Earthlight is star quality
DISAPPOINTMENT: RACE FAILS TO LIVE UP TO PUNTERS' EXPECTATIONS
Siskin’s behaviour puzzles his connections.
Earthlight on Saturday showed he has a bright future when he retained his unbeaten record, winning the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on a day which highlighted some of the top juveniles in the UK.
With three exciting young colts all putting their unbeaten records on the line, the race didn’t quite live up to expectations, as first Siskin was withdrawn at the start after an incident in the stalls and then Mums Tipple disappointed.
Golden Horde eventually finished second with 100/1 outsider Summer Sands third - a 1,75 off the front two, who were separated by a neck.
It was a gutsy success for Earthlight, who remains unbeaten and he now has two Group 1 wins to his name following his Prix Morny victory.
Winning trainer Andre Fabre said: “It is just a matter of having the right horse, it is a difficult race to win. You need speed and experience, and this horse has both.”
According to Fabre, Earthlight will now “go back home, idle, eat well and sleep - he usually does. He is done for the season.”
As for Siskin, connections were left scratching their heads.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager, said: “We’ve got no really good explanation. He went into the stalls fine.
“All we have said about him is that he has the most laid-back attitude of any horse we have. For that suddenly to happen is bizarre really and we are as shocked as most people.”
Fortunately, he only has a few superficial cuts and scrapes while jockey Colin Keane was unhurt.
In the other Group 1 race for juveniles, Millisle came from off the pace to defeat hot favourite Raffle Prize in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes.
Raffle Prize won Group 2 contests at Royal Ascot and the July Festival when landing the Queen Mary and Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, while she was just touched off by Earthlight in the Group 1 Prix Morny.
Sent off the 10-11 favourite to win her first top-level contest under Frankie Dettori, she looked to have seen off her rivals inside the final 200m.
However, Shane Foley had held up Jessica Harrington's Millisle in the rear in the early stages and she came through with a strong run to win by 1.75 lengths from the favourite, with Tropbeau third.
Harrington said: “She is finished for the year now, that is her fifth run and she hasn’t done badly.”
Mark Johnston, trainer of Raffle Prize, said: “I think that is our seventh second in a Group 1 this year, although it could be eight. It is at least seven, so it is pretty sickening.
“Frankie said she did everything right, but in the last 50 yards that one has come from the clouds.”
Earlier Aidan O’Brien’s Royal Dornoch got the better of Kameko to land the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes.
This son of Gleneagles set a new juvenile course record, assisted by a strong tailwind, as he got on top of the 6-5 favourite late in proceedings.
Both of the front two were in the front rank for much of the race and it looked as if Kameko would be too strong going into the dip.
However, he couldn't shake off Royal Dornoch and it was the Ballydoyle horse who prevailed by a neck under Wayne Lordan. – racingpost.com