six weeks and then we decided to give him a break to go for this race. It's a special day for the horses and the crowd and we wanted him to be here."
Charlie Hills said: "He's been very straightforward. He certainly has the will to win and he's got a beautiful temperament and great looks. He's gone a little bit in his coat in the past two days but I think that was a career best.
"He's improved with each run this year. I gather no three-year-old has won four consecutive Group Ones [sprints] since 1980.
"Winning at Royal Ascot was very special, but he was against the older horses today, some of the very best around, and he did it very comfortably. Obviously, I'd love to keep him in training, but he'll be a very valuable stud prospect and it's up to Sheikh Hamdan."
Twilight Son lost his unbeaten record today, but it was no disgrace to be defeated by the brilliant Muhaarar.
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The Henry Candy-trained Twilight Son was beaten two lengths by the winner, but was a length and a half clear of third placed Danzeno, who also produced a top performance in a strong field.
Candy, whose colt is part owned by Cheveley Park Stud, which will eventually be his home as a stallion, said: "The winner is just better than us, but if we had been drawn in the pack we might have been able to tail him a little more closely and would have finished closer, but he was never going to be anything other than second.
"He's run a fantastic race and I'm delighted with him, but it's a little like Limato earlier in the year; he was drawn right away from the action and you need all the luck in races like that.
"He's going to carry on for another season but that is it for this year. He'll go on improving with time - this time last year he was a very insignificant little thing and I think there is improvement to come. He's only three and his dad [Kyllachy, who Candy also trained] was better at four."
Mick Appleby, who trains Danzeno, said: "He's run a blinder and will win it next year - he'll be a better horse in 12 months' time. At Haydock [in the Sprint Cup] he ran too freely and the ground was a little too tacky. We changed the bit today to give Frankie [Dettori] more of a pull on him and that seemed to work.
"Quicker ground is probably better for him and he's still pretty green, and as he's a gelding he'll keep going next year and the year after.
"This is the first time I've been placed at this meeting, but I want to get into the number one spot."
Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 2)
£632,505 added, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1
20 ran
Going: Good to soft, soft in places on round course
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (12) | Muhaarar 5/2f | P Hanagan 9-1 |
C Hills | 3 | |
| 2nd | (20) | 2 | Twilight Son 4/1 | R L Moore 9-1 |
H Candy | 3 |
| 3rd | (14) | 1½ | Danzeno 12/1 | L Dettori 9-2 |
M Appleby | 4 |
| 4th | (6) | nk | The Tin Man 10/1 | T P Queally 9-1 |
J R Fanshawe | 3 |
| 5th | (8) | 1¼ | Naadirr (IRE) 20/1 | C Soumillon 9-2 |
M Botti | 4 |
| 6th | (9) | nk | Adaay (IRE) 25/1 | Dane O'Neill 9-1 |
W J Haggas | 3 |
| 7th | (17) | nk | Emperor Max (AUS) 33/1 | Corey Brown 9-2 |
S Gray | 6 |
| 8th | (15) | nk | Aeolus 100/1 | G Lee 9-2 |
Ed Walker | 4 |
| 9th | (19) | nk | Gathering Power (IRE) 66/1 | M Barzalona 8-13 |
E Lynam | 5 |
| 10th | (7) | hd | Interception (IRE) 50/1 | G Baker 8-13 |
D R Lanigan | 5 |
| 11th | (2) | s.h | Maarek 25/1 | J P Spencer 9-2 |
Miss E McCutcheon | 8 |
| 12th | (18) | nk | Gordon Lord Byron (IRE) 16/1 | P J Smullen 9-2 |
T Hogan | 7 |
| 13th | (3) | nk | Lightning Moon (IRE) 10/1 | W Buick 9-2 |
Ed Walker | 4 |
| 14th | (16) | ½ | Heaven's Guest (IRE) 50/1 | James Doyle 9-2 |
R A Fahey | 5 |
| 14th | (10) | d.h | Lancelot Du Lac (ITY) 40/1 | R Winston 9-2 |
D K Ivory | 5 |
| 16th | (13) | ½ | Jack Dexter 33/1 | F Lynch 9-2 |
J S Goldie | 6 |
| 17th | (1) | nk | Eastern Impact (IRE) 20/1 | Jack Garritty 9-2 |
R A Fahey | 4 |
| 18th | (5) | 5 | Strath Burn 10/1 | Andrea Atzeni 9-1 |
C Hills | 3 |
| 19th | (4) | ¾ | Coulsty (IRE) 66/1 | S M Levey 9-2 |
R Hannon | 4 |
| 20th | (11) | 6 | Great Minds (IRE) 66/1 | W M Lordan 9-2 |
T Stack | 5 |
