 MOTIVATOR BECOMES FIRST SYNDICATE OWNED CLASSIC WINNER
Motivator, running for the 230-member Royal Ascot Racing Club, created history
in becoming the first syndicate-owned winner of a British Classic when romping
home to a brilliant five-length success in the Vodafone Derby.
4.20pm THE 2005 VODAFONE DERBY
Class 1, Group One, £1,250,000 guaranteed. For 3yo, 1m 4f 10y. Weights:
colts 9st; fillies 8st 11lb. Penalty Values: 1st: £725,000; 2nd: £275,000;
3rd: £137,500; 4th: £62,500; 5th: £31,250; 6th: £18,750
1) MOTIVATOR (The Royal Ascot Racing Club) Michael Bell 3-9-00 Johnny Murtagh
[5] 3/1 Fav
2) WALK IN THE PARK (Michael Tabor) John Hammond FR t1 3-9-00 Alan Munro [12]
11/1
3) DUBAWI (Godolphin) Saeed bin Suroor 3-9-00 Frankie Dettori [4] 5/1
4) FRACAS (Joseph Joyce) David Wachman IRE 3-9-00 Jamie Spencer [13]
5) GYPSY KING (Sue Magnier) Aidan O'Brien IRE 3-9-00 Kieren Fallon [3]
6) HATTAN (Saeed Manana) Clive Brittain 3-9-00 Seb Sanders [8]
7) UNFURLED (Heather Slade) John Dunlop 3-9-00 Ryan Moore [14]
8) THE GEEZER (Jeff Smith) David Elsworth 3-9-00 Richard Quinn [9]
9) GRAND CENTRAL (Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor) Aidan O'Brien IRE 3-9-00
Jimmy Fortune [7]
10) ORATORIO (Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor) Aidan O'Brien IRE 3-9-00 Michael
Kinane [10]
11) KINGS QUAY (John May) Richard Hannon 3-9-00 Dane O'Neill [1]
12) ALMIGHTY (Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor) Aidan O'Brien IRE 3-9-00 Pat
Smullen [6]
13) KONG (Neil Jones) John Dunlop 3-9-00 Richard Hughes [11]
13 ran Non-Runner: First Row (withdrawn not under starter’s
order)
Breeder: Deerfield Farm Breeding: b c Montjeu (IRE) - Out West (USA) (Gone
West (USA))
Time: 2m 35.69s Dist: 5, 3, 1, 1 1/2, 3, hd, 1 3/4, 2, 8, 2, 3/4, 14
Tote Win: £4.20 Places: £1.50; £3.00; £2.50 Exacta: £53.90
THE WINNER OF THE 226th VODAFONE DERBY - THE 3/1 FAVOURITE
- MOTIVATOR (IRE) FACTFILE - The five-length winner 2m 35.69s
3 b c Montjeu (IRE) - Out West (USA) (Gone West (USA))
Owner: The Royal Ascot Racing Club Breeder: Deerfield Farm
Form: 11-11 Trainer: Michael Bell Jockey: Johnny Murtagh
Motivator
Bred at Deerfield Farm near Newmarket and a 75,000 guineas yearling purchase
from Tattersalls, Motivator is by 1999 French and Irish Derby and Prix de
l’Arc de Triomphe winner Montjeu and remains unbeaten after three starts.
He was soon clear when winning a Newmarket maiden by six lengths from Sunday
Symphony on his debut in August of last year before stepping up to the highest
level in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster two months later, staying
on strongly to justify favouritism by two and a half lengths from Albert
Hall. Motivator was a leading fancy for the UltimatePoker.com 2000 Guineas
at Newmarket on April 30 but, after working on April 12 over a mile on the
summer gallop at Newmarket, where he pulled around six lengths clear of Cool
Panic, connections decided to bypass the first British classic. This was
because they felt that he was a mile and a quarter/mile and a half horse
in the making. It proved a wise decision as Motivator won on his seasonal
reappearance in the Group 2 totesport Dante Stakes at York over an extended
10 furlongs on May 12, coming home a length and a half clear of The Geezer
despite hanging to the right in the final furlong. Johnny Murtagh has committed
himself to an association with the three-year-old throughout the season and
it was only on Wednesday after the Jockey Club reduced a ban he had received
that Murtagh was able to take the Vodafone Derby ride. He wins the Vodafone
Derby easily. Race Record: Runs: 4; 1st: 4; 2nd: -; 3rd: -. Win and Place
Prize Money: £933,904
The Royal Ascot Racing Club
The Royal Ascot Racing Club came into being towards the end of 1997 and was
the brainchild of Harry Herbert who manages its horses. The idea of having
luxurious facilities open to a limited number of members plus horses was
taken up by Ascot Racecourse. Herbert is also managing director of Highclere
Thoroughbred Racing, the most successful racehorse multiple ownership operation
in Europe. The Royal Ascot Racing Club has a current membership of 230, with
a joining fee of £6,000 and an annual subscription of £4,700
(plus VAT in both cases) paid last year. The club had exclusive facilities
at Ascot and continues despite the Berkshire racecourse being closed for
complete redevelopment - there is no subscription this year and members pay
if they want to use special facilities at Royal Ascot at York and at Epsom
for the Vodafone Derby. The Club had its first runners in 1998 with half
a dozen two-year-olds selected by Harry Herbert’s brother-in-law John
Warren and trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, Sir Michael Stoute and Richard
Hannon. The Royal Ascot Racing Club includes some well-known figures like
Lord Lloyd-Webber, Simon Cowell, Sir Clement Freud, Ken Bates, Chris Gent,
Mel Smith, Lord Vestey, Chris Wright and prominent owners such as Peter Deal
and Terry Neill. Brancaster was the Club’s first successful horse and
he won the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury and the following year
ran in two classics, finishing fourth in the 2000 Guineas before coming 10th
in the Vodafone Derby. Siege was also in the first crop of horses, coming
second in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot and was also runner-up in
the Magnet Cup at York. He was then sold for a significant amount of money
to Sheikh Mohammed and went on to win a Group Three in Dubai. Bannister won
the 2000 Gimcrack Stakes (Group Two) at York, while Revenue took the Windsor
Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2002. Tacitus was beaten half a length in
the Group Three July Stakes at Newmarket and came fourth in an Italian Group
One in 2002, while Supremacy won a Listed race at Ascot in 2003. The Michael
Bell-trained Motivator won the 2004 Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster
last year and made a winning seasonal debut in the Group Two totesport Dante
Stakes. He now has the members dreaming of glory in the Vodafone Derby. The
Royal Ascot Racing Club has had six black-type performers carry its colours
from 25 horses. The three horses racing this year for the Club are Motivator,
Geometric with Richard Hannon and Vanish with David Loder. Vodafone Derby
runners: Brancaster (1999 10th); MOTIVATOR (2005 WON)
Michael Bell
Born in Bristol on October 10, 1960, Michael Bell caught the racing bug when
at Stowe school, spending part of one holiday working for trainer Henry Candy,
with whom his parents had horses. After school he prepared yearlings at the
Haras d’Etreham in Normandy and then spent three years in the Life
Guards, during which time he began riding as an amateur - winning five races,
including aboard Ten Cherries at Sandown’s Grand Military meeting.
After the army, he spent two-and-a-half years as assistant trainer to Mercy
Rimell and three years in the same role with Paul Cole. In 1988, his final
season with Cole, Pass The Peace, carrying the colours of Brian Bell, Michael’s
father, won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. The Alzao filly,
who had cost just 9,500 guineas as a yearling, provided Bell with his first
winner as a trainer in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury on April 14, 1989.
Since then his major successes include the 1994 Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville
with Hoh Magic, the 1993 Italian 1,000 Guineas with Ancestral Dancer, the
1994 Mill Reef Stakes with Princely Hush and the 2001 Italian Oaks with Zanzibar.
His biggest recent triumphs have come courtesy of Motivator in last year’s
Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and this year’s Dante Stakes at York,
Nevisian Lad in the TNT July Stakes at Newmarket in 2003 and Revenue in the
Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot the previous year. He saddled Housemaster
for a Highclere Thoroughbred Racing syndicate to finish fourth in the 1999
Vodafone Derby, going down by three lengths to Oath. He currently has around
100 horses in training at his Fitzroy House Stables just off Newmarket High
Street. Vodafone Derby Record: 1995 Maralinga (15th); 1999 Housemaster (4th);
MOTIVATOR (2005 WON)
Johnny Murtagh
Born in Co Meath, Ireland, on May 14, 1970, Johnny Murtagh, who is married
to Orla with two children, was apprenticed to John Oxx and became Irish champion
apprentice in 1989. Weight problems forced him to relinquish his position
as stable jockey to Oxx but Murtagh overcame those difficulties and in 1993
finished runner-up in the Irish jockeys’ championship. In 1995, he
became Irish champion jockey and has since gained international prominence,
riding in Dubai during the winter (where he has been champion rider), winning
the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Ridgewood Pearl and the following year’s
Beverly D Stakes on Timarida. He enjoyed a phenomenal international season
in 2000, winning 12 Group Ones in six different countries, partnering Sinndar
to victory in both the Vodafone Derby and Irish Derby and the Prix de l’Arc
de Triomphe, winning the Irish Oaks, Yorkshire Oaks and Prix de l’Opera
on Petrushka and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup
Turf on Kalanisi among others. He was the most successful rider at Royal
Ascot in 2001 with five wins, including the Gold Cup on Royal Rebel and St
James’s Palace Stakes on Black Minnaloushe, aboard whom he also won
the 2002 Irish 2,000 Guineas. He won the 2002 2000 Guineas for Aidan O’Brien
on Sir Alex Ferguson’s Rock Of Gibraltar and landed a second Vodafone
Derby aboard what again seemed the O’Brien second string, High Chaparral.
In 2003 he won the Budweiser Irish Derby on Alamshar and took a break in
the summer to sort out problems with his back and weight. He relinquished
his position as stable jockey to John Oxx in 2004 and had a short-lived spell
as stable jockey to David Loder. But, now principally riding for James Fanshawe,
he is enjoying an excellent run as a freelance, landing a Group 1 treble
aboard Soviet Song last year. Vodafone Derby Record: 1996 Double Leaf (10th);
1998 Sunshine Street (4th); 1999 All The Way (5th); 2000 SINNDAR; 2001 Dilshaan
(7th); 2002 HIGH CHAPARRAL (WON); 2003 Alamshar (3rd); 2004 Salford City
(5th); MOTIVATOR (2005 WON) |
