Hardwicke Stakes
 QuinnBet
Group 2, Ascot 15:05
£225,000 added,
4yo plus,
1m 3f 211y, Class 1  
Saturday 22nd June 2019

FreeRacingTips

1 Defoe 11/4F
2 Nagano Gold 25/1
3 Mirage Dancer 6/1
8 ran NR: Lah Ti Dar Distances: ½l, 1l, 3l
Time: 2m 31.09s (slow by 2.59s)

Defoe wins from Nagano Gold

The Roger Varian-trained Defoe justified 11/4 favouritism to capture the £225,000 G2 Hardwicke Stakes.
 
Ridden by Andrea Atzeni, the five-year-old defeated Czech raider Nagano Gold by a half-length in the 12-furlong event.
 
Defoe was successful in the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs on May 31 and Newmarket trainer Varian believes the gelded son of Dalakhani has improved this season.
 
Varian, registering his second victory of the week [Daahyeh, G3 Albany Stakes] and fourth Royal Ascot victory overall, said: That was a good performance from Defoe, who has took his form forward from Epsom.
 
"It is always nice when they back up a victory like that in their next race. I thought it was a tough performance.
 
"Defoe is a lovely horse to train and I'm very grateful to have him. I'm pleased for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum to get a winner on the scoresheet as well as Andrea.
 
"He is such a straightforward horse who just tries for you and is getting better with age - he is a joy to train.
 
"Before Epsom, he had been placed at G1 level and had looked very good in G2s and G3s. I thought he was capable of mixing it with the best and the horse is warming up to the season very nicely.
 
"Hopefully, we can bring him back for the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes next month. That race has to be on the radar now. He'll have a break now and we will look forward to running there.
 
"I've got a high opinion of the horse and he is backing that up with his performances - we're looking forward to the rest of the season.
 
"Defoe always had a good attitude as a colt and it was the owner's decision to geld him. As a result, that will probably elongate his career.
 
"Before this year, he had showed a very good level of form and he has just improved a little bit.
 
Defoe is everybody's favourite horse [at home] - he is hard not to like and a gentleman of a horse, very straightforward.

Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2)
£225,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 3f 211y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places

POS BTN HORSE AGE WGT ISP
JOCKEY & TRAINER
1 DEFOE (IRE) 5 9-1 11/4
J: Andrea Atzeni T: Roger Varian
2 ½ NAGANO GOLD 5 9-1 25/1
J: Christophe Soumillon T: V. Luka, jnr, Czech Republic
3 1 MIRAGE DANCER 5 9-1 6/1
J: Pat Dobbs T: Sir Michael Stoute
4 3 MORANDO (FR) 6 9-1 12/1
J: Silvestre De Sousa T: Andrew Balding
5 nk MASAR (IRE) 4 9-1 3/1
J: James Doyle T: Charlie Appleby
6 3½ SOUTHERN FRANCE (IRE) 4 9-1 9/2
J: Ryan Moore T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
7 ¾ SALOUEN (IRE) 5 9-1 8/1
J: Oisin Murphy T: Sylvester Kirk
8 12 COMMUNIQUE (IRE) 4 9-1 14/1
J: Franny Norton T: Mark Johnston

HARDWICKE STAKES WINNERS

YR/DATE GR WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WGT SP

2018 2 CRYSTAL OCEAN
2017 2 IDAHO Aidan O’Brien IRE Seamie Heffernan Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier 4-9-01 9/2
2016 2 DARTMOUTH Sir Michael Stoute Olivier Peslier H M The Queen 4-9-01 10/1
2015 2 SNOW SKY Sir Michael Stoute Pat Smullen Khalid Abdullah 4-9-01 12/1
2014 2 TELESCOPE Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore Highclere Thoroughbred Racing 4-9-01 7/4F
2013 2 THOMAS CHIPPENDALE Lady Cecil Johnny Murtagh Sir Robert Ogden 4-9-00 8/1
2012 2 SEA MOON Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore Khalid Abdullah 4-9-00 3/1F
2011 2 AWAIT THE DAWN Aidan O’Brien IRE Ryan Moore Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 4-9-00 4/6F
2010 2 HARBINGER Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore Highclere Thoroughbred Racing 4-9-00 8/11F
2009 2 BRONZE CANNON John Gosden Jimmy Fortune Anthony Oppenheimer 4-9-03 8/1
2008 MACARTHUR Aidan O’Brien IRE Johnny Murtagh Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 4-9-00 11/8F
2007 2 MARAAHEL Sir Michael Stoute Richard Hills Hamdan Al Maktoum 6-9-00 100/30
06/24/06 2 MARAAHEL Sir Michael Stoute Richard Hills Hamdan Al Maktoum 5-9-00 9/2
*05/18/06 2 BANDARI Mark Johnston Willie Supple Hamdan Al Maktoum 6-8-09 10/1
04/19/06 2 DOYEN Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 4-8-09 6/5F
03/21/06 2 INDIAN CREEK David Elsworth Richard Quinn Seymour Cohn 5-8-09 14/1
02/22/06 2 ZINDABAD Mark Johnston Kevin Darley Abdulla Buhaleeba 6-8-12 4/1
01/22/06 2 SANDMASON Henry Cecil Willie Ryan Plantation Stud 4-8-09 12/1
00/23/06 2 FRUITS OF LOVE Mark Johnston Olivier Peslier Mick Doyle 4-8-12 9/2
99/18/06 2 FRUITS OF LOVE Mark Johnston Olivier Peslier Mick Doyle 4-8-12 12/1
98/19/06 2 POSIDONAS Paul Cole Pat Eddery Athos Christodoulou 6-8-09 15/2
97/20/06 2 PREDAPPIO Saeed bin Suroor Gary Stevens Godolphin 4-8-12 6/1
96/21/06 2 OSCAR SCHINDLER Kevin Prendergast IRE Michael Kinane Oliver Lehane 4-8-09 7/4F
95/23/06 2 BEAUCHAMP HERO John Dunlop John Reid Erik Penser 5-8-09 11/2
94/17/06 2 BOBZAO Terry Mills John Reid Terry Mills 5-8-09 11/1
93/18/06 2 JEUNE Geoff Wragg Ray Cochrane Exors of late Sir Robin McAlpine 4-8-09 7/2
92/19/06 2 ROCK HOPPER Michael Stoute Pat Eddery Maktoum Al Maktoum 5-8-12 8/15F
91/21/06 2 ROCK HOPPER Michael Stoute Pat Eddery Maktoum Al Maktoum 4-8-12 5/6F
90/22/06 2 ASSATIS Guy Harwood Ray Cochrane S Harada 5-9-00 50/1
89/23/06 2 ASSATIS Guy Harwood Pat Eddery Khalid Abdullah 4-8-09 4/11F
88/17/06 2 ALMAARAD John Dunlop Willie Carson Hamdan Al Maktoum 5-8-12 6/1
87/19/06 2 ORBAN Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Prince A A Faisal 4-8-09 11/4
86/20/06 2 DIHISTAN Michael Stoute Pat Eddery H H Aga Khan 4-8-09 11/2
85/21/06 2 JUPITER ISLAND Clive Brittain Lester Piggott The Marquess of Tavistock 6-8-09 85/40
84/22/06 2 KHAIRPOUR Fulke Johnson Houghton Steve Cauthen G J Chittick 5-8-12 13/2
83/17/06 2 STANERRA Frank Dunne IRE Brian Rouse Frank Dunne 5-8-09 4/1
82/18/06 2 CRITIQUE Henry Cecil Lester Piggott Garo Vanlan 4-8-09 7/2
81/19/06 2 PELERIN Harry Wragg Brian Taylor Sir Phillip Oppenheimer 4-8-12 7/1
80/20/062 SCORPIO Francois Boutin FR Philippe Paquet Gerry Oldham 4-9-00 2/1F
79/22/06 2 OBRAZTSOVY Ryan Price Brian Taylor Robert Sangster 4-8-09 9/4F
78/23/06 2 MONTCONTOUR Maurice Zilber FR Yves Saint-Martin Mrs H H Hausmann 4-8-12 25/1
77/17/06 2 MENEVAL Vincent O’Brien IRE Lester Piggott Mrs George F Getty II 4-9-00 2/1F
*run at York