OLBG Park Stakes |
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| Group 2, Doncaster 15:15 £100,000 added, 3yo plus, 7f, Class 1 |
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| Saturday 13th September 2014 | |
1 Ansgar 7/2
2 Aljamaaheer 2/1F
3 Gregorian 5/2
NR: That Is The Spirit
7 ran Distances: ½l, ½l, 1l
TIME 1m 22.41s (fast by 0.89s)
A trip to Dubai is under consideration for Ansgar following his all-the-way victory
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Ansgar capped a fine Ladbrokes St Leger meeting for Irish trainer Sabrina Harty as he took the OLBG Park Stakes in a driving finish by half a length from Aljamaaheer, with Gregorian the same distance third. The previous day his stablemate Kallan had finished third in the Socialites Electric Cigarettes Doncaster Cup.
Harty, based in Co Kildare, travelled Ansgar to find his ideal conditions. "There was nothing for him at our Champions weekend," she said. "He wants seven furlongs and good or fast ground. It was not really that fast out there today, a bit loose on top, and I think he'd have won more easily if it had been really fast."
Ansgar, a 7/2 shot, had won at Group Three level at Goodwood last month and took the step up to Group Two level in his considerable stride. He made all the running under James Doyle and pulled away when tackled by his closing rivals. "He waited til they came to him," said Doyle, "and then went again, he is very tough.
"To be honest, I was a little bit concerned at halfway because he must have changed leads four or five times before we got to that point. He is a horse who really wants to hear his feet rattle. But he's tough and I can't fault him. Sabrina and all of her team have done a fantastic job and Pat Smullen gave me great advice about the horse, so thank you to him as well."
Harty will stick to seven furlongs with her stable star in future. "He is the real deal over that distance," she said. "He has a massive stride and can produce six-furlong pace, which gets them off the bridle. And he stays a mile, so he can keep it going at the end.
"He is as tough as nails and you could really see the way he uses his stride down the straight on the flat track. He has so much toe and he stays - the further he went, it looked like he was getting caught and then he started to pull away again.
"It was easy enough to decide to run here because he really likes the seven furlongs and there are no races at home, and we saw the dry week forecast."
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Aljamaaheer tried to come with a late run but couldn't quite reel in Ansgar this afternoon.
The 2/1 favourite has been campaigned over six furlongs so far this season but was stepped back up in trip to seven furlongs to tackle Group Two company here but the five-year-old had no answer to the winner's tenacious run.
Anchored at the back by jockey Paul Hanagan, the son of Dubawi was always travelling sweetly but was caught a little flat footed as the pace increased two furlongs from home.
Although Aljamaaheer passed several horses in the final furlong, he couldn't get to the winner, eventually going down by half a length.
Trainer Roger Varian could offer no excuses after the race as he dashed off to saddle favourite Kingston Hill in the Ladbrokes St Leger.
"My fellow's run well but the winner has just had the run of the race," said the trainer.
"I've no excuses though as he's run well enough."
OLBG Park Stakes
£100,000 added, 3yo plus, 7f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
| Pos | Dr | Dist | Horse | Wgt | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (1) | Ansgar (IRE) 7/2 James Doyle |
9-4 | Miss S J Harty | 6 | |
| 2nd | (6) | ½ | Aljamaaheer (IRE) 2/1f P Hanagan |
9-4 | R Varian | 5 |
| 3rd | (2) | ½ | Gregorian (IRE) 5/2 William Buick |
9-4 | J H M Gosden | 5 |
| 4th | (8) | 1 | Es Que Love (IRE) 15/2 A Kirby |
9-8 | C G Cox | 5 |
| 5th | (7) | 1¾ | Professor 14/1 K Fallon |
9-4 | Richard Hannon | 4 |
| 6th | (4) | 1¾ | Cable Bay (IRE) 12/1 L Dettori |
9-0 | C Hills | 3 |
| 7th | (3) | nk | Penitent 25/1 D Tudhope |
9-4 | D O'Meara | 8 |
| NR | (5) | That Is The Spirit R L Moore |
9-0 | D O'Meara | 3 |
RECENT WINNERS
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP
2013 Viztoria Eddie Lynam Wayne Lordan Sheila Lavery 7/2
2012 Libranno Richard Hannon Kieren Fallon McDowell Racing 16/1
2011 Premio Loco Chris Wall George Baker Bernard Westley 15/8 fav
2010 Balthazaar’s Gift Clive Cox Philip Robinson H E Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan 16/1
2009 Duff Edward Lynam IRE Fran Berry Kilboy Estate 7/1
2008 Arabian Gleam Jeremy Noseda Johnny Murtagh Saeed Suhail 9/1
2007 Arabian Gleam Jeremy Noseda Johnny Murtagh Saeed Suhail 5/2
2006 Iffraaj Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 4/6 fav
2005 Iffraaj Michael Jarvis Philip Robinson Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum 7/1
2004 Pastoral Pursuits Hughie Morrison Steve Drowne The Pursuits Partnership 5/1
2003 Polar Ben James Fanshawe Jamie Spencer Simon Gibson 5/1
2002 Duck Row James Toller Richard Hughes Duke Of Devonshire 8/1
2001 Tough Speed Sir Michael Stoute Kieren Fallon Saeed Suhail 6/1
2000 Distant Music Barry Hills Michael Hills Khalid Abdullah 4/1
1999 Sugarfoot Nigel Tinkler Pat Eddery Mrs D Wright 15/2
