Deacon Blues stepping up from Handicap in the Group 3 Shadwell Stakes at Newbury
The four-year-old bay gelding, Deacon Blues, steps up from Handicap racing in the Group 3 Shadwell Stakes. The race will be run at Newbury on 16 July with 10 runners, 3-year-old and above colts and geldings.
The winner of the Group 3 Shadwell Stakes will earn £28,355; race will be run over at a distance of 6 furlongs and eight yards.
Deacon Blues is trained by James Fanshawe for owners, Jan & Peter Hopper & Michelle Morris.
The son of Compton Place was foaled on 19 February, 2007, and began his two-year career at Nottingham in the European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Stakes.
He broke his maiden in his second race at Leicester 0n 26 October, 2009, in the EBF Fosse Way Maiden Stakes over a distance of six furlongs.
On a 9 horse field, Deacon Blues under jockey Phillip Makin tracked leaders in the first two furlongs. After the two furlong mark, Deacon Blues responded to jockey Phillip Makin’s urging as the pair led from two furlongs out.
Keenly run race helped the duo edge out of competition defeating Rolling Hills by 1 ¼ lengths, who finished second
Since then Deacon Blues by Persario has come a long way and made his name in the Handicap division.
His first Handicap success came in the 2010 season with famous jockey Jamie Spencer in the Well Balanced Leger At jhsimpson.co.uk Handicap.
The race was run at Yarmouth on 9 June 2010, which attracted a field of eight horses. The pair surged past their foes marking a respectable win over Angus Newz by 3 ½ lengths.
From 16 July onwards, a new era for Deacon Blues will begin as he steps into the world of graded stakes races.
The win in the Wokingham Stakes, a heritage handicap at the Royal Ascot on 18 June, prompted the shift for Deacon Blues.
On a massive field of 25 horses with six furlongs to run, Deacon Blues with his mount J Murtagh switched to the far side early in the race, but got held up in the midfield.
Under pressure, the pair held their nerves as J Murtagh brought the best out of Deacon Blues, as the gelding stuck his neck out and fiercely ran towards the wire.
With a furlong out, Deacon Blues led the race, repelling challenges pressed home to win by a neck over Waffle. Only his second Handicap win, but a significant one none the less.
Deacon Blues is scheduled for Blue Square Steward Cup as well which will go on in two weeks time, but trainer James Fanshawe warned that the race could be at stake if the gelding goes to Newbury for his graded stakes race debut in the Grade 3 Shadwell Stakes.
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