Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)

THE defection of Lah Ti Dar on the morning of the race weakened the Hardwicke Stakes further after a number of the ante-post favourites swerved the contest.

It still produced a worthy winner with Defoe proving he was full value for his Coronation Cup win by securing the Group 2 prize under Andrea Atzeni for Roger Varian and owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.

It might have been a very different story, however, had the Czech runner, Nagano Gold not been hampered on leaving the stalls, and again as he made his run leaving the home turn, both times by Masar.

With rider Christophe Soumillon looking down shortly after the start, it looked more likely that Nagano Gold would be pulled up than win, but in the end he ran a huge race to be beaten just half a length, with Sir Michael Stoute’s Mirage Dancer a length further back in third.

Southern France started 9/2, but merely showed that he lacks the speed for this trip at the top level in finishing sixth.

The 2019 Derby winner Masar was much better than the bare result after his stumble at the start, and weakened late as if in need of the run after a lengthy absence. He will be dangerous in the King George given the strength of his three-year-old form.

Roger Varian was happy to see Defoe back up his trainer’s him opinion of him on the racecourse, and is looking to the rest of the season and beyond:

“Hopefully, we can bring him back for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes next month. That race has to be on the radar now. He’ll have a break now and we will look forward to running there. Defoe always had a good attitude as a colt and it was the owner’s decision to geld him. As a result, that will probably elongate his career.”