SPACE BRINGS GHEEST RIVALS DOWN TO EARTH
SPACE BLUES looked on a different planet to the rest when he rocketed to a first Group 1 win in Deauville’s Prix Maurice de Gheest.
Third to Advertise in the six-and-a-half-furlong test last summer, Charlie Appleby’s Godolphinowned four-year-old was back at the top level after adding to Listed and Group 3 successes in June with a victory in
Glorious Goodwood’s Group 2 Lennox Stakes 12 days earlier.
Surging through from the back to lead inside the final furlong, Will Buick’s mount had three-quarters of a length to spare over Hello Youmzain, with Lope Y Fernandez third and Earthlight, carrying the first colours of Godolphin, suffering a first career defeat in fourth place.
“He has won more impressively every time we’ve stepped him up in grade,” said Appleby (above). “Once he hit top gear, it was never in doubt.”
The seven-furlong specialist will return to France for the Group 1 Prix de la Forêt at Longchamp on October 4.
“We will give him a welldeserved break and head to the Forêt,” added the winning trainer.
Lucky Vega stayed clear of trouble in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
Jessica Harrington’s youngster and Shane Foley shot clear to score by three and a half lengths from Aloha Star, who was relegated to third for hampering promoted runner-up The Lir Jet.
Steel Bull, the only unbeaten horse going into the race, smashed two teeth in the stalls and trailed in sixth.
The winner had been beaten half a length by yesterday’s fourth Laws Of Indices in the Railway Stakes at the Curragh last month and Harrington said: “He was much more streetwise — when he got into a bit of a battle, it just hardened him up.
“Shane said we’d probably be thinking about the Middle Park [Stakes at Newmarket on September 26].”