Unibet Lincoln |
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| Heritage Handicap Doncaster 15:10 £100,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 2  |
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| Saturday 27th March 2021 | |
1 Haqeeqy 9/2
2 Brunch 16/1
3 Hortzadar 66/1
4 Danyah 7/1
18 ran NR: Born To Be Alive, Brentford Hope, Johan, Librisa Breeze
Distances: 1½l, ½l, 2¼l Time: 1m 38.26s (slow by 1.16s)
Emotional triumph in the @Unibet Lincoln! 🙌
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 27, 2021
Haqeey, owned by Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum, daughter of the late Sheikh Hamdan, gives John and Thady Gosden and Benoit De La Sayette victory at @DoncasterRaces... pic.twitter.com/SYF3BQLxOI
Haqeeqy powered to a very taking victory under apprentice Benoit De La Sayette.
The youngster, who claims 7lb, had to sit and wait in behind horses for much of the journey, but never panicked and once in the clear the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt rocketed clear in the manner of a smart performer.
Sent off at 9-2, the winner finished a length and a half clear of Brunch, with Hortzadar third and Danyah fourth.
“It’s unbelievable and to have the support of these connections is a real thrill – I can’t thank everyone enough for legging me up,” the rider said.
“I wanted to follow the (William) Haggas horse (Johan), but he didn’t run so it was a blank canvas. He jumped beautifully, I got behind someone as I just wanted to get him switched off.
“Luckily enough a gap opened at the end which I wasn’t expecting, as I thought I was going to be trapped, but the turn of foot he showed was thrilling. To have a feeling like that, you can’t get better.
“I walked the track, like everyone, and we all knew where the best ground was, it was such a tight bunch so I was lucky enough to get a gap.”
The Gosdens also had winners at Kempton and in Dubai, meaning their new partnership has got off to a flying start.
“They let me know I had the ride on Monday and my face lit up when he told me,” said De La Sayette.
“I’m not really thinking about the champion apprentice title. I’m just thinking about my next ride, I just want to carry on riding winners and riding for wonderful trainers.
“I just want to do the best I can and prove what I can do, that’s pretty much it.
“What the boss has taught me is the cooler you are the better they will run, if you get a bit revvy that is when you can make mistakes. I just wanted to keep cool and get him switched off.
“To even be on the racecard, for it to be my first turf race it was all a bit ‘wow’, and a big boost to my confidence. To ride my first race on turf in such a big race, and then to win, it’s amazing really.
“My father was a champion amateur rider in France for a couple of years and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“I grew up on a horse, he came over to ride for Godolphin and I did the Pony Club circuit and then went pony racing at the age of nine.
“I can’t thank my parents enough, driving me around everywhere, they are the main reason I’m in the position I’m in. I went to Mr Gosden’s on work experience at 15 and I’ve been there ever since.”
He added: “I’m 18. It’s a dream start, to win the Lincoln, my first ride on turf, it’s a fairytale. I’ll probably wake up tomorrow thinking it was a dream.
“The Gosdens are so supportive, any slight mistake I make he’ll run me through it. I couldn’t ask for a better boss.”
Unibet Lincoln (Heritage Handicap)
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 2
18 ran
Going: Good
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Haqeeqy 4 9-5 1 John & Thady Gosden Benoit De La Sayette 9/2
2 1½ Brunch 4 9-5 Michael Dods Callum Rodriguez 16/1
3 ½ Hortzadar 6 9-2 David O'Meara Sean Kirrane 66/1
4 2¼ Danyah 4 9-3 Owen Burrows Kieran Shoemark 7/1
5 nk Orbaan 6 9-7 David O'Meara David Nolan 40/1
6 ¾ Revich 5 9-1 Richard Spencer Angus Villiers 100/1
7 ½ Ouzo 5 9-2 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 18/1
8 1 Grove Ferry 4 9-5 5ex Andrew Balding William Carver 20/1
9 shd Ascension 4 9-1 Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni 12/1
10 2 Scottish Summit 8 9-1 Geoffrey Harker Sam James 40/1
11 ½ Eastern World 4 9-3 5ex Charlie Appleby James Doyle 5/2F
12 ½ History Writer 6 9-3 David Menuisier Kevin Stott 50/1
13 2 Kynren 7 9-6 David Barron Connor Beasley 16/1
14 ¾ River Nymph 4 9-6 Clive Cox Adam Kirby 12/1
15 3 King Ottokar 5 9-4 Charlie Fellowes Ben Curtis 17/2
16 5 Man Of The Night 4 9-2 Richard Hannon Rossa Ryan 20/1
17 4¾ Graphite 7 9-5 1 T J Kent Louis Steward 50/1
18 2½ Dashing Roger 4 9-1 William Stone P J McDonald 80/1
NR 1 11 Johan 4 9-10 William Haggas NON RUNNER
NR 2 13 Librisa Breeze 9 9-7 Dean Ivory NON RUNNER
NR 4 20 Born To Be Alive 7 9-7 5ex K R Burke NON RUNNER
NR 12 Brentford Hope 4 9-4 Richard Hughes NON RUNNER
