Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards Challenge Stakes |
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| Group 2, Newmarket 15:00 £120,000 added, 3yo plus, 7f, Class 1  |
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| Friday 11th October 2019 | |
1 Mustashry 2/1
2 Limato 4/1
3 Oh This Is Us 12/1
5 ran Distances: 1¼l, 2¾l, 4l
Time: 1m 24.91s (slow by 2.61s)
The Lockinge winner, Mustashry returns to winning ways, leading from pillar to post to land the G2 Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards Challenge Stakes under @JimCrowley1978 for Sir Michael Stoute 🙌 pic.twitter.com/teMSsYfYhN
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) October 11, 2019
An impressive winner of the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in the spring, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Mustashry had since struggled in both the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Making his first in just over three months, Mustashry was sent off at 2-1 in the hands of Jim Crowley – with his Group One penalty meaning he had to concede upwards of 4lb to each of his four rivals at Group Two level.
The gelded son of Tamayuz was soon bowling along in front and while Limato – winner of this race in each of the past two seasons – did his best to close the gap late on, Mustashry never wilted and denied Henry Candy’s stable stalwart the hat-trick by a length and a quarter.
Angus Gold, racing manager to Mustashry’s owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “After the Eclipse he came back very sore and Michael said it looked bad for a while.
“We thought he might have fractured his pelvis and weirdly they scanned him and there was nothing and he came sound surprisingly quickly.
“They eased their way back into work with him and he has been fine ever since.”
Mustashry finished down the field behind his then-stablemate Expert Eye in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, but a second tilt at the race in Santa Anita next month will be considered.
Gold added: “Whether Sheikh Hamdan lets him go aboard or keeps him for next year is his decision.
“I think he is a very versatile – he can do seven to nine furlongs and possibly even a mile and a quarter.
“He is helped by a fantastic attitude. He loves his work and being back at the races. He is a lovely horse to have. He has had so many problems over his career, but when he is good he is good.
“I’m sure the question will come up about the Breeders’ Cup, but I don’t know as we’ve not discussed it. We had to see how he come back from his last injury and he has come back pretty good.”
Candy said of Limato: “He ran a wonderful race and I’m delighted with him. Ryan (Moore) said he was full of enthusiasm, and that’s all that matters.
“It’s soft enough and that would have slightly blunted his speed, but I don’t think we can use that as an excuse. That’s it for the year now.
“He might not run for seven months and we might wait for the Criterion on the July course and see how he is in the spring. He will be aimed at seven-furlong races just below top class.”
Hot favourite Shine So Bright finished last of all.
Godolphin Stud And Stable Staff Awards Challenge Stakes (Group 2)
£120,000 added, 3yo plus, 7f, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good to Soft
1 (5) Mustashry 9 6 9-8 Sir Michael Stoute Jim Crowley 2/1
2 (1) 1¼ Limato 7 9-3 Henry Candy Ryan Moore 4/1
3 (2) 2¾ Oh This Is Us 6 9-3 Richard Hannon Andrea Atzeni 12/1
4 (4) 4 Solar Gold 4 9-0 William Haggas James Doyle 11/1
5 (3) 2¾ Shine So Bright 3 9-4 Andrew Balding Silvestre De Sousa 6/4F
