QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes |
|
Group 1, Ascot 14:00
£600,000 added,
3yo plus,
6f, Class 1  |
| Saturday 16th October 2021 |
1 Creative Force 11/2
2 Glen Shiel 22/1
3 Minzaal 16/1
20 ran Distances: 1l, 1l, hd
Time: 1m 13.79s (slow by 0.89s)
Creative Force gave trainer Charlie Appleby a first victory on QIPCO British Champions Day with his first runner in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes over six furlongs.
The Godolphin-owned three-year-old was always travelling well under William Buick, slip-streaming the pace-setting
2020 winner Glen Shiel before attacking a furlong from home.
The son of Dubawi had a length to spare over Glen Shiel, who battled bravely for Hollie Doyle in first-time blinkers. Minzaal took third, beaten a further length. Art Power was sent off the 3/1 favourite and ran on for fourth.
Appleby said: “I was confident with this horse after Haydock. James Doyle felt he was a sprinter earlier this season, and the ground was too fast for him at Haydock.
“I'm delighted for the horse because he has been on the go. He was out at the Craven Meeting and rose through the ranks and came here to win the
Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“Sprinting at this level, we've been lucky with the likes of Blue Point, and this guy can travel for fun. William was confident riding him and he has won over seven furlongs here, so he wasn't going to stop. I'm delighted, it's a great team result, it's been a great season and this lad deserves it.
“This was my first runner at Champions Day. It's a fantastic crowd, and the sun is shining down. It’s soft ground, but that is what we expect at this time of year. It is not dead ground; they are going through it.
“Creative Force is a typical Dubawi who should get better with age. The sprint division is there for someone to take the mantle next year and we've been looking for a new star sprinter since Blue Point was retired, so hopefully this horse can be a fun horse for the next year or two. There's a hole there to be filled and I think he is a young enough horse to do that."
Buick said: “Creative Force really did deserve it. Obviously, he won the Jersey Stakes here and he goes through that ground which is a big help.
"The race worked out perfectly today – we had a nice draw and I liked the look of it. It worked out how I wanted it to and he was in good form going into it.
"He certainly deserved it, but we thought it was a good chance for him to show his best today.
"There were a lot of runners, they all turned up, but he travelled into it very smoothly and it was a case of just waiting with him a little bit.
"He stumbled out of the stalls and the ground was very fast at Haydock but if you stumble out of the stalls in a six-furlong Group 1, then it's game over but he did get himself back into it and he ran well, considering."
Archie Watson said of Glen Shiel: “I am delighted. He does come alive here. That’s his second Group One second place here this year. The blinkers worked first time, they really lit him up. He jumped and travelled very well. Hollie was delighted with him. He quickened away and just found one very good horse of Charlie’s to beat him. He’s just a dream for the owners to have and a dream for us to have.”
Hollie Doyle added: “It was another brilliant run from Glen Shiel. He is such a credit to connections."
Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 2)
£600,000 added, 3yo plus, 6f, Class 1
20 ran
Going: Good to Soft
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT JOCKEY TRAINER SP
1 (5) Creative Force 3 9-1 Charlie Appleby William Buick 11/2
2 (2) 1 Glen Shiel 7 9-2 Archie Watson Hollie Doyle 22/1
3 (4) 1 Minzaal 3 9-1 Owen Burrows Jim Crowley 16/1
4 (20) hd Art Power 4 9-2 Tim Easterby Silvestre De Sousa 3/1F
5 (9) ¾ Vadream 3 8-12 Charlie Fellowes David Egan 16/1
6 (18) nk Highfield Princess 4 8-13 John Quinn Jason Hart 22/1
7 (10) nse Ventura Diamond 3 8-12 Richard Fahey Jamie Spencer 100/1
8 (19) ½ Happy Power 5 9-2 Andrew Balding Rob Hornby 50/1
9 (17) ¾ Kinross 4 9-2 Ralph Beckett Frankie Dettori 13/2
10 (14) ¾ Ainsdale 4 9-2 K R Burke Clifford Lee 125/1
11 (6) shd Happy Romance 3 8-12 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 25/1
12 (13) ½ Brando 9 9-2 Kevin Ryan Tom Eaves 33/1
12 (11) dht Thunder Moon 3 9-1 Joseph O'Brien Tom Marquand 50/1
14 (3) 1¼ Dragon Symbol 3 9-1 Archie Watson Oisin Murphy 7/1
15 (16) ½ Gustavus Weston 5 9-2 Joseph G Murphy Gary Carroll 28/1
16 (8) 4¼ Keep Busy 4 8-13 John Quinn James Doyle 150/1
17 (1) hd Last Empire 5 8-13 Kevin Ryan Daniel Tudhope 50/1
18 (15) ½ Rohaan 3 9-1 David Evans Ryan Moore 5/1
19 (12) 2 Nando Parrado 3 9-1 Clive Cox Adam Kirby 125/1
20 (7) 4¼ Azano 5 9-2 David O'Meara Shane Gray 50/1
