Murtagh claims the fame and glory in Coronation Cup
There have been times when Ballydoyle’s tactics left something to be desired. Aidan O’Brien may have mapped them out with military precision but they were carried out more like something out of the charge of the Light Brigade.
And there was also the time two years ago when Johnny Murtagh and O’Brien were involved in a BHA enquiry over “team tactics” after Duke Of Marmalade won the Juddmonte International Stakes. But everything went to a well-worked plan when Fame And Glory won the Group One Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom.
O’Brien had Dixie Music in the race to provide some much-needed pace and Seamus Heffernan had the colt up front from the start. He was tracked by Fame And Glory along with Jukebox Jury as the trio opened up a gap of about eight lengths on the rest of the field by the top of Tattenham Hill.
Fame And Glory had spent most of last season clashing with Sea The Stars – and coming off worse each time – but he is a thorough stayer and the pace that Dixie Music was setting simply played to his robust talents.
Murtagh decided that he was not going to die wondering and committed Fame And Glory to the long strike for the glory swinging into the home straight. But he had not slipped the field and Jamie Spencer arrived at his quarters seemingly travelling easily on Sariska. Last year’s Oaks winner got to within a half-length but then found no more as the leader answered all of Murtagh’s urgings to win by one-and-a-half lengths, with Sariska holding off a late run from High Heeled for second.
The victory was a third at Group One level for Fame And Glory and his rider is enthused by the colt’s whole-hearted style. “He just missed the stalls a little bit today,” Murtagh said. “There didn’t seem to be much pace in the race, so I said to Seamus ‘I’ll probably follow you’. “The horse on my inside [Jukebox Jury] probably had me a little bit keen early in but he has done it the hard way. I wanted to just get a breather into him but he went hard for a long way and he’s a real champion. I like the way he knuckled down.
“When Sariska came to us, there was only going to be one winner. He’s very solid, there are no chinks in his armour. He’s much more on the ball this year and is showing a bit more dash.”
Fame And Glory may get the chance to prove that dash as O’Brien is considering dropping him to 10 furlongs if he runs at Royal Ascot. “He’s tactically very quick now. We’ll maybe have a look at the Prince of Wales’s Stakes for him next as he’s very pacey but we’ll see how he is.”
Sariska lost no caste in defeat and her trainer Michael Bell, who had been hoping for a dream 1000th winner of his career, said: “He’s a very good horse right on his game, Sariska’s a very good filly right on her game, but we came up a little bit short. Not by much and that was a very good run against a very good horse. The filly is a star, and it’s no disgrace to be second.
“Jamie said the ground wasn’t ideal for her - she’s effective on this ground, but softer plays to her strengths. It’s never wise to make a decision straight after a race and we’ll have a big discussion and make a strategy with Carol [owner Lady Carol Bamford] and Hugo [racing manager Hugo Lascelles]. The Arc is the ultimate aim if the ground is in her favour, but in the meantime we’ve got the option of going back against her own s*x. Unless Fame And Glory has an operation we won’t meet him there, although we’ll happily take him on again when the time comes.”
High Heeled now has the Prix Vermeille, the Lancashire Oaks and the Pretty Polly Stakes to choose from as possible future targets according her trainer John Gosden.
http://www.senore.com/Snow-Fairy-weaves-her-magic-in-Oaks-a12092
http://www.senore.com/William-Buick-motors-on-at-Epsom-a12078
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