Midday strikes in Nassau Stakes
The record books will show that Midday has won the Group One Blue Square Nassau Stakes twice but really she has won it three times.
Henry Cecil’s filly came to Goodwood as the defending champion and appeared to be cruising to her second victory, but then she seemed to think it was time to make it just a little more interesting.
As usual Barshiba pulled her way to the front and was tracked by Stacelita early in the home straight but all were swept aside by Midday. Tom Queally had began to make a move with three furlongs to run and then Midday injected a real burst of pace at the two-furlong pole. She put three lengths between herself and the field and seemed to be powering away to an impressive victory.
Then, with just over a furlong, she began to idle in front. Sensing his chance, Christophe Soumillon redoubled his efforts on Stacelita and she was catching Midday (pictured left) with every stride as Queally galvanised his filly to pick up the pace once more and win the race all over again. Midday responded but, as she did, she then began to drift right and got very close to Stacelita as she won by one-and-a-quarter lengths, with Antara third. Even as Queally was riding Midday back to the winner’s enclosure the dreaded chimes announcing a stewards’ inquiry told the jockey that the job was not quite finished.
The BHA had launched an experiment to have stewards’ enquiries broadcast live on national television. The experiment, which only got off the ground after much persuasion among the jockeys, was tried at Epsom for the Derby meeting and again at Ascot’s King George meeting last weekend. The problem was that the riders were so well behaved that there was nothing to hold an enquiry about.
When they finally got their chance it was all rather civilised. Both Queally and Soumillon were shown a video of the finish and the Belgian was the first to put his case but without much conviction.
Soumillon would make it on to any list of ten famous Belgians but, unlike Hercules Poirot, the little grey cells were not up to the job of finding any telling evidence of a crime as he put his side of the story. “Sir, when I arrived on the two-furlong mark I was trying to get the rail, because my filly needs some contact to fight. So I couldn’t follow his rhythm when he quickens – he took me a length-and-a-half, his horse hangs on the rail. So, at that time, I have to take my time to come out again. And when I took out my filly I came really fast, I thought I was going to win and the filly on my inside start to shift out and she come quite fast on me. And when my filly feel the pressure coming she was a bit out-balanced and it was just 20 or 30 metres from the finish line – but this is the only thing I can tell you right now.”
Queally, sitting there with the thrice-scrubbed innocence of a choirboy, retaliated in the most benign fashion. “In what was initially a slow-run race to begin with I took a stalking role I took a stalking role. About four from home I quickened it up little by little –I wanted to commit my filly in plenty of time – and I saw Mr Soumillon was labouring. I had a quick look to my right to make sure I was clear of him because my initial plan was to go to the rail for the best ground. So I was well over a length clear of him when I made my move to the right. And I think it’s fair to say that, although both fillies had shifted left late on I think it’s fair to say that Mr Soumillon’s filly went a bit left to begin with and my one followed her. Although late on my one did probably got a little bit to the left again, but I had my stick my left hand – and I did everything in my power possible to keep her straight. And as well as that right at the line I was almost a length-and-a-half clear and I won decisively.”
Queally also won the stewards’ decision but he was suspended for two days having been found guilty of careless riding.
Midday became only the third filly to win the Nassau twice – following on from Roussalka (1975, 1976) and Ruby Tiger (1991, 1992). Roussalka , like Midday, was trained by Henry Cecil, who having missed the win of Lord Shanakill on the first day of the meeting, was on the track for his second Group One winner of the season. Both of those, the other was Twice Over in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park four weeks ago, were for Prince Khalid Abdullah.
While it is true that many of Cecil’s owners succumbed to nothing more than anno domini there were others who simply felt that the trainer had become yesterday’s man. Abdullah remained a staunch believer when plenty doubted and now he is reaping a rich reward. "She’s a good filly and I am so pleased for the prince,” Cecil said.
Reflecting on the race he said: “They went no pace early on and when she hit the front she idled until the runner-up came to her and then she raced again. It was more like a mile race. She’s getting a little bit lazier and because there was no pace she had to quicken up a lot, which doesn’t really suit her - she prefers to come gradually, and today she thought she’d done enough when she hit the front.
“I didn’t want to make the running with her, but I wanted her to get the rail and the better ground, and instead she had to come a little bit wide. She’s a very sensible filly, although you have to be a little careful what you do with her, and she likes a strong pace.”
Few trainers have been better at handling the distaff version of the Thoroughbred than Cecil and he knows that he has a precious talent in his possession that he does not want to abuse. He had to hold back after Midday had finished second to Sariska in the Middleton Stakes in May. The concession of a 5lb penalty – her burden for winning the Grade One Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita last season – had proved too much but Cecil also had to concede that running her on such quick ground did not allow Midday to use the full range of her talents.
“She’s stronger than last year, but she doesn’t want the ground too fast because she’s quite heavy shouldered and hasn’t got the best joints. If it had been any firmer today she wouldn’t have run - she pottered round for a few days after she won at the Breeders’ Cup, so I have to be careful with her. She needed the race that day and was giving 5lb to the winner. She was sore after York, but hopefully we can have a clear run to the end of the season. All being well she’ll go for the Yorkshire Oaks.”
http://www.senore.com/Its-all-Evens-And-Odds-in-Stewards-Cup-a19617http://www.senore.com/Richard-Hughes-ends-Goodwood-on-cloud-nine-a19632
http://www.senore.com/Michael-Hills-comes-through-in-critical-moment-a19608
Tags: