Hartnell grabs all the Epsom gossip
Godolphin champion horse Hartnell produced one of the finest performances of his career to win the A$1 million Epsom mile at Royal Randwick yesterday, reeling in Chris Waller favourites D’Argento and Unforgiven in a thrilling finish.
“He’s a super horse. He has had a great build-up to this race. There is no more popular winner than Hartnell in our stable,” trainer James Cummings said.
Hartnell let rip down the middle of the track to pip D’Argento on the line to give Hugh Bowman his first group one win for Godolphin.
Unforgotten weaved through the field for third.
Meanwhile, Santa Ana Lane and Shoals provided trainer Anthony Freedman with a powerful one-two punch for the A$13m Everest after they ran the quinella at Randwick.
In a race that was billed as a “miniEverest” showdown, the Freedman duo delivered a knockout blow to the best sprinters in training in the group two $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m).
The Premiere produced a thrilling finish with Santa Ana Lane surging powerfully along the inside to claim a last stride win.
“I knew Santa Ana Lane would run well,” Freedman said. “He has been fantastic at home and I knew where he was turning for home he would be very strong late.”
Santa Ana Lane arrived just in time to win the Premiere by head from his fast finishing stablemate Shoals with a brave In Her Time a nose away third. The winning time was a staggering 1m 7.45s, a new Randwick 1200m track record.
Trapeze Artist ran on well to finish fourth, 11⁄2-lengths from the winner while early leader and reigning Everest champ Redzel was fifth, beaten two lengths.
The other Everest runner, Invincible Star, tired to run seventh, nearly five lengths behind Santa Ana Lane.
Freedman described the fast finishing effort of Shoals as “great” but thought the track might have been a little firm for the mare.
“They are running ridiculous times so that tells me the track is a bit firm,” Freedman said.
“Some rain would be great or maybe a bit more water for The Everest. There is a little bit of improvement there in both horses so hopefully we can turn up in two weeks in the same nick as today.”