Louis-Philippe Beuzelin profits on Aaim To Prosper in Cesarewitch
Less than a year after his career, and even his life, hung in the balance, Louis-Philippe Beuzelin claimed the victory of his short career.
The 3lb claimer rode Aaim To Prosper to win the totesport.com Cesarewitch for Brian Meehan, but the pair had to work all the way to the line.
This two-and-a-quarter-mile handicap takes no prisoners and there were plenty under the pump with four furlongs to run. Beuzelin made the strike for home just passing the three-furlong pole, but there were six or more still chasing him heading into the Dip.
La Vecchia Scuola was cutting down Aaim To Prosper’s lead in the final furlong, Plymouth Rock arrived from somewhere in the next county, but the leader held on by a neck and one-and-three-quarter lengths. The victory marked the comeback for Beuzelin, who had been admitted to intensive care after being involved in a car crash in his native Barbados last November.
The 19-year-old was watched by his parents, Jean-Louis and Sylvie, and his sister Chloe, who had flown in from his home country.
Beuzelin, who is apprenticed to Sir Michael Stoute and has lived in Britain for two-and-a-half years, was riding Aaim To Prosper in a race for the first time. “I’ve watched his recent races and he tends to come off the bridle [after hitting the front], but he took me there. I was in front at the four-furlong marker, and I thought ‘we’re there too early’, but at the same time he was coming back underneath me and travelling well so I thought I’d better keep going.
“From there he tried all the way, although I thought the runner-up was going to catch me inside the final furlong. It’s perfect to ride my biggest winner on such a special occasion.”
Beuzelin admitted that it has taken time to get back his confidence and build up the number of rides following his accident. “I was not getting a lot of rides and my confidence was going. I kept thinking I was going downhill when I was by myself but Sir Michael Stoute has been a great help to me. In chats with him, he told me to relax which I have been doing. A ride in any race is a passion for me.”
Having failed to win in his last seven starts, Barry Hills’ Red Jazz was in danger of being considered a horse who might have been ducking the challenge. But he had lost no caste in defeat when he was a close third to Poet’s Voice in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last month and he ran out a good winner of the Group Two Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes.
Michael Hills, who had flown out to ride Redwood in the Grade One Canadian International at Woodbine, had described Red Jazz as “a real soldier for me” and he certainly battled for stand-in Robert Winston.
Always in the front rank, disputing the lead with Main Aim, Red Jazz found plenty in the final furlong to beat Cat Junior by two-and-a-quarter lengths. “He has terrible feet and has had problems with them all year, but plenty of horses have got bad feet and we all have our problems,” the trainer said. “He ran the race of his life in the QEII but was hopping lame the week before last.
“He might go to Dubai in the spring if we can find a race for him and we will then look at the Lockinge and Queen Anne and see where we go. He’ll make a stallion this horse and he will be better next year.”
Hills completed a double on the card when Tastahil, ridden by William Buick, made all the running to land the closing race on, the Group Three Jockey Club Cup. The victory added to Hills’ enviable record in the race, having also won it five times with Further Flight (1991 - 1995) and once with Rainbow High (1999).
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