Investec Corporate Banking Dash |
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| Heritage Handicap, Epsom 15:45 £100,000 added, 3yo plus, 5f, Class 2  |
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| Saturday 1st June 2019 | |
The David Griffiths-trained Ornate repels all challengers under Phil Dennis
1 Ornate 33/1
2 Dark Shot 14/1
3 Blue De Vega 25/1
4 Eeh Bah Gum 9/1
19 ran NR: Stake Acclaim Distances: nk, nk, hd
Time: 54.00s (fast by 1.10s)
Wow! A shock in the Dash as the 33/1 outsider Ornate wins 👏
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 1, 2019
Did you back him? pic.twitter.com/J6K0DboBkm
David Griffiths recorded his first victory in the Dash as Ornate captured the world's fastest five-furlong event under Phil Dennis.
The six-year-old Bahamian Bounty gelding came across from the outside stall two to soon take the lead and held on gamely in the closing stages to score by a neck.
The Scott Dixon-trained Dark Shot was second, with Robert Cowell's Blue De Vega a neck behind in third. Eeh Bah Gum, trained by Tim Easterby, was a further head back in fourth.
South Yorkshire-based Griffths who also ran Duke Of Firenze, who finished seventh said: "I'm delighted.
"We probably fancied Duke Of Firenze a bit more as he was drawn on the stands' side rail (stall 19) which is usually the place you need to be.
"Ornate was drawn completely the other side (stall 2), but I thought he was seriously well handicapped off a mark of 99.
"He has so much speed, but I didn't expect him to be tanking along at that speed as it is the quickest five furlongs here. To travel like that at Epsom was very impressive. I'm chuffed to bits and just over the moon to win this race again.
"Ornate was wrong last year, but we've got him back since and it's just been about taking little steps with him.
"We ran him in the Duke Of York last time out and that was a fact finding mission. I think in time he will be a Group horse, but he was was ninth in that race, so we decided to go back handicapping and put him in the Dash.
"Group races will probably be more for him next year. The ability is definitely there and he is seriously quick.
"He had good form over six furlongs when trained by Robert Cowell, but I think if we try to campaign him over six that might make him slow. There are more opportunities over six furlongs, but if you campaign him over that trip, you will take away his natural speed.
"It only takes less than 60 seconds, so it's OK - you only have to worry for about a minute, which I am happy with!"
A fast renewal of the Investec 'Dash' Handicap saw Blue De Vega, who was drawn in seven, and trained in Newmarket by Robert Cowell, come home in third behind winner Ornate and second Dark Shot.
Ed Bethell, assistant trainer to Cowell, commented: "He wasn't drawn great on the outside, but has run a blinder.
"He was a little unlucky in running, he got checked right when he had the momentum going - if he hadn't got checked he might just have got there.
"It is just one of those things and you have luck in this race.
"I don't know where he will go next, Royal Ascot possibly. I don't know which race, he would go for. You would be looking like something like the Wokingham Handicap (six furlongs and held on the Saturday of Royal Ascot later this month) because there are no five-furlong races.
"He has a big one in him somewhere."
Jockey Martin Dwyer added: "He ran really well. It was a difficult draw and I had to ride him for a bit of luck and he has run a blinder."
Investec Specialist Bank 'Dash' (Heritage Handicap)
£100,000 added, 3yo plus, 5f, Class 2
19 ran
Going: Good to Firm
| Pos | Draw | Dist | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (2) | Ornate 33/1 | Phil Dennis 8-13 |
D C Griffiths | 6 | |
| 2nd | (9) | nk | Dark Shot 14/1 | P Mathers 8-0 |
S Dixon | 6 |
| 3rd | (7) | nk | Blue De Vega (GER) 25/1 | M Dwyer 8-5 |
R M H Cowell | 6 |
| 4th | (14) | hd | Eeh Bah Gum (IRE) 9/1 | Jamie Gormley (3) 8-2 |
T D Easterby | 4 |
| 5th | (16) | s.h | Muthmir (IRE) 8/1 | Jim Crowley 9-5 |
W J Haggas | 9 |
| 6th | (13) | ¾ | Harome (IRE) 20/1 | Nicola Currie 8-2 |
Roger Fell | 5 |
| 7th | (19) | hd | Duke Of Firenze (ex7) 8/1 | Nathan Evans 8-3 |
D C Griffiths | 10 |
| 8th | (6) | ½ | Boom The Groom (IRE) 33/1 | Darragh Keenan (5) 8-2 |
A W Carroll | 8 |
| 9th | (10) | hd | Caspian Prince (IRE) 20/1 | Alistair Rawlinson 10-0 |
M Appleby | 10 |
| 10th | (11) | nk | Open Wide (USA) 25/1 | Harry Bentley 8-7 |
Mrs A J Perrett | 5 |
| 11th | (12) | nk | Just Glamorous (IRE) 25/1 | J Quinn 8-0 |
Grace Harris | 6 |
| 12th | (15) | hd | Copper Knight (IRE) (ex4) 8/1 | D Allan 9-4 |
T D Easterby | 5 |
| 13th | (4) | hd | Line Of Reason (IRE) 33/1 | J Fanning 8-6 |
P T Midgley | 9 |
| 14th | (3) | nk | Mokaatil 33/1 | Andrew Breslin (5) 8-1 |
Ian Williams | 4 |
| 15th | (17) | hd | Recon Mission (IRE) 9/1 | Hollie Doyle 8-2 |
A W Carroll | 3 |
| 16th | (5) | ¾ | Just That Lord 16/1 | J F Egan 8-1 |
M J Attwater | 6 |
| 17th | (18) | 2 | Hathiq (IRE) (ex4) 7/2f | R P Cleary 8-2 |
Denis Hogan | 5 |
| 18th | (8) | nk | Fool For You (IRE) 40/1 | S A Gray 8-4 |
R A Fahey | 4 |
| 19th | (20) | 3¼ | Daschas (ex4) 16/1 | K T O'Neill 8-0 |
S C Williams | 5 |
| NR | (1) | Stake Acclaim (IRE) | R Winston 9-8 |
D K Ivory | 7 |
