Tin Man is as tough as a Diamond
Fanshawe’s gutsy sprinter survives stewards’ inquiry Yorkshiremen O’Meara and Easterby claim wins
RACING
It is not often James Fanshawe is without a good horse and the trainer’s current stable star, The Tin Man, a 9-2 shot, pulled out all the stops to win yesterday’s Diamond Jubilee by a neck but it was not until a lengthy stewards’ inquiry had concluded before the gelding’s second win at the highest level was confirmed.
As great a trainer as Fanshawe is, deep down he had no idea of whether The Tin Man, owned by the 10-man Fred Archer Racing syndicate, was in great form or merely good form before the race as the gelding does not give off smoke signals advertising his wellbeing on the gallops.
“He shows you nothing at home,” explained the relieved trainer. “The biggest clue is if he ducks out at a leaf on the way home from the gallops and he’s been doing that a bit more often lately. He just has a buck and a kick and does none of his homework.”
It was, however, a different story in the race. Settled in the middle of the field while Kachy led them along, a furlong and half out, Tom Queally, of Frankel fame, who rides him so well, switched The Tin Man out into open space down the far rail. With daylight he took off and hit the front half a furlong out. But under Queally’s right hand-hand whip, he drifted left towards his two nearest rivals, Limato and Tasleet. Limato, the favourite, looked a little intimidated by The Tin Man and the runner-up, Tasleet but, equally, he was just beginning to get tired when he became the meat in a bit of sandwich. Ryan Moore, on Limato, reckoned it made no difference and the stewards took a similar view.
Fanshawe, who won the same race with Society Rock in 2011, said: “Tom gave him the most beautiful ride today. He’s a star horse and we’re lucky to have him. He’s so laid back when he produces that sort of performance it is absolutely thrilling. He is the best older sprinter having done it twice – in the Champion Sprint last October and, now, the Diamond Jubilee. But there are a few young horses around!”
The Tin Man was one of the first two horses bought for Fred Archer Racing, a syndicate set up by the trainer’s wife, Jacko. “The other was rated only 45,” he said pointing out the capriciousness of the racing game.
The Tin Man was also the nickname of Archer, the best jockey of the Victorian era, who once rode 12 winners at one Royal Ascot. He also built Fanshawe’s yard, Pegasus Stables, and is rumoured to haunt it. “I don’t see him quite so often since I stopped drinking,” added the trainer.
Queally said: “James is an exceptional trainer. He’s had less than a handful of runners this week and that’s not by choice, it’s because he wants to run horses that can win. It’s hard to get rides, it’s hard to get runners and it’s even harder to have winners so it’s fantastic.”
Yesterday proved a good day for Yorkshire, with Tim Easterby taking the Wolferton with Snoano and David O’Meara the Wokingham with Out Do, a gelding he had declared to run at Chelmsford at the start of the week until he saw there was a chance he would make the cut here. Both horses were 25-1 shots, which might partly explain why Easterby thought he, at least, would be better employed at Redcar.
But the Ballydoyle juggernaut, which had not struck until 10 races in, on Wednesday, was properly rolling by Friday and did not lose any momentum yesterday. September won the Chesham Stakes followed fairly soon afterwards by Idaho, Highland Reel’s younger brother, in the Hardwicke.
It was honours pretty much even between racing’s superpowers with six winners apiece for Godolphin and Coolmore. While Godolphin’s were spread out between four trainers, Coolmore were all Aidan O’Brien’s and he was leading trainer. Ryan Moore was the week’s leading jockey, also with six winners, two more than William Buick.
The race of the week was Big Orange’s Gold Cup with a special rosette for the Commonwealth Cup won by Caravaggio but, for the second year in a row, Lady Aurelia was in a league of her own.
‘He’s a star horse and we are lucky to have him – but he shows nothing at home’