bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes |
|
| Group 3, Sandown 14:25 £70,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 1f 209y, Class 1  |
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| Friday 26th April 2019 | |
1 Crystal Ocean 5/6
2 Knight to Behold
15/2
3 Extra Elusive 20/1
7 ran Distances: 2¼l, 3½l, nk
Time: 2m 7.80s (slow by 2.30s)
Crystal Ocean wins it comfortably in the end!
Crystal Ocean starts his season off in good style, winning the @bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes with ease in the hands Ryan Moore for Sir Michael Stoute pic.twitter.com/nmLJ9h3C4T
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) April 26, 2019
Forced to work rather hard to land the spoils in the Group Three prize 12 months ago, Crystal Ocean ran out an impressive winner on this occasion to become just the second dual winner of the race.
Tracking the early pace cut for much of the 10-furlong journey by eventual runner up Knight To Behold, the 5-6 favourite moved into a lead he would not surrender at the two pole, before crossing the line with two and a quarter lengths to spare.
Stoute said: “It was a better performance than last year, so that is a pleasing aspect. He has been a model of consistency. I think he needed to get back to work as well and that would have done him good.
“He is in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, so that could be considered. It will be that or Newbury (Aston Park).
“We need to win a Group One with him, so we need to do a bit of thinking.”
The Harry Dunlop-trained Knight To Behold could go to France next month.
Dunlop said: “I was very pleased and to be honest with you I thought it would be hard to beat Crystal Ocean.
“I think what I was so pleased about was that we had good horses in behind and we should improve a lot. We could maybe look at the Prix d’Ispahan for him next time.”
Bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes
£70,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 1f 209y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Firm, Good in places
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (5) | Crystal Ocean 5/6f | R L Moore 9-0 |
Sir Michael Stoute | 5 | |
| 2nd | (1) | 2¼ | Knight To Behold (IRE) 15/2 | Oisin Murphy 9-0 |
H J L Dunlop | 4 |
| 3rd | (6) | 3½ | Extra Elusive 20/1 | Jason Watson 9-0 |
R Charlton | 4 |
| 4th | (4) | nk | Fabricate 16/1 | James Doyle 9-0 |
M L W Bell | 7 |
| 5th | (2) | 1½ | Trais Fluors 10/3 | P C Boudot 9-0 |
A Fabre | 5 |
| 6th | (7) | ½ | Pivoine (IRE) 28/1 | S De Sousa 9-0 |
A M Balding | 5 |
| 7th | (3) | 5 | Thundering Blue (USA) 14/1 | Andrea Atzeni 9-0 |
D Menuisier | 6 |
