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Ascot 2:00, 5f Conditions (2) |
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| Horse | SP | [EST] | Run | Wnr | Trainer | Dw | Hf | Run Notes | ||||
| 1 | Miss Work Of Art | 5 | 70 | 2 | m/L | R. A. Fahey | 1 | BOk Wd, Ngl Erl STTR, 2R+1f Ngl, Resp+1.5f, SPrg-2f+, Eff-2f, PO, Chal-1f, Ld-0.5f, PO to Ln | ||||
| 2 | Magic City | 0.25 | 70 | 2 | m | R. Hannon | 3 | B1, H-1 Erl, XF+1f, IncrPc-2f+, Eff-2f, PO, Chalgd-1f+, PO & Duel, Hdd-0.5f+, Po Lt | ||||
| 3 | Dawn Lightning | 25 | 48 | 3 | a | A. J. McCabe | 4 | LdgPr Erl, H-1 +1f Allow XFr, SwcR+1.5f Ln1, Dv-2f+, SOutpcd-2f, po to Ln | ||||
| 4 | Ewell Place | 50 | 41 | 1 | R. A. Mills | 5 | Unst Jk AP Design, Canter 3f & back, B-1 RL SInx P-1, Rsp+0.5f, Ngl+1.5f, InxOv, Eff-2f SOutpcd, Hmp-1.5f RL, Esd ins-1f | |||||
| WD | The Penny Horse | 12 | v | J. S. Moore | 2 | WD AP = Calm until tried to Load into Stalls then Fractious & Pulling away, Unst Jk x 1, Tried Hooded but no better. | ||||||
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Stalls on Stands' rail. Watering to produce GFG but no details on the BHA website. Stiff wind on the day as a half tailwind from the right. Newcomer Ewell Place looked an awkward bastard and knows what he is doing. Unseated the jockey AP and the way he dipped before propping up and then adding a twist to make staying on impossible suggested this was part of his repertoire. Then cantered up the far rail, dodging the flag man, and aiming a vague flying kick at The Penny Horse as that one went past (well away from EP). Turned back because no-one to annoy and jogged back to the start and took 60+ secs to catch as he dodged between horses. MWOA notably calm as he used her to dodge around, and sniff at. TPH noted as being a dificult horse at home by the trainer in interview after his debut win. Hanging there and not straightforward. No obvious problem here until they tried to load him into the stalls. Then pulling away from the stalls and spinning around. Jockey off at one point and eventually horse tried hooded but carried on with same antics .Others waiting for him by now and starter let them go having had enough of waiting and no sign of him getting any nearer the stalls. Trainer Hannon had 32 losers, all ages, at Ascot since his last winner there 9 month ago. Hannon's record with 2yos at Ascot in 2010 was 3-26 with Zebedee winning this race and Memory & Strong Suit winning at the Royal Meeting. He was 0-17 after the Royal Meeting including 2 x beaten odds-ons favourites and another at 6/5. 2009 record was 2 from 26 with both winners at the Royal meeting. Record after the Royal meeting 0-17 with just 2 x places in small fields. Planet Red a NR in 2009 in this race. 2008 record 2-28 with Free Agent winning at the Royal Meeting and Penny's gift the Watership Down sales race in September. Sun Ship 3rd in this race as 3/1 2nd favourite. Hannon record in race 2002-7 = Won in 2002 with Rockets 'N Rollers (5/2), 4th of 4 in 2003 with Mac The Knife (10/3), 2nd of 6 in 2004 with Cornus (EvF), 2005-6 = Ascot closed in April/May, 2007 = Fat Boy 7th of 8 as 2/1 fav. Magic City a little disappointing here and ridden slightly differently. You would imagine the connections would have thought he raced too freely FTO after getting the jump on jockey Hughes early on. The horse effectively wound the pace up by halfway there himself and started hanging left and then went left more when asked to make his final effort inside 2f out. But went 3-4L clear of the best of the 2R during this and then able to see the race out well enough on a flat 5.1f. Why did he look less good here? Probably a mix of reasons all having some impact. Held up more here and only 1.5L clear of the fillies in 2nd-3rd through halfway. No winding of the pace here and instead asked to make an immediate effort 2f out. Not look as good ridden that way and not putting much distance into DL initially and MWOA able to close up towards him. Able to respond to the filly when challenged and roll clear with her but not finishing the race off fully and losing ground at the finish. Uphill 5f here and not allowed to roll along here. Perhaps better to use his pace to put pressure on the others. Interesting to compare him to Zebedee who won this last year and ran his races entirely differently. He had a 2-3L extra zip effort in the last 1f so he could be held up for a Stalk & Pounce effort. The quality of the field he beat at Newbury has not been properly tested yet and perhaps not that strong. Pitt Rivers runs tomorrow and how he copes with the zippy filly Always Ends Well will give some further clue. Hannon junior still talking about him as their Norfolk Stakes 2yo for Royal Ascot afterwards and may go to the (uphill) National Stakes next. Worth also noting that the stable's record in the race is mixed and peaking for Ascot races other than at the Royal meeting not obvious. They seem to prefer Goodwood. [Update 30/4/11 :- Hannon on his website - "It was disappointing to see Magic City beaten in the two-year-old race. He had clocked a fast time when winning at Newbury but never showed the same early speed here. However, he probably bumped into a decent filly in Miss Work of Art, who was receiving 5lb, so we'll try and avoid her and maybe take in the National Stakes at Sandown en route to the Norfolk at the Royal meeting."] UPDATE 8th May on Hannon Website = "the majority share in Magic City, so impressive at the last Newbury meeting but who came back with sore shins when subsequently beaten at Ascot, has been sold by David Barker to Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson." Another factor which Hannon also alluded to was that they might have run into a good filly in MWOA. She looked best on debut in the last 1f and powering clear late on after some inexperience. Similar here with the odd niggle following the pace but learned quickly and a solid effort to close up to MC and going way at the finish. Jockey Hanagan rode another by FSS Dutch Art yesterday in Monnoyer who won well and seemed to impress him. This filly looks similar and another with some good range and athleticism to her movement. Early signs for the sire seem positive. Ran close to Listed class win level here and can improve her professionalism and ought to stay 6f. EPlace clearly a nuisance by a solid size and type. Able to follow the pace to after halfway with some niggling and responding to close up to DL around 1.5f out when hampered when aiming for a gap between that smaller filly and the rail. Jockey did not persist afterwards. Attitude needs checking but solid physical type. |