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Channon Vindicated with Group One Success for Music Show
07/07/10

1 Music Show 13/2
2 Spacious 9/1
3 Rainfall 15/2

After a string of unfortunate efforts which has seen Music Show finish sixth in the StanJames.com 1000 Guineas, third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and fourth in the Coronation Stakes, the Noverre filly finally gained a deserved Group One victory when taking the £185,000 Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes in the colours of Jaber Abdullah.

Music Show
© racing-images.co.uk

The Mick Channon-trained filly, returned at 13/2, was partnered by Richard Hughes, who delivered a perfectly-timed challenge down the outside to take up running inside the final furlong and score by two lengths from Spacious.

“At last!” was Channon’s initial reaction.

He continued: “She deserved it. Today was the best fillies’ race of the year and she has won it well.

“I was angry after her run at Royal Ascot. I am not blaming anyone, but she just never got a run that day. She was 15 lengths behind at one stage but was only beaten four lengths in the end.

“In the Irish Guineas, she was wide all the way through the race and always had daylight. Today everything went to plan as we were able to get some cover and take our time. Candy Morris, Ryan Moore’s aunt, rides her in her work and we knew she was in good form. To get some cover and come from behind is the best way to ride her.

“Today we have beaten the winner of the English and French Guineas and the Coronation Stakes winner - we have beaten everything that has beaten her before. She has to be the best three-year-old filly in the country. I have never had any doubts about her. It is just annoying when you know that you have a good horse which gets beaten. You press people wrote her off, trying to tell me she was only a Group Two filly.

“It will be up to Jaber where she goes next, but targets for her could include the Matron Stakes and Prix Rothschild. We could take on Goldikova - she’s the top dog but let’s have a go. That’s what racing is about.”

Richard Hughes, completing a 15.8/1 double following his previous success on Memory in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes, added: “The only difference between this race and the last one was that they went nice and fast so I knew that they were going to stop. She has done it very well.

“She has had no luck in running in her races - I have been watching her - and she went quite wide at Ascot from a bad draw but she was very good today.

“I followed Frankie’s horse (Rainfall) and she travelled really well.

“Mick said she had a huge chance today, she just needs some cover and to come late.

“When Frankie’s filly started to get tired, I thought it would be safer to just come round her.

“She was a fair way behind at one point, but she travelled so well I wasn’t worried.”

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Music Show M R Channon	R Hughes 8st 10lbs	13 - 2 Winner
2	Spacious J R Fanshawe	K Fallon 9st 5lbs	9 - 1 2 lengths
3	Rainfall M Johnston	L Dettori 8st 10lbs	15 - 2 3/4 length
4	Strawberrydaiquiri Sir Michael Stoute	R L Moore 9st 5lbs	6 - 1 1 length
5	Lillie Langtry A P O'Brien	J P Murtagh 8st 10lbs	9 - 4 1 3/4 length
6	Gile Na Greine J S Bolger	K J Manning 8st 10lbs	16 - 1 7 lengths
7	Special Duty Mme C Head-Maarek	T P Queally 8st 10lbs	3 - 1 8 lengths
8	Lahaleeb G A Butler	William Buick 9st 5lbs	33 - 1 21 lengths

SECOND & THIRD HAPPY

The second home Spacious is most consistent and improved a place from her third in this race last year. The five-year-old Nayef mare, owned by Cheveley Park Stud and trained by James Fanshawe in Newmarket, led under Kieren Fallon until headed by the winner Music Show inside the final furlong and went down by two lengths.

Fanshawe said: “She ran very well and I am not at all frustrated. Kieren gave her a great ride - there were no excuses - she ran a very good race. She has finished in front of some very good fillies today.

“It is great to have her in the yard. I will probably give her break now and have a look at going to the Matron Stakes at the beginning of September (Group One, Leopardstown, September 4, 1m).”

The third was Mark Johnston-trained three-year-old Oasis Dream filly Rainfall, partnered by Frankie Dettori who said: “She tried really hard and I cannot say anything bad about her - it was a good effort.”

Johnston added: “You could not have predicted the result. We said we were shooting slightly in the dark as it was a big jump up in class for her. But she deserved to run in a Group One and is clearly a Group One filly. Her next run will be at Group One level too. It could be the Prix d’Astarte (now the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on August 1 - Group One 1m), depending on how she comes out of this race.”

Special Duty finished a disappointing seventh. Her rider Tom Queally said: “She ran too bad to be true. She never travelled. She ran OK until half-way and then found nothing. I just took my foot off the accelerator just in case there was something amiss. Nothing jumps out as a problem - it was just too bad to be true.”