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Sixties Icon Is Punters’ Pin-Up
09/09/2006

Sixties Icon
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Sixties Icon
Sixties Icon justified 11/8 favouritism to run out a facile - and hugely popular - winner of the world’s oldest classic when scoring under Frankie Dettori by two and a half lengths from 50/1 outsider The Last Drop.

Dettori, who was winning his fourth Ladbrokes St Leger and 11th domestic classic, said: “I was scared of Red Rocks and kept a close eye on him in the race but asked mine to go on at the furlong pole. He responded straightaway and this was probably my easiest classic win.”

Trainer Jeremy Noseda watched the race on television at Keeneland sales in Kentucky but owner Paul Roy announced that the Galileo colt could now be supplemented at a cost of 60,000 euros for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

“Jeremy was in Keeneland watching that but I spoke to him before the race and we said that if he ran well we’d think about supplementing him for the Arc,” said Roy. “It depends how he comes out of the race but he’s no out and out stayer as he’s got a turn of foot. We’re just beginning with him and he’ll stay in training next year although I’m not sure we’ll do a Ouija Board!

“I’d like to thank the Noseda team, especially Sean Travers who looks after him but is not here today and Mick Denaro, who rides him out. Mick’s a scouser and I was at Liverpool University and that’s how we came up with the name Sixties Icon - after people like the Beatles. There were more icons in that era than now.”

Roy is a relative newcomer to top-level Flat ownership and added: “I’ve not had that many horses in training and to win a race like this is I suppose the culmination of a five or six-year plan. There have been a few trials, tribulations and emotional disasters along the way.

“This is great but if you asked me whether I’d prefer to win the Leger or my son Sean winning at Henley, I’d say Sean winning. I’m very lucky to have had both happen.

“I went on record after France (when Dutch Art won the Prix Morny) that I wouldn’t buy another horse in training. I’ve got some broodmares and John Warren buys the odd one for me and he’s a very good judge.

John Warren, who bought Sixties Icon for 230,000 guineas as a yearling, added: “He’s a horse with a real future ahead of him and is going to be a hell of a horse next year.”

3.45pm LADBROKES ST LEGER STAKES (GROUP ONE)
£475,000 guaranteed, 1m 5f 197yds, For 3yo entire colts and fillies Weights colts 9st; fillies 8st 11lb Entries 52 pay £1,100 First forfeit 21 pay £1,900 Confirmed 12 pay £1,600 Penalty value 1st £269,705, 2nd £102,220, 3rd £51,157.50, 4th £25,597.50, 5th £12,777.50, 6th £6,412.50

1 SIXTIES ICON (Susan Roy) Jeremy Noseda 3-9-00 Frankie Dettori [11] 11/8f
2 THE LAST DROP (IRE) (Jack Hanson, Cavendish Inv Ltd, A Patrick) Barry Hills 3-9-00 Richard Hills [5] 50/1
3 RED ROCKS (IRE) (J Paul Reddam) Brian Meehan 3-9-00 Richard Hughes [7] 4/1
4 ASK (Duke Of Devonshire & Sue Magnier) Sir Michael Stoute 3-9-00t Robert Winston [1]
5 TUSCULUM (K Baronin Von Ullman & Sue Magnier) Aidan O'Brien IRE 3-9-00 Jamie Heffernan [12]
6 JADALEE (IRE) (Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum) Marcus Tregoning 3-9-00 Martin Dwyer [6]
7 MOUNTAIN (IRE) (Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor) Aidan O'Brien IRE 3-9-00 Kevin Darley [9]
8 MONT ETOILE (IRE) (Tony Hirschfeld, Des Scott, Lester Piggott) William Haggas 3-8-11 Michael Hills [4]
9 CHAMPIONSHIP POINT (IRE) (John Livock Bloodstock Ltd) Mick Channon 3-9-00 Tony Culhane [10]
10 FIRE AND RAIN (FR) (Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier) Aidan O'Brien IRE 3-9-00 Colm O'Donoghue [2]
11 GALIENT (IRE) (Mr & Mrs Kevan Watts) Michael Jarvis 3-9-00 Philip Robinson [3]

11 ran
Non-runner: 7 Puerto Rico (vet’s certificate)
Distances: 2 1/2, 1, hd, 1, sh, 1/2, 4, nk, 1 1/2, 25
Time: 2m 57.29s
Breeder: Lordship Stud
Breeding: b c Galileo (IRE) - Love Divine (Diesis)
Totes: Win: £2.50 Places: £1.20, £8.00, £1.40 Exacta: £108.80

 

york racecourse

Ladbrokes St Leger Dozen
07/09/06

A dozen horses remain engaged in the £475,000 Ladbrokes St Leger, run at York on Saturday, September 9, following today's final declaration stage.

Heading the 12 confirmations for the Classic is Sixties Icon, the 10/11 favourite with Ladbrokes, who advertised his Ladbrokes St Leger credentials with an impressive victory in the Group Three BGC (Gordon) Stakes at Goodwood on August 1, when he defeated Jadalee by a length and three quarters.

Marcus Tregoning, trainer of Jadalee, today reported the colt to be in "top form" ahead of a likely tilt at the Ladbrokes St Leger.

The son of Desert Prince followed his second to Sixties Icon in the BGC (Gordon) Stakes at Goodwood over 12 furlongs on August 1 with a game victory against older rivals in the Listed March Stakes over an extra two furlongs at the same track on August 26.

The Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at York has provided the winner of the Ladbrokes St Leger no less than 10 times since 1986. This year's Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes, run on August 22, saw Red Rocks go down by a head to Youmzain.

Trained by Brian Meehan, Red Rocks will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Brian Boru (2003), Bollin Eric (2002), Mutafaweq (1999), Silver Patriarch (1997), Snurge (1990) and Moon Madness (1986), who were all placed in the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes before their Classic success.

Aidan O'Brien has won the world's oldest Classic three times in the last five years and is the trainer with the largest number of entries still engaged this year. The Ballydoyle quartet consists of Tusculum, an impressive winner of the Listed Ballycullen Stakes at the Curragh on August 26, Mountain, Fire And Rain and Puerto Rico, who finished third in the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes.

The Ladbrokes St Leger was Lester Piggott's second most successful Classic after the Derby with the "Long Fellow" riding eight winners of the great race. This year Piggott could be represented as an owner by the filly Mont Etoile, owned in partnership with Des Scott and Tony Hirschfield and trained by his son in law, William Haggas. Mont Etoile was triumphant in the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot before finishing fourth in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh.

Completing the list of confirmations are Galient, runner-up in the Group Three Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, The Last Drop, bidding to provide his locally-based owner Jack Hanson with a memorable success on the Knavesmire, Ask, trained by Sir Michael Stoute who has saddled the runner-up in the Ladbrokes St Leger on five occasions, and Championship Point.

 

york racecourse

Iconic Ladbrokes St Leger In Prospect
31/08/06

Sixties Icon, the evens favourite with the sponsors for the £475,000 Ladbrokes St Leger, continued his preparation for the world's oldest classic with a workout over six furlongs of the Al Bahathri gallop at Newmarket on Wednesday, August 30, 2006.

Partnered by work rider Mick Denaro, the three-year-old colt worked with a galloping companion and pleased trainer Jeremy Noseda. The son of Galileo is expected to complete his Ladbrokes St Leger preparation with a final serious piece of work on Saturday morning.

Jeremy Noseda said: "All roads lead to York for the Ladbrokes St Leger with Sixties Icon.

"I felt before he won the Gordon Stakes that he might just need the race, but that did not prove to be the case.

"Goodwood came 40 days after Royal Ascot and it is also about 40 days before the Ladbrokes St Leger. That is why we decided not to go for the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last week as could have had a hard race two and a half weeks before the Ladbrokes St Leger and he has already shown us he is not inconvenienced by a gap between his races.

"We did consider running him in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, but that race has been downgraded to a Group Three and he has already won a Group Three."

Sixties Icon has improved throughout the season and Noseda believes that his run in the Vodafone Derby at Epsom, where he finished eighth, was a significant factor in the colt's progress.

The master of Shalfleet Stables continued: "He didn't run at two and we were disappointed with his first run at Newmarket this year. He ran below our expectations and seemed as though he was suffering from stage fright.

"He left that run well behind him when winning his maiden at Windsor.

"After Windsor, I wanted to go for King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot, as I felt he was still a bit green and colty, but Paul Roy [owner] wanted to go for the Derby.

"The Derby taught him a lot. He became much more professional and the race really educated him."

Jeremy Noseda has enjoyed numerous big race wins, with the likes of Proclamation, Wannabe Grand, Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko and Araafa, a dual Group One winner this season. The omission of an English Classic from Noseda's CV is clearly something he wishes to rectify.

He continued: "The English Classics are the greatest in the world. They are worth five French Classics to me.

"I am an Englishman and England is the home of racing.

"The English Classics are the races with the greatest tradition in the world and the Ladbrokes St Leger has as big a tradition as any of them. To win a Classic as a trainer is really what it is all about.

"I remember going up on the train with my father to see Bustino (1974) win the St Leger. Although he was a short price, we backed a horse called Cove who won at a decent price in the race before and we re-invested on Bustino.

"The Ladbrokes St Leger was always in the last week of the holidays before going back to boarding school and I went many times with my father."

Looking ahead as to who will partner Sixties Icon in the Ladbrokes St Leger, Noseda revealed: "I would be happy if Frankie Dettori could take the ride, but his availability is dependent on Godolphin and also on Ouija Board in the Irish Champion Stakes.

"There should certainly be no shortage of jockeys wanting to ride Sixties Icon."

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