Princess of Wales's Arqana Racing Club Stakes |
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| Group 2, Newmarket 15:35 £100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1  |
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| Thursday 12th July 2018 | |
1 Best Solution 6/1
2 Mirage Dancer 2/1F
3 Duretto 25/1
7 ran NR: Algometer Distances: ½l, nk, 3¾l
Time: 2m 31.40s (slow by 4.60s)
Best Solution fends off Mirage Dancer in a cracking finish
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Saeed bin Suroor’s Best Solution, last seen finishing fifth in the Dubai Sheema Classic behind Hawkbill, saw the trip out strongly as he held the determined challenge off the well-backed Mirage Dancer.
Having seen Charlie Appleby enjoy Derby and Royal Ascot successes this season for Godolphin, Bin Suroor has been quiet by his standards, but appears to have a Group One horse on his hands once more.
Mirage Dancer stuck at his task gamely having looked in danger of being swallowed up, but he ultimately went down by half a length to the 6-1 winner, ridden by Pat Cosgrave.
“We gave him a break after he finished fifth in Dubai,” said Bin Suroor.
“Today was the race for him, he’d been working well in the morning. There was a question mark about the ground before the race, but when I spoke to the jockey he said the ground was fine for him.
“I told him not to rush early, keep him relaxed, because whatever happens he’ll improve a lot for this.
“I’m always looking for Group One winners, but Group Twos are all right.”
He went on: “After he was fifth in the Sheema Classic, we talked to Sheikh Mohammed and said we would give him a bit of time.
“In Dubai he ran four times and the time he has taken off has helped him. He missed Ascot and today was target for him. The horse was working really well and has improved physically from last year.
“I was just talking to Sheikh Mohammed and it will be the King George or the Irish St Leger (next).
“The horse is doing well and we are happy with him. The last furlong I thought he was going well.
“I’m looking for Group One options overseas in the future. We could also take him to Australia for the Melbourne Cup. Mile-and-a-quarter/mile-and a-half horses run well in that.”
Sir Michael Stoute said of the gallant Mirage Dancer: “It was a good performance, a very game performance. He has run a super race. Going back to a mile and a half suits him. You can do anything with him.
“There are no excuses, he just found one a bit better on the day. The ground doesn’t bother him. I don’t know where we go next, it’s time to think.”
Andrew Balding could look at the Melbourne Cup for third home Duretto.
He said: “I’m very pleased with him. He’s a high-class horse. He is rated 114 and it is a bit insulting he was 25-1, really.
“He’s run a really good race and we will have to look at our Australian options now and work back from that.
“The intention was to win a nice race here (in Europe) and then go to Melbourne. It is an expensive trip and we want to make sure we have the horse of the right sort of calibre, which he seems to be.
“We’ll work back, and he’ll probably have one more run in Europe beforehand.”
Princess Of Wales's Stakes (Group 2)
£100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m 4f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Firm
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (8) | Best Solution (IRE) 6/1 | P Cosgrave 9-6 |
S bin Suroor | 4 | |
| 2nd | (3) | ½ | Mirage Dancer 2/1f | R L Moore 9-6 |
Sir Michael Stoute | 4 |
| 3rd | (6) | nk | Duretto 25/1 | G Lee 9-6 |
A M Balding | 6 |
| 4th | (4) | 3¾ | Muntahaa (IRE) 12/1 | Dane O'Neill 9-6 |
J H M Gosden | 5 |
| 5th | (1) | 1 | Barsanti (IRE) 9/2 | Andrea Atzeni 9-6 |
R Varian | 6 |
| 6th | (7) | 42 | Laraaib (IRE) 9/1 | Jim Crowley 9-6 |
Owen Burrows | 4 |
| 7th | (5) | 11 | Raa Atoll 11/4 | L Dettori 9-6 |
J H M Gosden | 3 |
| NR | (2) | Algometer | James Doyle 9-6 |
D M Simcock | 5 |
