Hillstar upsets Battle Of Marengo to claim King Edward VII Stakes – Horseracing news
Hillstar pulled off a huge upset at the Royal Ascot, defeating Battle Of Marengo in the King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2).
The latter of the two stallions was given the best odds and no one could have thought that he would end up as a runner up in the all important event. He has the potential to win Group 1 competitions and this performance would have
really shaken his camp.
Not only did Hillstar win the race, he managed to do that with ease, which was a bit of a surprise for the spectators. Although the young challenger was given a pretty decent starting price, he was still not expected to triumph
by a margin of one length.
Entering the final two furlongs of the race, it appeared that Battle Of Marengo would claim victory with ease. He was in a clear lead and all he had to do was hold off his rivals until crossing the finish line.
However, the winning stallion showed impressive stamina and fought back strongly to take the lead in the final 75 yards. This was an improved run from him and it will definitely encourage his team to test him at the highest level.
Ryan Moore, the winning jockey, was happy with the result, but admitted that the ground conditions suited his runner. He said, “We've always thought a lot of the horse. He won a nice maiden last year and both his starts this year
have been on real fast ground and they didn't work out for him. The trip suited him today.”
On the other hand, the runner up trainer Aidan O’Brien was forced to think that Battle Of Marengo could not do well in longer distance races. He claimed, “He ran very well, but the winner came and caught him. He went an even pace,
but the winner came from the back. Maybe a shorter trip would suit - he was lobbing away and had a nice position, then went clear and wasn't stopping, but the winner was too good.”
After starting off the season on a high, the three-year-old colt’s form has taken a serious dip and he certainly needs some time before coming back to a competitive event.
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