racing_news/

Proclamation boxes clever with Soviet Song
27/07/05

A former Derby hopeful became one of Europe’s leading milers today when winning the Cantor Spreadfair Sussex Stakes.

Proclamation, trained by Jeremy Noseda, beat the favourite, Soviet Song, by half a length with Ad Valorem two and a half lengths back in third. The winner, a three-year-old son of Darley stallion King’s Best, was given another top-class ride by Mick Kinane. On Saturday, Kinane won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes on Azamour after trailing the field in the early stages, and he repeated that same style of ride here, bringing Proclamation wide of the field before holding Soviet Song’s late challenge.

Kinane said: “He’s a very talented horse. I got there sooner than I anticipated - I wanted to be the last to play my cards, but the opportunity was there for me to go on and hold Johnny [Murtagh on Soviet Song] a bit, and I thought it’s time for me to go.

“He has serious acceleration. I knew Soviet Song was going to come and I was there to be shot at, but he did enough to hold on.”

Noseda, who was gaining his biggest success following two Cheveley Park Stakes triumphs with Wannabe Grand and Carry On Katie, gave plenty of praise to Paul Morris, who rides Proclamation at home and has taught the horse to settle.

Noseda added: “He has a huge turn of foot. I asked Mick to be the last man to deliver his challenge, but Mick said he had to go because he knew he could put Johnny in the pocket. I’d like to hold him up for longer in the future. I’m sure he’s a Group 1 performer from six furlongs to one mile.

“The trainer must have been very foolish to ever consider him a Derby horse, but he’s a brother to a horse called No Refuge who was a good stayer and won over two and a half miles at Cheltenham. I must give a huge thanks to my team, especially Paul Morris who has done an unbelievable job on the horse. The horse is growing up and getting better.

“I’m delighted to win a Group 1 and thrilled to bring this horse through. We had big hopes for him for a long time and to finally deliver him here at this point is a huge thrill.

“I hope he could run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup, but I’ll have to talk to Sheikh Mohammed about that.”

Proclamation, whose previous start resulted in a win in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot’s York meeting, raced in the colours of Abdullah Saeed Belhab on that occasion, but has since been gifted to Sheikh Mohammed’s wife, Princess Haya.