Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes |
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| Group 2, Newmarket 14:25 £100,000 guaranteed, 2yo Fillies only, 6f, Class 1  |
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1 Arabian Dusk 12/1
2
Mountain Breeze 7/2
3
Heavens Gate 15/8F
11 ran Distances: ¾l, ¾l, shd
Time: 1m 11.11s (slow by 0.91s)
Arabian Dusk, matched at a high of 65, opens her account in the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XkCvpB2xI4
— Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) July 12, 2024
Arabian Dusk, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford triumphed by three-quarters of a length, shedding her maiden status on her third attempt.
The daughter of Havana Grey had shown promise by finishing second in her debut at Doncaster and third in the Listed Empress Stakes. Despite the step up to Group Two level, where she faced fillies who had placed at Royal Ascot, she rose to the challenge.
Bountiful, an impressive winner at Carlisle, led for much of the six-furlong race. Harry Davies, riding the 12-1 shot Arabian Dusk, positioned her just behind the 15-8 favorite Heavens Gate, who had finished third in the Albany Stakes at Ascot. As Bountiful began to tire, Arabian Dusk, Heavens Gate, and Mountain Breeze, who finished fourth in the Albany, battled for the lead.
In the final strides, Arabian Dusk surged ahead to win and give the Crisford team a quickfire double.
Of Arabian Dusk, Ed Crisford said: “On her first two runs she was very green, which she was entitled to be.
“We threw her into a Listed race on her second run and Sean (Levey) said she lost her position early just through greenness. That meant she was out the back and while she came with a good run, she just failed.
“It was quick ground that day and very hard to make ground on the leaders. Today we said to Harry to jump out and he gave her a beautiful ride, sat on Ryan’s (Moore) girths and she picked up really well coming up the hill to pull clear.
“It was a really pleasing effort, she’s an improving filly, a high-quality filly and she’s by a great stallion in Havana Grey, who is getting stronger and stronger. With Vandeek tomorrow, I hope we can have a Havana Grey double!
“I think she would stay further but for now we’ll probably stick to six. She’s not in the Prix Morny but there’s that or the Lowther.”
Davies, who won the Chester Cup earlier this year on Zoffee, was thrilled to claim another big-race victory – his first at Group-race level.
He said: “I’m delighted to get the opportunity off Simon and Ed, the whole team at Gainsborough have worked so hard with this filly to keep her right, we’ve always had a lot of faith in her and thought she would go on to better things.
“She was unlucky the last day, being shuffled a bit further back, but she ran on really nicely. There was a little bit more give in the ground today and we wondered if that would enhance her chances, so to beat the O’Brien filly, she must be good.
“There are good times ahead. It’s a big moment for me but I have to thank Simon and Ed for the opportunity and Shaikh Duaij (owner) for having the faith in me, I feel very honoured.”
The winner was introduced into the betting for next year’s 1000 Guineas by Paddy Power at 25-1.
Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes
(Formerly The Cherry Hinton Stakes) (Fillies' Group 2)
£100,000 guaranteed, 2yo only, 6f, Class 1
11 ran
Going: Good
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (1) Arabian Dusk 2 9-2 Simon & Ed Crisford Harry Davies 12/1
2 (5) ¾ Mountain Breeze 2 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick 7/2
3 (3) ¾ Heavens Gate 2 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 15/8F
4 (11) shd Bountiful 2 9-2 George Boughey Billy Loughnane 22/1
5 (10) 1¼ Maw Lam 2 9-2 Adrian Nicholls James Doyle 11/1
6 (8) ½ Tales Of The Heart 2 9-2 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 7/1
7 (4) nk Mighty Eriu 2 9-2 Gavin Cromwell Oisin Murphy 7/1
8 (2) hd Liberalised 2 9-2 K R Burke Daniel Tudhope 28/1
9 (6) 3½ Fiery Lucy 2 9-2 Gavin Cromwell Gary Carroll 12/1
10 (7) 6½ Teej A 2 9-2 K R Burke Clifford Lee 33/1
11 (9) nse Enchanting Empress 2 9-2 Raphael E Freire David Egan 80/1
