Deacon Blues for the Ascot with Frankie Dettori or Johnny Murtagh
In horse racing there are not only jockeys who get to choose the horses they want to ride and race on rather a horse’s outstanding credentials can make the jockeys stand and wait in line for him in order to get selected for the honoured ride.
The 4-year-old, James Fanshawe trained Deacon Blues who is under the combined ownership of Jan and Peter Hopper and Michelle Morris is being thought over to be tested for the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot next month.
Deacon Blues has been a winner in the last four races from June to September this year, the most recent achievement being the Dubai International World Trophy under jockey Frankie Dettori. Initially he was toiling in the rear but was just around shadows
and geared up and rode out when he was a little over the first furlong.
Towards the final furlong he was in lead by 120 yards before taking charge of the lot and settling the race after racing through the finish line. Masamah made it to the second position with Jamie Spencer and the twice St Leger winner jockey William Buick
made his ride stand out to be the third in the race.
Earlier in August this year it was at the Patrick P. O’Leary Memorial Phoenix Sprint, a Group 3 race which had a field set for eight contestants that day and was won by Deacon Blues but this time under Johnny Murtagh. He beat the representative of A P O’Brien
ridden by J P O’Brien, Empowering, making him the runner up for the race.
In July he won the Shadwell Stakes, Group 3 with Frank Dettori again and then in June the Wokingham Stakes under J Murtagh.
Evidently both the jockeys have contributed equally for Deacon Blues’s success this year so it would be something to choose one from the either which will obviously put the rest of the connections in a grave dilemma.
Trainer James Fanshawe's wife Jacko, speaking on the trainer's website, www.jamesfanshawe.com, said: "It is going to be difficult a problem working out who will ride him at Ascot if he gets there”.
Usually the concern before most of the races tends to be the outcome at the end through the efforts of the horse primarily here however choosing the jockey seems to be the bigger deal!!!
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