Soldier's Tale thwarts 'Takeover' in Golden Jubilee
By Tom Krish

Jun 25, 2007

The word 'firm' was abandoned on Saturday, the fifth and final day at Royal Ascot. The going was 'good' and a downpour just before the featured Golden Jubilee Stakes turned 'good' to 'soft.' The soft ground may have contributed to Miss Andretti's failure in the Golden Jubilee.

Maze started off the proceedings with a neck victory in the Chesham Stakes. Royston French was the winning jockey. The time was 1:29.28 for the seven-furlong trip. Maze, 11-2, won over Pegasus Again and Feared In Flight, the 15-8 favorite, salvaged third.

The next race was the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over 12 furlongs. Scorpion, the Coronation Cup hero at Epsom Downs, was the 10-8 on favorite. Maraahel, third in the Coronation Cup, drifted from 9-4 to 10-3 as betting progressed. Maraahel, second in 2005 and the winner of the Hardwicke in 2006, was getting a pull in weights over Scorpion. Maraahel raced away from the lead, made a strong brush with three furlongs to go to hit the front and kept the hard-charging Scorpion at bay. The latter tracked the pace-setter, was passed by the winner turning for home, made a sustained bid and could not find a chink in the winner's armor. 

Soldier's Tale wins the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Ascot

Maraahel won by 1/2 length in 2:35.47 seconds. Richard Hills was the winning rider. Maraahel earned 79,500 pounds.

Maraahel was winning his third race in four starts this year. Maraahel's owner is Sheikh Hamdan whose racing manager, Angus Gold said, "he's a gem of a horse. He has saved our Ascot two years running. He may go next in the King George."

Sir Michael Stoute, Maraahel's trainer, was delighted. "He just missed in a Group 1 in the Juddmonte last year. He must take his chances in a Group 1, the King George. He can win at the highest level."

Scorpion's trainer Aidan O'Brien was not disappointed. "Scorpion ran a stormer. He was getting there. He was carrying a Group 1 penalty. That was a sound run. We have not decided where he'll go next."

Miss Andretti was 2-1 in the 21-horse field in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs. The rain preceding the race may have dampened the enthusiasm of Miss Andretti's supporters but not a whole lot. However, the favorite was a shadow of what she was on Tuesday when winning the King's Stand Stakes. She was beaten a long way from home. The race went to Soldier's Tale, a Jeremy Noseda pupil, ridden by Johnny Murtagh at 9-1. A head behind in second place was Takeover Target, the 2006 King's Stand winner and fourth in the 2007 renewal. Miss Andretti finished 15th. The time was 1:14.51 seconds. Soldier's Tale's share of the purse was 198,730 pounds.

Jeremy Noseda, Soldier's Tale's trainer, was ecstatic. "He has been a brave horse. He has gone through so much-surgery and fracture and what not! It's a miracle he lived, let alone race."

Johnny Murtagh, the winning jockey paid a tribute to his mount's resolve. "I knew six furlongs was my limit. I thought I may have taken the lead sooner than I wanted but my horse responded bravely when I asked him."

Lee Freedman, Miss Andretti's trainer, made a short statement. "The rain before the race did not help. She came off the bridle very early probably because of the ground."

The fourth race was the Wokingham Stakes over six furlongs. Twenty six ran. Dark Missile, in the hands of William Buick, was a neck better than Intrepid Jack who was 1 1/2 lengths in front of Balthazar's Gift. The winner was 22-1 and the time was 1:14.91 seconds.

The next race was the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes over 1 1/2 miles and it produced an exciting finish. Graham Gibbons steered Pevensey, at 8-1, to a head win over Solent who was a short-head in front of Hitchcock. The time was 2:36.64.

The Queen Alexandra Stakes, the finale, was over 2 miles and 5 1/2 furlongs. It is the longest flat race in England. Baddam, the winner in 2006, was defending his title. He was swept off his feet by Enjoy The Moment, a 6-1 shot. The winning margin was three lengths. The time was 4 minutes 56.25 seconds. Twelve ran.

Another memorable Royal Ascot and the most special moment was when Yeats won the Gold Cup for the second year running. Maraahel made it back to back in the Hardwicke. Miss Andretti's sensational win in the King's Stand cannot be forgotten. Manduro's dominance in the Prince of Wales vaulted him to the top of the world rankings. Jimmy Fortune's five-bagger made him the leading jockey. He said, "you come to these big meetings hoping to have one winner. Winning five is spectacular."

In Paris on Sunday, at Saint Cloud, Mountain High won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud. Kieren Fallon was the winning jockey. He was 12 to 1 in the French tote. Second was the strongly fancied Mandesha who had skipped the Prince of Wales to go in the Grand Prix. It is significant to point out that Mountain High was beaten by Maraahel in a photo in the Hardwicke Stakes in 2006.

In news from America, Invasor, the highest rated horse in the world, has been retired. Invasor won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2006. He won the Dubai World Cup in March 2007. He had 7.8 million dollars in earnings. The five year-old son of Candy Stripes was training for the Grade I Suburban Handicap in New York. Invasor, according to Kiaran McLaughlin, the trainer, fractured the top of his right hind seasamoid- a bone in the ankle area he had injured in the past. Invasor won 11 races from 12 starts. Invasor's sole loss was in the 2006 UAE Derby won by Discreet Cat. One of Invasor's victims in the World Cup this year was Discreet Cat.

As our focus shifts to Dublin, Ireland, I will make an attempt to see Colm O'Donoghue and Niall McCallagh at the Curragh. I will ask some questions and get some answers. Curragh in Kildare County is the mecca of the horse breeding industry. The Irish Derby is on Sunday, July 1. The other Group 1 event is the Pretty Polly Stakes. Three programs of high class racing and I am looking forward to it.