Merriebelle Stables Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes

Group 3, Ascot 16:10
£80,000 guaranteed,
3yo, 6f, Class 1    
Wednesday April 27th 2022

QuinnBet

1 Go Bears Go 5/4F
2 Hierarchy 17/2
3 Ehraz 100/30
4 ran NR: Space Cowboy Distances: 1½l, 1¾l, ¾l
Time: 1m 12.46s (slow by 0.16s)

An unlucky runner-up at the Breeders’ Cup, David Loughnane’s Go Bears Go proved he has trained on with a tough display in the six-furlong event.

Only four went to post – but they were four high-class three-year-olds with Clive Cox’s Mill Reef winner Wings Of War, Hugo Palmer’s Hierarchy and Richard Hannon’s Ehraz all of some potential.

Rossa Ryan made sure he grabbed the rail on Go Bears Go, however, and it proved crucial in the closing stages.

Wings Of War, conceding a penalty for his Newbury success, was first to crack and then Ehraz cried enough with Hierarchy making ground from last position.

He could not get close enough to challenge, though, and Go Bears Go ran on strongly to justify 5-4 favouritism by a ready length and a half.

Loughnane said: “I thought he was beat two out. He came off the bridle and Rossa said it was the first time he thought, ‘God, I’m in trouble, here’.

“But he is so tough. I didn’t really want to be in front. I would have preferred for something to give us a lead. He has so much early pace and so much tactical speed that as soon as Ehraz came and headed him, it was never in doubt from there. He is honest as the day is long and he would run through a brick wall for you. The one thing I knew was he wouldn’t lie down. He will fight anyone.

Trainers Quotes

“I love him to bits. We done enough to make sure we could get the job done today, but he is still not fully furnished.

“It is exciting and we are looking forward to coming back here (for the Royal fixture).

“I think he could go to either the Jersey Stakes or the Commonwealth Cup. If the Jersey was a Group one, we would go there. But the Commonwealth Cup is a better race. We want to take on the best and beat the best. We want to beat everyone. We believe he is a Group One horse and he’s entered himself now as a future stallion. I’ve been adamant from day one that he is a Group One horse and that’s what we want.

“He’s won on soft ground and he’s won on fast ground. I don’t care what the ground is. I have so much faith in this horse it is not even funny. Too much faith in him, probably. I have been adamant about him from day one. I love him and he’s done so much for us.”

Ryan added: “He was in good shape today. But we knew coming here after working him a couple of weeks ago that would need it and would come forward again. It was the perfect prep really.

“I thought two down I was in a bit of trouble to be fair, but his class prevailed and I think come the Commonwealth, if we have something to aim at off a hard gallop, it would probably suit him better.

“It was always a debate about whether he was a Jersey horse or not. The trial was going to tell us a lot – if it was anywhere else you’d be looking at seven, but here it is such a stiff six that it suits him down to the ground.”

BetGoodwin

Pavilion Stakes
£80,000 guaranteed, 4yo, 6f Class 1
4 ran
Going: Good to Firm

POS. DRAW DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (1)     Go Bears Go 3 9-1 David Loughnane Rossa Ryan 5/4F
2 (5) 1½ Hierarchy 3 9-1 Hugo Palmer Cieren Fallon 17/2
3 (2) 1¾ Ehraz 3 9-1 Richard Hannon Jim Crowley 100/30
4 (4) ¾ Wings Of War 3 9-5 Clive Cox Adam Kirby 5/2
NR 5 (3) Space Cowboy 3 9-1 Richard Spencer NON RUNNER

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