DEFOE GETS ON THE SCORESHEET
The Roger Varian-trained Defoe justified 11/4 favouritism to capture the £225,000 G2 Hardwicke Stakes.
Ridden by Andrea Atzeni, the five-year-old defeated Czech raider Nagano Gold (25/1) by a half-length in the 12-furlong event.
Defoe was successful in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs on May 31 and Newmarket trainer Varian believes the gelded son of Dalakhani has improved this season.
Varian, registering his second victory of the week [Daahyeh, G3 Albany Stakes] and fourth Royal Ascot victory overall, said: That was a good performance from Defoe, who has took his form forward from Epsom.
“It is always nice when they back up a victory like that in their next race. I thought it was a tough performance.
“Defoe is a lovely horse to train and I’m very grateful to have him. I’m pleased for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum to get a winner on the scoresheet as well as Andrea.
“He is such a straightforward horse who just tries for you and is getting better with age – he is a joy to train.
“Before Epsom, he had been placed at G1 level and had looked very good in G2s and G3s. I thought he was capable of mixing it with the best and the horse is warming up to the season very nicely.
“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.
“I’ve got a high opinion of the horse and he is backing that up with his performances – we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.
“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.
“Before this year, he had showed a very good level of form and he has just improved a little bit.
Defoe is everybody’s favourite horse [at home] – he is hard not to like and a gentleman of a horse, very straightforward.
Defoe is a 6/1 shot with Betfred for the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes back at Ascot on Saturday, July 27.
ATZENI HAILS ‘DREAM HORSE’ DEFOE AFTER FIRST WIN OF WEEK
Andrea Atzeni was full of praise for Defoe (11/4 favourite) after the recent G1 Coronation Cup winner came from off the pace and held Czech-trained 25/1 chance Nagano Gold (Christophe Soumillon) by half a length in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes, with Masar (3/1) only fifth on his return from the injury he suffered after winning last year’s Derby.
Atzeni, enjoying his fifth and most important Royal Ascot success, and his first of the week, said: “It’s great to get one. It’s a tough week obviously and very hard to ride winners. You come into the week thinking you have nice rides, but you need good horses like Defoe who can get you out of trouble and quicken. If anything I probably got to the front too soon, which isn’t really his style. It’s great for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, who is here today having been ill all week.”
He added: “Defoe is very straightforward and he’s actually a dream horse to ride. He’s very cool beforehand, and he jumped and travelled well. We didn’t go very quick, and then turning into the straight Masar came to me fairly easily, but to be fair to him he picked up nicely and fought all the way to the line.
“He’s a five-year-old now, but maybe the gelding operation improved him. He’s always been very consistent, but he’s obviously turned a corner this year. We were taking on a Derby winner, so we couldn’t be sure, but Defoe has done nothing wrong this year and he was very impressive in the Coronation Cup.
“Ground wise he’s very versatile. We actually thought he was a soft-ground horse but Sheikh Mohammed Obaid always said he was a fast-ground horse and he was right. It’s not fast out there, but it’s definitely on the quick side and he enjoyed it.”
CZECH CONNECTIONS DELIGHTED, BUT ASKING ‘WHAT IF?’
The Czech horse Nagano Gold, a 25/1 chance, put in a superb performance in the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) – a fast-finishing second, he was beaten by just a half-length. The horse, a son of Sixities Icon, was hampered at the start when leaving the stalls by Masar and jockey Christophe Soumillon said “it has cost me the race”.
Tomas Janda, representative for the owner-trainer Vaclav Luka, said: “”We are happy with the run, but it was close, Christophe said he had problem at the start and then again in the straight, he couldn’t run really – we are happy, but of course when you are so close you always think what might have been!
“A lot of people were watching the race at home, it will help racing in Czech – even people who don’t watch racing in Czech knew about this.”
As Janda explained, it has been a long-term plan by connections, who are based about 100km from Prague, to come to run at Royal Ascot.
“Through the winter we came up with this plan after he had won a Listed race in France. He ran in Group 2 race in France, but the pace of the race is always very slow,” said Janda. “Even though he finished two lengths from the winner, he was pulling, he was very keen, he needs a faster pace – we thought the style of racing in England would suit better.
“This horse will now run mainly in England or Germany – we have entered him for a Group 1 in Germany in August, then we would like to run in the Arc.”
According to connections, there has been one other Czech runner at Royal Ascot, the year the meeting was held at York.
Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager for Prince Khalid Abdullah, said of the third-placed Mirage Dancer (6/1): “He has run a really good race, we are very pleased with him, he travelled very well in the race, we couldn’t have been happier turning for home. He just did not find enough to finish it off, but he has run a blinder.”
Last year’s Derby winner Masar, having his first run since that Epsom success, finished fifth.
Jockey James Doyle said: “Masar stood in the stalls like normal, then as they opened I am not really sure what happened but his nose disappeared. Luckily, when he came back up, he hit me in the chest and put me back in the saddle. It is not the start you want in a big race like that, but what can you do.
“We planned on being a bit handier, as he is proven at the trip, so we ended up a bit far back and they did not go that quick. We got caught for a bit of speed in the straight, but he ran good on his first start for over a year.”
HARDWICKE RESULT
3.40pm Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2), 1m 4f
1 Defoe (Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum) Roger Varian 5-9-01 Andrea Atzeni 11/4 fav
2 Nagano Gold (Vaclav Luka Jnr) Vaclav Luka Jnr 5-9-01 Christophe Soumillon 25/1
3 Mirage Dancer (Khalid Abdullah) Sir Michael Stoute 5-9-01 Pat Dobbs 6/1
8 ran
Time: 2m 31.09s
Distances: ½, 1
Tote Win: £3.30 Places: £1.15, £6.25, £2.00 Exacta: £68.70
Breeding: gr g Dalakhani (IRE) – Dulkashe (IRE) (Pivotal (GB))
Breeder: Darley
Roger Varian – 4th Royal Ascot winner
Andrea Atzeni – 5th Royal Ascot winner