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| Newmarket 1000 Guineas - 6th May 2012 |
Homecoming Queen Blasts Home in QIPCO 1000 Guineas
06/05/12
1 Homecoming Queen 25/1
2 Starscope 33/1
3 Maybe 13/8 Jt Fav
17 ran
Aidan O’Brien became the first man since Fred Darling in 1942 to win both Guineas in the same year on two occasions when Homecoming Queen romped away with the QIPCO 1000 Guineas the day after Camelot took the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. (The trainer won both Guineas in 2005 as well).
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And although the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor, a 25/1 shot, was perceived as the Ballydoyle stable second string behind third-placed 13/8 favourite Maybe, O’Brien emphasised that she was not in the field as pacemaker, despite her trailblazing role.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “She was there running on her merits. She’s a tough, hardy filly with a real pedigree and has been progressive all the way. Perhaps we didn’t expect her to win quite like she did, but it was not a great surprise she did win. Joseph [O’Brien, rider of Maybe] said beforehand that she was the one he feared most.”
The nine-length winning margin of Homecoming Queen, a half-sister to top-class Dylan Thomas, has been exceeded only once in the race, in 1859 by Mayonaise, who beat the nearest of three rivals by 20 lengths.
The QIPCO 1000 Guineas was Homecoming Queen’s 14th race, and her third of this season. “She improved a ton after her first run this year to win at Leopardstown last month,” said O’Brien, “and in the last couple of weeks she’s been after going into a different zone.
“She’s not very big but she’s got a massive engine and a massive heart. She’s fierce determined, she’ll never surrender, she’s got the best of pedigrees and she’s getting better. When you get those things together anything can happen.”
All options are now open for Homecoming Queen and for Maybe, who kept on after chasing the leaders on her seasonal debut.
“We’ll sit down and discuss it all in the next few days,” added O’Brien. “We were delighted with Maybe on that ground first time out. But the Curragh, Ascot and Epsom will all be in the mix.”
Ryan Moore, on Homecoming Queen, found it all straightforward. “The plan was always to jump out and run,” he said. “If something came and caught us, so be it, and if she was good enough to stay in front, so be it again, but maybe I didn’t expect her to win so far. She’s a revved up sort of filly, but the delay at the start didn’t affect her, she was ready to go when she got to the start and stayed just the same.”
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Position |
Horse Trainer |
Jockey Weight |
Starting Price Beaten Distance |
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1 |
Homecoming Queen A P O'Brien |
R L Moore 9st 0lbs |
25 - 1 Winner |
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2 |
Starscope J H M Gosden |
J Fortune 9st 0lbs |
33 - 1 9 lengths |
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3 |
Maybe A P O'Brien |
J P O'Brien 9st 0lbs |
13 - 8 1 length |
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4 |
The Fugue J H M Gosden |
William Buick 9st 0lbs |
22 - 1 3/4 length |
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5 |
La Collina K Prendergast |
D P McDonogh 9st 0lbs |
25 - 1 3/4 length |
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6 |
Alla Speranza J S Bolger |
K J Manning 9st 0lbs |
28 - 1 Short Head |
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7 |
Lily's Angel R A Fahey |
P Hanagan 9st 0lbs |
50 - 1 1/2 length |
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8 |
Laugh Out Loud M R Channon |
G Mosse 9st 0lbs |
50 - 1 Short Head |
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9 |
Nayarra M R Channon |
Martin Dwyer 9st 0lbs |
50 - 1 Neck |
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10 |
Sunday Times P W Chapple-Hyam |
J P Spencer 9st 0lbs |
100 - 1 2 1/4 lengths |
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11 |
Diala W J Haggas |
E Ahern 9st 0lbs |
14 - 1 6 lengths |
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12 |
Mashoora J C Rouget |
C Soumillon 9st 0lbs |
13 - 2 1/2 length |
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13 |
Lightening Pearl G M Lyons |
J P Murtagh 9st 0lbs |
20 - 1 3 1/2 lengths |
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14 |
Radio Gaga E S McMahon |
R Mullen 9st 0lbs |
100 - 1 9 lengths |
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15 |
Moonstone Magic R M Beckett |
Jim Crowley 9st 0lbs |
13 - 2 14 lengths |
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16 |
Discourse M Al Zarooni |
M Barzalona 9st 0lbs |
10 - 1 44 lengths |
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17 |
Lyric Of Light M Al Zarooni |
L Dettori 9st 0lbs |
8 - 1 7 lengths |
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NonRunner |
Gray Pearl C Hills |
M Hills 9st 0lbs |
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Joseph O’Brien, third on 13/8 favourite Maybe and stable companion of the winner, said: “She jumped out of the stalls well and I had a nice position.
“They went a right good gallop and I was travelling well in race but she just got a bit tired in the soft ground.”
GOSDEN PLEASED WITH CLASSIC RUNS
Newmarket trainer John Gosden saddled the second and fourth in today’s QIPCO 1000 Guineas, Starscope and The Fugue.
He said: “They have both run great but full marks to Ryan (Moore for his ride on the winner Homecoming Queen).
“It was a good-class race. Starscope finished really strongly to be second, while The Fugue had a lovely position but got badly struck into on her off-hind and lost her position - went a long way back - and then has run on again. We will get the vet to look at that.
“The Fugue ran a great race and was probably unlucky not to be closer - it was pretty rough out there. The winner has done it well in a good time.
“We are thrilled with both of them. They both ran at the end of last season on the same day in maidens here. They both ran great then and have since trained well. Starscope ran well in the Nell Gwyn while The Fugue has only raced once before today.
“Both these fillies want further.”
Jimmy Fortune, the rider of the Starscope, added: “She has run a real good race but I never saw the winner! A few of us might of thought she was a pacemaker!
“It was only the third run for Starscope - she likes the ground and stays well.”
William Buick partnered The Fugue: “I was very happy with her. She has run really well and must have been the most inexperienced runner in the field.
“It was a rough race early - the ground was not ideal for her but she will step up from here and improve throughout the whole season.”
REACTIONS AFTER THE QIPCO 1000 GUINEAS
Paul Hanagan, who partnered the seventh Lily’s Angel, said: “Not many excuses really. She ran really well - the delay at the start didn’t help. We were a long time down there.”
Johnny Murtagh, rider of the 13th home Lightening Pearl, said: “I fell in behind the winner and she quickened and I didn’t. I didn’t get much of a feel today.”
Ger Lyons, trainer of Lightening Pearl, added: “We learnt nothing from that. She carried us well to the six pole but then nothing. If we had gone well to the seven pole, we would have learnt something.
“You can’t say she didn’t stay - I just think she ran too rank for that. I didn’t like the way she was sweating in the paddock before the start and then the delay at the start didn’t help, but that was the same for everybody.
“I just don’t think I have learnt anything and I don’t think the ground helped. If the Irish Guineas stays dry, we will have a go at that. The one thing she is, is honest. If we have to bring her back to six (furlongs) later on, how bad is that?”
Jim Crowley, rider of the 15th Moonstone Magic, said: “She was a little bit disappointing. I was outpaced from the word go and it was quite rough.
“She is still quite in-experienced but she didn’t really finish her race, I think she is a lot better than that. May be stepping up to Group One and the fast pace has caught her out a little bit.”
Frankie Dettori, on the 17th home, Lyric Of Light, said: “The ground was against her.”
GRAY PEARL
It is with great sadness that Newmarket Racecourses reports that Gray Pearl had to be put down prior to the start of the QIPCO 1000 Guineas.
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Hammond confirmed: “Gray Pearl went down in the stalls and incurred an injury in the process.
“On examination by the racecourse vet, it became evident that she had lost the use of her hind legs and was suffering from an apparent spinal chord injury.
“To minimise distress to the filly, a decision was made to have her put down on welfare grounds.
“This decision was taken after consultation between myself and the racecourse vet.”
Amy Starkey, managing director of Newmarket Racecourses, said: “We are extremely saddened by what happened to Gray Pearl. Our sympathies are with all the connections of the filly.”
TURFTRAX FACTS - THE QIPCO 1000 GUINEAS
The winner Homecoming’s Queen top speed during the QIPCO 1000 Guineas was 39 miles per hour between the seven-furlong pole and five-furlong marker.
Her speed slowed to 34 miles per hour in the last three furlongs but her last three sectionals of 12.32s, 12.60s and 13.82s were faster those of any other in the race
She led all the way and her fastest time for a furlong was 11.52s from the seven-furlong pole to the six-furlong marker.
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