bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes |
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| Group 3, Sandown Park 13:50 £65,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 7y, Class 1  |
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| Friday 22nd April 2016 | |
1 My Dream Boat 8/1
2 Western Hymn 4/5F
3 Ayrad 12/1
7 ran Distances: 1¼l, 1¼l, ¾l
TIME 2m 13.14s (slow by 7.64s)
Oustanding ride from Adam Kirby sees Clive Cox's My Dream Boat go from last to first and victory
Adam Kirby weaved his way through on My Dream Boat to win from favourite Western Hymn.
Frankie Dettori took the market-leader to the front two furlongs out in his bid for a second consecutive victory in the race, and for most of the way home, it looked as if he would hold on, despite holding his head at a characteristically awkward angle.
However, having fought off a succession of challengers, he had no answer when Kirby switched his mount between rivals and surged through a well-timed gap to swoop and win going away by a length and a quarter.
Ayrad kept on for third place, the same distance away, with Master Carpenter a fair fourth.
"It got a bit tight, but he was finishing and really running for me," Kirby told Channel 4 Racing. "We had just enough room to get through the gap.
"He's quite an active horse, but I'm really happy with his attitude. He switched off really well, but after he hit a bit of flat spot, he really picked up for me.
"If he keeps on progressing the way he is, then the sky could be the limit."
It was certainly a strong performance by the Clive Cox-trained four-year-old as he'd had to give all his six rivals 3lb for winning a race at this level at Saint-Cloud in early November.
Cox said: "The way he finished off his races in France last year we had the inclination we'd be going a mile and a quarter.
"We also had him in the mile race here today as well as a starting point, but when we looked at the entries we were pleased to take this step, even with a penalty.
"I think he is better with a little ease in the ground and he showed last year he has no problems travelling.
"I think running here with a penalty was a bold step first time over the trip, but he had pleased me at home and that confirms the step in the right direction.
"We'll see how he comes out of it but I don't see why we wouldn't think about coming back (for the Brigadier Gerard).
"I think we're going to have an awful lot of fun with him. It's a thrill to have a horse on such an upward curve and he's a great horse to be involved with."
Bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes
£65,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 2f 7y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (1) | My Dream Boat (IRE) 8/1 | A Kirby 9-3 |
C G Cox | 4 | |
| 2nd | (4) | 1¼ | Western Hymn 4/5f | L Dettori 9-0 |
J H M Gosden | 5 |
| 3rd | (5) | 1¼ | Ayrad (IRE) 12/1 | Andrea Atzeni 9-0 |
R Charlton | 5 |
| 4th | (7) | ¾ | Master Carpenter (IRE) 16/1 | F Tylicki 9-0 |
B R Millman | 5 |
| 5th | (3) | nse | Tullius (IRE) 13/2 | J Fortune 9-0 |
A M Balding | 8 |
| 6th | (2) | 5 | Top Notch Tonto (IRE) 11/1 | B A Curtis 9-0 |
B Ellison | 6 |
| 7th | (6) | 9 | Our Channel (USA) 10/1 | P Cosgrave 9-0 |
W J Haggas | 5 |
