Qipco 1000 Guineas |
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| Group 1, Newmarket £500,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m, Class 1  |
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1 Elmalka 28/1
2
Porta Fortuna 11/1
3 Ramatuelle 9/2
16 ran Distances: nk, shd, ½l
Time: 1m 37.05s (slow by 1.05s)
It's a blowout in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, ELMALKA wins at 28/1! 😮
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) May 5, 2024
Tony Parker's Ramatuelle gave a bold sight but lost it in the final strides and its success instead of Silvestre De Sousa & Roger Varian pic.twitter.com/zt4Bgssa0Q
Elmalka soared to victory, capturing the hearts of racing fans and securing Roger Varian’s first win in the Classic.
After a strong third-place finish in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury, Elmalka once again displayed her prowess, this time over a mile. Guided by former champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa, she made a late surge to clinch the win.
French raider Ramatuelle seemed poised for victory, but Elmalka’s powerful finish left her trailing in the final 50 yards. At odds of 28-1, Elmalka’s triumph was a delightful surprise, with Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna securing second place.
Notably, this victory marked both Varian’s first Classic win on home turf and Brazilian De Sousa’s first British Classic win in his comeback season to UK racing.
Varian said: “It’s not a surprise because I wouldn’t have run her if I didn’t think she’d run well, but you don’t come into these races thinking you’re going to win.
“She ran a big race at Newbury and she was green as grass. Credit to James Doyle as he gave her a super ride that day, he got an education into her and she finished strong. I felt in another 100 yards she might have been a length and a half winner as she was just taking off.
“We weren’t set on running in the Guineas that day, but the turnaround in the filly in the last fortnight has been quite incredible.
“She looked fantastic and she’d worked well. I was in two minds whether to run her as I wanted to do the right thing by the filly, but that’s why we’re here right, to have a go.
He went on: “I was thinking at halfway we weren’t really handling the track, but the further we went I thought she was coming into it, in the dip I thought we’d get a place and in the final 100 yards I did think we’d get there.
“It’s very special to train a Guineas winner for Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, who has supported me all my career and supported Michael Jarvis before me. She’s a homebred filly out of Nahrain, who was my first Group One winner in the first year I trained, winning the Prix de l’Opera.
“I’m delighted for the owner and the team at home who put in so much hard work. It’s a team effort, these things don’t happen by accident and it’s a huge thrill, it hasn’t sunk in.
“You can’t be labelled just as a Leger winner, you need something with a bit of speed, so I’m delighted to have won a Guineas.
“James Doyle will ride the majority of mine when available, unfortunately for James his first priority is with Wathnan Racing and he’s in France today riding for them. Silvestre is not a bad substitute.”
De Sousa said: “I’ve been riding nice horses in the morning for Roger and in the afternoon as well and I’m just delighted with the opportunities that have been given to me.
“I’ve been working hard behind the scenes and I’m still able to do it. I’ve just been working hard and said we’d see how the season goes.
“It’s unbelievable, I’ve been trying to win a Classic for so long, so it’s great to get one.
“Coming down into the dip I could see the horses in front weren’t getting away from me and I hoped when I hit the rising ground she would pick up.
“She’s still a bit green and inexperienced, but she ran a good race at Newbury and she’s just learning. She’s really tough and game.”
Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes
(British Champions Series) (Group 1)
16 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (16) Elmalka 3 9-2 Roger Varian Silvestre De Sousa 28/1
2 (15) nk Porta Fortuna 1 3 9-2 Donnacha O'Brien Tom Marquand 11/1
3 (11) shd Ramatuelle 3 9-2 Christopher Head Aurelien Lemaitre 9/2
4 (4) ½ Tamfana 3 9-2 David Menuisier Jamie Spencer 33/1
5 (12) shd Ylang Ylang 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 5/1
6 (14) 2¼ Rolica 3 9-2 Jane Chapple-Hyam Hollie Doyle 50/1
7 (3) 1¼ Cinderella's Dream 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby Mickael Barzalona 12/1
8 (5) nk Fallen Angel 3 9-2 K R Burke Daniel Tudhope 100/30
9 (13) 2¾ Dance Sequence 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick 13/2
10 (1) 1¾ Pretty Crystal 3 9-2 Richard Fahey Oisin Orr 33/1
11 (8) 1¼ Regal Jubilee 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Kieran Shoemark 28/1
12 (2) 3¾ See The Fire 3 9-2 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 15/2
13 (9) 2¾ Sacred Angel 3 9-2 Charlie Johnston Jason Hart 33/1
14 (6) ½ Darnation 3 9-2 K R Burke Clifford Lee 25/1
15 (10) 1¼ Star Style 3 9-2 Richard Hannon Pat Dobbs 25/1
16 (7) 12 Star Music 3 9-2 Richard Hughes Jim Crowley 150/1
