Betway John Of Gaunt Stakes |
 |
| Group 3, Haydock Park 16:05 £63,000 added, 4yo plus, 7f 37y, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 10th June 2017 | |
1 Absolutely So 6/1
2
Jallota 6/1
3
So Beloved 8/1
8 ran Winning time: 1m 32.97s (slow by 5.97s)
Non-runner: Hillbilly Boy
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Absolutely So stuck on determined fashion to lift the Group Three spoils under David Probert.
The Andrew Balding-trained seven-year-old, who was third in this race in 2015, revelled in the rain-softened conditions to go two places better.
That Is The Spirit set the pace but he was the only one to stick to the far side when the field hit the straight.
Jallota led the near-side group, but he could never go clear under his 3lb penalty. Though he kept on going, Charlie Hill's charge was unable to hold Absolutely So (6-1), who got the verdict by half a length to give Probert a double after his earlier success on Handsome Dude.
Jallota was second with So Beloved only a neck away in third.
Probert said: "He's such a tough character, he doesn't know how to run a bad race.
"The ground probably helped him and he knuckled down well.
"He's had his issues and it's a good training performance."
Balding has now missed his three biggest winners of the season having been absent at Chester when Montaly claimed the Chester Cup and Blond Me won the Middleton Stakes at York.
His wife, Anna Lisa, said: "David really did give him a lovely ride and I'm so pleased for the owners, the Smith family, they've been very patient as he's not been that straightforward with a few niggles.
"It's brilliant seeing him win a nice race, it's just reward for them.
"Even though he's now six he's shown he's as good as ever.
"We'll make a plan when we see how he comes out of this."
Betway John Of Gaunt Stakes (Group 3)
£63,000 added, 4yo plus, 7f 37y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Soft
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (3) | Absolutely So (IRE) 6/1 | David Probert 9-0 |
A M Balding | 7 | |
| 2nd | (8) | ½ | Jallota 6/1 | J P Spencer 9-3 |
C Hills | 6 |
| 3rd | (7) | nk | So Beloved 8/1 | D Tudhope 9-0 |
D O'Meara | 7 |
| 4th | (2) | nk | Mitchum Swagger 3/1 | R L Moore 9-0 |
D R Lanigan | 5 |
| 5th | (4) | nk | Breton Rock (IRE) 11/4f | Andrea Atzeni 9-5 |
D M Simcock | 7 |
| 6th | (1) | 1¾ | That Is The Spirit 16/1 | P Mulrennan 9-0 |
D O'Meara | 6 |
| 7th | (5) | 1½ | Growl 7/1 | G Lee 9-0 |
R A Fahey | 5 |
| 8th | (6) | 2¾ | Dream Walker (FR) 50/1 | B A Curtis 9-0 |
B Ellison | 8 |
| NR | (9) | Hillbilly Boy (IRE) | Non Runner 9-0 |
Tom Dascombe | 7 |
