2012 Doncaster Cup

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Times Doubles Up in Doncaster Cup
13/09/13

1 Times Up 3/1
2 High Jinx 2/1F
3 Repeater 20/1
NR: Mutual Regard (IRE)
7 ran Distances: 1¼l, ½l, 1¼l
TIME 3m 59.09s (slow by 7.09s)

In winning back-to-back editions of the Speedy Services Doncaster Cup, Times Up provided an emotional victory for his trainer Ed Dunlop. Twelve months previously the gelding had given Dunlop's father John his last prestige victory before his retirement. "I've won bigger races," said Dunlop, "but few that have meant more. I didn't do too well with the horse early on and I could see the headlines - "Powerful famous father retires, son inherits, does bad job".

Times Up
© Racehorse Photos

"So there was a bit of pressure. The horse had been going really well in the spring - he had been working really well with my good mile-and-a-half horses - but then he got a bad infection. When I ran him in the Gold Cup [13th of 14] he pulled too hard but ran much better at York."

It was with his third in the Lonsdale Stakes on the Knavesmire that Times Up began to show his true colours. "That was when his season really began," added Dunlop. "I'm so glad that he has done this today, chuffed for the horse and his owners and chuffed for my father, who I hope was watching."

Times Up, at 3/1, beat last year's runner-up High Jinx, the 2/1 favourite, a length and a quarter, with Repeater half a length third. "It was a bit of a messy race," said rider Ryan Moore, "a bit stop-start. But I got a good tow behind High Jinx, and then when the grey horse [Colour Vision] started to block me out I had to let him go on. It was maybe a bit soon but he had enough in reserve."

Times Up, who will stay in training next year, may go to Ascot next month for the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup on Champions' Day. "We might have aimed at the Melbourne Cup," said Dunlop, "but the trainer did such a bad job early that he missed getting in."

Times Up became only the 10th horse to win more than one Doncaster Cup. The exceptional northern heroine Beeswing took four, in 1837 and 1840-42; Double Trigger three in 1995, 1996 and 1998. The other dual winners have been Touchstone (1835-36), Alice Hawthorne (1843-44), Vedette (1857-58), Velocity (1906-07), Agreement (1958-59), Le Moss (1979-80) and Millenary, who dead-heated with Kasthari in 2004 and took the prize outright a year later.

Speedy Services Doncaster Cup (British Champions Series) (Group 2)
£100,000 added, 3yo plus, 2m 2f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Soft

High Jinx
© Racehorse Photos

FANSHAWE PLANS HIGH JINX IN FRANCE

High Jinx is set for a trip to Paris after finishing runner-up to Times Up in the Speedy Services Doncaster Cup for the second successive year.

The 2/1 favourite was beaten a neck by Ed Dunlop's runner in the 2011 running of this race but the winning distance was further this time around, with James Fanshawe's entire going down by a length and a quarter.

"He's run really well after a long absence and he's entitled to improve for that," said the trainer.

"We've had to be disciplined with him as he's not had his ground all year and needs a bit of cut in the ground. We'll more than likely head to the Prix du Cadran (at Longchamp) now and that sort of trip will suit him well."

Repeater, who finished fourth in this race last year, travelled really well for Danny Tudhope on his first start for trainer David O'Meara but he found trouble between High Jinx and Colour Vision at a crucial point in the race which hindered his progress.

The 20/1 shot was eventually beaten a total of a length and three quarters into third place.

"I thought he was going to win at one point but he's found some trouble which may have affected his chances," said Chris Richardson of Cheveley Park Stud, owners of Repeater.

"It's good to see him run well though after disappointing at Goodwood last time."

RECENT WINNERS
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP

2012 Times Up John Dunlop Eddie Ahern Mrs I Stewart & M Meacock 5/1
2011 Saddler’s Rock John Oxx IRE Niall McCullagh Michael O’Flynn 11/2
2010 Samuel John Gosden William Buick Normandie Stud Ltd 5/1
2009 Askar Tau Marcus Tregoning Ryan Moore Nurlan Bizakov 5/2
2008 Honolulu Aidan O’Brien IRE Johnny Murtagh Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 15/8 fav
2007 Septimus Aidan O'Brien IRE Johnny Murtagh Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 11/10 fav
2006 Sergeant Cecil Rod Millman Frankie Dettori Terry Cooper Evens fav
2005 Millenary John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 11/4
2004 DH Kasthari Howard Johnson Johnny Murtagh Elliott Bros 14/1
DH Millenary John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 7/1
2003 Persian Punch David Elsworth Martin Dwyer Jeff Smith 3/1
2002 Boreas Luca Cumani Jamie Spencer Aston House Stud 7/2
2001 Alleluia Sir Mark Prescott Jamie Mackay Sonia Rogers 14/1
2000 Enzeli John Oxx IRE Johnny Murtagh H H Aga Khan 15/2
1999 Far Cry Martin Pipe Kevin Darley Nicky Chambers 6/1