Kingsgate Native gives England only Group I win
By Tom Krish

London. June 22, 2008

Royal Ascot came to an end on Saturday. So many angles and so many stories and just being at Ascot has been a dream fulfilled for me. The biggest crowd of the week showed up on the last day of the meeting. The official count was 70,675. The total attendance over five days was 287,876 and up from 275.090 from 2007. There is no question that the appeal of Royal Ascot transcends factors that would normally affect attendances and handle (money bet) at racecourses.

Saturday’s rain stopped well before the six-race card began at 2 30 P M. The track was called firm to good and firm in places. As the horses came down the homestretch, one could see pieces of turf flying off the hooves. There was some ‘give’ but ‘soft’ would not have been the appropriate word. Jockeys and trainers walked the course to get a feel.

Saturday became extra special and a day to remember. Free Agent won a race for Her Majesty the Queen. Free Agent, ridden by Richard Hughes and trained by Richard Hannon, was the 7-2 joint favourite with Seaway in the 1400-metre Chesham Stakes, the first race.

Free Agent was in the rear after a bit of trouble at the start. Jockey Hughes, showing commendable composure, took time, let his mount settle down and scythed through the field in the last 400 metres to win going away. Seaway, the joint favourite was second.

Trainer Richard Hannon confirmed that there is a Derby entry for Free Agent. There was a quote of 33-1 for Free Agent’s chances in next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Richard Hughes was asked by the BBC what the Queen had told him. “She was very gracious. Winning at Royal Ascot is special and winning for the Queen is very special,” Hughes replied.

“There was concern about the ground but my colt floated to the post. That gave me a good feel. I was squeezed at the start forcing me to stay in the rear. I knew we could do it. Once he found his rhythm, he ran on.”

The Queen was in a dark blue (looked like purple) dress and came down the paddock. She walked up to Free Agent and tapped the colt and walked back a few steps. It was a moving sight.

Friday had been a quiet day for John Murtagh and Aidan O’Broen. All that changed on Saturday. MacArthur was the 11-8 rage in the Hardwicke Stakes over 2400 metres. Shanin called the tune and Multidimensional raced second. Murtagh kept MacArthur in fourth place. There was no change in the order until the last turn. Ted Durcan took Multidimensional to the front with 400 metres left and had a two-three length advantage as MacArthur was set alight by John Murtagh. There was a response but Multidimensional was not giving up. Murtagh had to dig deep and MacArthur began giving more. In the shadow of the wire. the Aidan O’Brien colt got up and the margin was a neck.

The Hardwicke win gave jockey Murtagh his fifth Royal Ascot win. “MacArthur likes a strong pace. I had good position. He quickened well. The more I wanted, the more he gave,’  Murtagh said.

Part owner Michael Tabor was pleased. “He (MacArthur) is a very good horse. Johnny gave him a great ride and that is what won it.”

As a two year-old, Kingsgate Native had won the Nunthorpe Stakes last year. As a strongly fanced runner in the Prix L’Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc day, Kingsgate Native was runner-up to Benbaun in that Group I race. At Ascot, he had run in the King’s Stand. In Saturday’s Golden Jubilee, Kingsgate Native had few friends at 33-1. Seb Sanders was aboard and the trainer was J R Best who had won with Flashmans Papers, a 100-1 chance, on Tuesday.

Kingsgate Native broke alertly and stayed with the front group as they reached the 400-metre point. War Artist and Takeover Target were in the mix. As they came to the line, Kingsgate Native had hit the front and running on and had over a length to spare. Seb Sanders raised his hand in exultation.Yes, finally an England-based horse had won a Group I at Royal Ascot. The invaders had been beaten back.

Seb Sanders, who went to Lingfield to win the first race at 5 55 P M in a twilight card, praised his colt’s courage. “He took me to the quarter pole and at that point, I thought the battle-hardened horses would take over. After being keen early, he got into a rhythm. He knuckled down well and quickened. He will be a very good sprinter for some time.”

Trainer J R Best was thrilled to have saddled two Royal Ascot winners. “This means so much to all of us. Have a winner here is great. The odds were ridiculous. He won the Nunthorpe as a two year-old. On Tuesday, he just ran with the choke and he has done well to come back here as we have only sat on him once at home since.”

Big Timer and Tom Eaves won the 1200-metre Wokingham Stakes at 20-1. The bookmakers were gaining the upper hand.

Sugar Ray was taken on a start to finish mission by Ryan Moore in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes. The race was over 2400 metres. The favoured Mad Rush was fourth and fifth and never far away. Jimmy Fortune moved on Mad Rush soon after entering the stretch but Sugar Ray kept going. Sugar Ray held on to win by a neck. It was another loss for trainer Luca Cumani. Mad Rush has been a cheque-getter. Sugar Ray took Ryan Moore to the winner’s circle for the third time.

The finale was the Queen Alexandra Stakes over 4300 metres. Honolulu was the 7-4 chance despite several disappointing efforts. Ajaan, Ted Durcan up, was bet down to 7-2. John Murtagh kept Honolulu well off the pace. Ajaan was the first to move and strike the front as the heat was on but he got wobbly as the others came at him. Honolulu had improved to get into contention and Distinction, Ryan Moore up, joined the fray. It was a tremendous duel. In the last 50 metres, Honolulu began winning the argument. That was jockey Murtagh’s sixth winner.

John Murtagh is now the leading jockey at Royal Ascot for the third time. He had won the title in 2001 and 2002.  Murtagh was presented with the ‘London Clubs International Charity Trophy.’

“This means a lot. There are several great riders in the weighing room. I came here thinking I had great rides. Everything went well,” Murtagh said.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien also became the top Royal Ascot trainer for the third time. “It was a dream week. Yeats winning three Gold Cups in a row was unbelievable,” O’Brien stated.

Here are some interesting facts. Jockey Kevin Manning rode two winners at Royal Ascot on Friday. On Saturday, he was plying his trade in Ireland. The track was Down Royal. Manning won the first race with Tosach Nua and the last race with Hassanali. Both horses are trained by J T Gorman. Four winners for Kevin Manning at two ‘Royal’ tracks in two days.

Jockey Ahmed Ajtebi made his Royal Ascot debut a winning one on Friday. He won with Regal Parade at 25-1. On Saturday, he won with a horse called Royal Dignitary at Redcar, a course in Scotland. A Dubai native, jockey Ajtebi is good at handling horses with names that have a royal element in them.

Jockey George Baker had four winners at Newmarket on Saturday. His winners were Brunelleschi at 12-1, Aphrodisia at 11-1, Dubai Princess at 14-1 and Harold Bluetooth at 5-1. Jockey Baker won for four different trainers. Talk of being on fire-how could George Baker cool off after the races?

I made an error in yesterday’s report. Jockey Steve Drowne rode three winners at Royal Ascot. Look at the odds on the Drowne winners. Flashmans Papers won at 100-1. Fifteen Love was at 28-1 and Supaseus was at 12-1.

Ryan Moore had three. Colony, Patkai and Sugar Ray were his winning rides.

Jockey Silvestre de Sousa rode a double at Redcar on Saturday. De Sousa won the first race with Liturgical. He won the last race with Ursus. Silvestre is quietly building a reputation for himself.

At Newmarket on Saturday, Meydan City, a Godolphin-owned colt by Kingmambo-Crown of Crimson, made his debut. Phillip Robinson rode and the well-bred colt was the 5-6 choice. Meydan City raced prominently and had little to offer as the race turned serious. He finished third. The winner of this race was the George Baker-ridden Harold Bluetooth. What is special about Meydan City and why would the colt race when Frankie Dettori had Ascot commitments? I do not know the answer to the second part of the question. The answer to the first part is that Meydan City, as a yearling, was bought for 11,700,000 dollars. Yes, eleven million seven hundred thousand dollars. Is he another Green Monkey?