Champagne Stakes |
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| Group 2, Doncaster 14:20 £112,500 added, 2yo only, 7f 6y, Class 1  |
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1 Bayside Boy 5/1
2
Reach For The Moon 8/13F
3 Twilight Jet
25/1
4 ran Distances: hd, 1¼l, 3¼l
Time: 1m 27.88s (slow by 4.78s)
Bayside Boy runs down Reach For The Moon to win the Champagne Stakes @DoncasterRaces under a good ride from David Egan pic.twitter.com/cXh0MOahF5https://t.co/SQ8UyISgci via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) September 11, 2021
Reach For The Moon, who is owned by the Queen, was all the rage for the seven-furlong contest after winning the Solario Stakes last time out – but with just four runners it turned into something of a tactical affair.
Frankie Dettori set out to make all on the 8-13 market leader, with main rival Lusail settled on his heels and the eventual winner sitting last of four through the first four furlongs.
Reach For The Moon started winding up the pace with three furlongs to run, with Lusail soon beaten, leaving Twilight Jet and Bayside Boy to challenge on either side.
Bayside Boy took a while to hit his top gear but he really got rolling in the final half-furlong, eventually prevailing by a head for trainer Roger Varian and jockey David Egan.
The winning rider said: “I thought when I hit the front at Newbury (last time when finishing second) he was inexperienced and had a look at the stands.
“I planned to follow Frankie and not go too soon. Mr Varian has been so good to me throughout my career and he’s an exciting horse going forward.”
Varian said: “He looked good when he won his novice at Newbury and probably showed his lack of experience when he was worried out of it back at Newbury in a Listed.
“I’m pleased with that today, he showed he’d learned from Newbury and really stuck his head out – he was tough when he needed to be.
“David said he handled the ground and should go on most grounds. Until we need the ground as an excuse we won’t use it!
“He’s quite a neat horse, he’s not a giant. He looks a miler and saw the trip out well today. He’ll be a miler next year.
“I’m delighted for connections, he showed that same turn of foot he did first time out.
“We’d like to run him again but it depends on how he comes out of this, he is in all the big races, though, and you’d have to be thinking of something like the Dewhurst.”
John Gosden, who trains Reach For The Moon in partnership with his son Thady, felt the conditions had gone against his charge.
He said: “The jockey said he wasn’t in love with the ground, he wasn’t travelling on it like he normally does.
“It’s gone a bit dead, it’s drying out after last night’s rain and trying to make all into a headwind was just a bit much.
“Better ground, better horse is all I can say.
“Frankie knew he was in trouble from a long way out because of the ground.
“He could run again, there are some nice races left at Newmarket and we’ll see what the ground is like.”
Champagne Stakes (Group 2)
£60,000 added, 2yo only, 7f 6y, Class 1
4 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Soft in places
1 (2) Bayside Boy 2 9-0 Roger Varian David Egan 5/1
2 (3) hd Reach For The Moon 2 9-0 John & Thady Gosden Frankie Dettori 8/13F
3 (1) 1¼ Twilight Jet 2 9-0 M D O'Callaghan Leigh Roche 25/1
4 (4) 3¼ Lusail 2 9-3 Richard Hannon Pat Dobbs 100/30
RECENT WINNERS
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP
2020 Chindit
2019 Threat
2018 Too Darn Hot
2017 Seahenge
2016 Rivet W J Haggas Andrea Atzeni The Starship Partnership 7/4f
2015 Emotionless C Appleby W Buick Godolphin 8/13f
2014 Estidhkaar Richard Hannon Paul Hanagan Hamdan Al Maktoum 10/11f
2013 Outstrip Charlie Appleby Mikael Barzalona Godolphin 13/8 jf
2012 Toronado Richard Hannon Richard Hughes Carmichael Humber 11/4
2011 Trumpet Major Richard Hannon Richard Hughes John Manley 7/1
2010 Saamidd Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 5/6 fav
2009 Poet’s Voice Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 10/1
2008 Westphalia Aidan O’Brien IRE Johnny Murtagh M Tabor, D Smith, S Magnier 100/30
2007 McCartney Mark Johnston Ryan Moore Sheikh Mohammed 8/1
2006 Vital Equine Eoghan O'Neill Richard Mullen Fasthandle Ltd 16/1
2005 DH Close To You Terry Mills John Egan Miss J A Leighs 8/1
DH Silent Times Eoghan O'Neiill Jamie Spencer John Fretwell 6/1
2004 Etlaala Barry Hills Richard Hills Hamdan Al Maktoum 6/1
2003 Lucky Story Mark Johnston Darryll Holland Abdulla Buhaleeba 2/1
2002 Almushahar David Loder Frankie Dettori Hamdan Al Maktoum 8/11 fav
2001 Dubai Destination David Loder Frankie Dettori Sheikh Mohammed 3/1
2000 Noverre David Loder FR Frankie Dettori Godolphin SNC 7/2
1999 Distant Music Barry Hills Michael Hills Khalid Abdullah 13/8 fav
