Longines Sagaro Stakes |
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| Group 3, Ascot 14:15 £80,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 209y, Class 1  |
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Coltrane, the undisputed kingpin of the staying division at Ascot, faces a new test of his throne on Wednesday as Divine Comedy lines up to bring an end to his two-year stranglehold on the Group Three Longines Sagaro Stakes.
COLTRANE wins his second Longines Sagaro Stakes, outstaying SWEET WILLIAM and seeing off the late charge of CAIUS CHORISTER 🏆 well done to @oismurphy @AndrewBalding2 and the Mariscottis. Will he go one better in this year’s Gold Cup at #RoyalAscot? pic.twitter.com/i8TB16bvQt
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) May 1, 2024
Andrew Balding’s veteran stayer has become as familiar on this stage as the Ascot grandstand itself, landing this contest in both 2022 and 2023. But the now eight-year-old will need all his class and experience to fend off Harry Eustace’s improving mare, who arrives race-fit after a determined seasonal debut at Nottingham.
“She came out of Nottingham well,” Eustace reported. “She was favoured by the weights that day, and this is stiffer company, but she’s sharpened up and we know she’ll stay. In a tactical race, having that run under her belt might just count for something.”
The step up in trip looks a plus for Divine Comedy, and while Coltrane remains the firm market leader, Eustace was quick to point out: “In a small field like this, strange things can happen.”
Indeed, strange things might be Coltrane’s only true danger. While his record is bulletproof here, Balding admits his morning work rarely is.
“He’s not flashy at home—if anything, I’d back myself against him up the gallop!” he quipped. “But he’s in good shape, he knows this place, and it would be a real thrill if he could complete the hat-trick. Horses like him don’t come along often.”
Coltrane now eyes a place in history: while Double Trigger and other greats have doubled up in the Sagaro, no horse has ever completed the treble.
Just four runners go to post, with Yashin making his seasonal bow for Michael Bell and Feigning Madness stepping up in grade for Ralph Beckett. With tactics likely to play a pivotal role, expect a cerebral contest where positioning and timing could be as decisive as stamina.
Longines Sagaro Stakes
£80,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 209y Class 1
4 runners
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
NO. (DRAW) FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 (3) 15643- Coltrane 8 9-4 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy
2 (1) 33006- Yashin 6 9-4 Michael Bell Callum Shepherd
3 (2) 1/54-4 Feigning Madness 4 9-2 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch
4 (4) 2580-2 Divine Comedy 7 9-1 Harry Eustace Ryan Moore
