Coolmore Wootton Bassett

Nunthorpe Stakes (Group 1)

THIS flat season has thrown up some curveball results in the big Group 1-level sprints.

Firstly, Khaadem caused an upset in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and just over two months later, Live In The Moment (Adam West/Sean Kirrane) did something similar as the 28/1 shot triumphed in the Group 1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes.

Owned by Steve and Jolene De’Lemos, it’s been less than three weeks since the four-year-old gelding by Prince Of Lir finished a close fourth in the Listed Prix du Cercle at Deauville on Prix Maurice de Gheest day over five furlongs on soft ground.

Yet, back in the UK and on a much quicker surface, he made it a true test of speed from the front to beat last year’s heroine Highfield Princess (John Quinn/Jason Hart) with Bradsell (Archie Watson/Hollie Doyle), this season’s Group 1 King’s Stand victor, back in third.

Flying five

For a while, it looked as if Live In The Dream was providing the 7/5 favourite, Highfield Princess, a dream route through the flying five furlongs of racing as he recorded a 10.22 second and 10.45 second furlong between the one and three-furlong poles.

Yet, when the pressure of the well-supported mare and Bradsell began to build up, Live In The Moment produced his race-winning turn-of-foot to maintain a sub-11-second furlong until the four furlong-pole.

Despite slowing down towards the line, the hard work had already been done, allowing Kirrane to wind up his celebration in time for the winning line.

Draw position

What is key to notice from the result of Friday’s feature race is where the first finishers were drawn.

In order, the first five home were drawn in four, six, nine, three, and seven, with the high draws of Aesop’s Fables in 16, Tees Spirit in 12, and Dramatised in 14 all crossing the line in the final four.

With the likes of the Constantine Handicap over six furlongs and Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes over five furlongs featuring on the final day of action at the York Ebor meeting, middle to low could be the best place to be.

THE anticipation ahead of this year’s Group 2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes was one that has been somewhat missed since the retirement of Stradivarius, injury to Kyprios, and the apparent regression of Trueshan.

Why? Well, six of the seven horses in this year’s line-up had already experienced group-level success in the not-too-distant past and any one of them could have landed the spoils if on their A-game, though it was the Andrew Balding-trained Coltrane (Oisin Murphy) that came out on top.

Sent off as the 11/4 second-favourite, the experienced six-year-old led home a duo of fast-finishing market principals, with 5/2 favourite Courage Mon Ami (John and Thady Gosden/Frankie Dettori) and the well-fancied Giavellotto (Marco Botti/Andrea Atzeni) left to fill out the places.

Comfortable

For a while throughout the extended two-mile trip, Murphy and Coltrane always looked to be in position A as to where they wanted to be.

With the expected theatrics of the front-running Quickthorn (Hughie Morrison/Tom Marquand) almost put on mute at the head of the field, the Mastercraftsman gelding sat fluently in third roughly three lengths off the pace.

With six furlongs to go, Marquand handed Quickthorn an extra inch of the reins to let him stride on around the Knavesmire bend, and although that caused a few to come off the bridle, Coltrane took aim down the centre of the track with his sheepskin noseband scope, fired towards the line, and didn’t see another rival.

Despite his age, Murphy is a firm believer that his mount is progressing and is at the top of his game: “The horse had a bad injury two years ago, but he has come back to the top of his sporting career,” said Murphy. “He’s better now, he’s truly a top-class stayer when we get it right, and today means the world.”

AT the time the starting stalls opened for the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, four of the 10 contenders were priced at 6/1 or shorter in the betting market, yet when they crossed the line 69 seconds later, it was the 18/1 shot Lake Forest (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) that prevailed.

The colt by No Nay Never broke clear down the near side of the track, and despite hanging to his right into the eventual second Johannes Brahms (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore), he kept on strongly to pull clear.

King’s Gamble (Ralph Beckett), an aptly-named horse following his pre-race plunge in the market to 9/2, plugged on well under Daniel Tudhope, but was unable to catch the horse that he beat at Newmarket 21 days prior.

Prior to racing beginning on the Knavesmire, Mick Fitzgerald explained to viewers of ITV Racing that the place to be up the home straight was the centre of the track.

So, when the 10-strong field of juveniles bounded up the middle part of the track, Marquand smartly tucked his mount on the inside shoulder of Johannes Brahms towards the rear, before he made the bold move to come up the stands’ rail.

Almost simultaneously, once Moore gave his horse a nudge to win his race, Marquand began to get busy on Lake Forest and the pair showed a great turn of foot, with Lake Forest just finding the edge.

Strong form

Until we begin to see some of these horses reappear again, it’s hard to tell what the form of this year’s Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes could be, but having seen the front three pull clear of the fourth by two lengths, one would be inclined to suggest these are a good trio of juveniles.

Trainer Haggas will also be hoping for this, highlighting the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 30th as his next target.

There was another Ballydoyle winner in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Convivial Maiden Stakes when Ryan Moore partnered the No Nay Never colt Battle Cry (9/2) to a length and a quarter success.