Corsica takes Bahrain Trophy for Mark Johnston
Success is something that every trainer craves, but Mark Johnston knows some victories come at a price.
Corsica put himself firmly on the map as a progressive three-year-old when he won the Group Three Bahrain Trophy. But whether he continues to run for Johnston or makes the switch to Godolphin is a matter of speculation.
The colt is owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum, the son of Sheikh Mohammed, and his horses have often been moved on his father’s Godolphin string.
Liam Jones, riding Harris Tweed, ensured that the race would not be run at a dawdling pace as he took the field into the home straight. He was tracked by Corsica, who was upsides with three furlongs to run. Frankie Dettori had elected for a move off the rail with Corsica in favour of the centre of the track, which was followed by the rest of the field bar Harris Tweed, who kept to the rail.
The two leaders were the only ones who were really involved in the business end of the race and Corsica, who had failed to concede Harris Tweed 18lbs in a handicap at Musselburgh last month, found life somewhat easier on level terms as he won by three-quarters of a length, with Caucus in third.
Corsica found two miles too far when he finished third in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot but this win demonstrated that he could be up to staying the extended one-and-three-quarter miles in the St Leger at Doncaster in September. “He stayed well there today but saying that, it was probably a bit too far at Ascot," Johnston said. "I thought he was possibly our best chance of the week at Ascot so I was a bit disappointed.
“I've not thought as far ahead as the St Leger. I think maybe the Great Voltigeur - we'll have to see about that. At least the entries for the St Leger haven't closed yet. He's kept his form well. The second had beaten him getting 18lb at Musselburgh so the only blip on his copy book is the Queen’s Vase.”
This was the 17th winner this season for what is proving to be a profitable association for Dettori with Johnston-trained runners. “He's a good stayer and I thought we would go and win quite well. It was a bit of hard work but he got there in the end. He has a tendency to go left so I didn’t want to fight him when I was off the bridle. I started him in the middle and he actually got himself organised and went straight as a bullet," Dettori said.
“He's a grand horse - he’s a bit quirky but he goes forward and wins races. He has got his own mind - he can go left and right - but he got the job done. I'll leave any St Leger decision to Mark - he needs to step up a bit more again but he keeps on improving.”
Circumvent is another who seems yet to have reached the ceiling of his talents as he battled on to win the sportingbet.com Handicap. A promising two-year-old, when he won a Group Three race at Saint-Cloud last October, Circumvent had previously run in the Dante Stakes at York in May.
Then he finished tailed off behind Cape Blanco when it was discovered that muscle. Paul Cole, who was saddling only his 10th winner of the season, said: “We needed that, it has been a quiet year. He is a very good horse but his best form is in soft ground. We hoped he would win today but we certainly weren’t expecting him to win," he said.
“In the Dante the ground didn’t suit, it was too firm. I also think he pulled muscles that day as he lugged a bit through the race.
“He needs a bit of give in the ground to get the best out of him and the plans is for an autumn campaign and a trip to Deauville in the meantime. He is a Group horse and we will stick to 10 furlongs for now but I do think he will stay a mile-and-a-half."
Astrophysical Jet blew away her rivals in the concluding Warehouse Solutions Handicap for Ed McMahon and landed a gamble to boot.
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