Royal Ascot 2011- Frederick Engels wins Windsor Castle Stakes for David Brown, Alex Ferguson's Magic City disappoints
The Windsor Castle Stakes was the final race of Day One of the Royal Ascot 2011, and, despite being one of the, less fancy races, it offered some ample betting opportunities.
First run in 1879, it attracts new trainers because of its small field size. The trend for the race primarily is that favourites do not win the race, which adds to the bettors’ anticipation.
At this year’s race Frederick Engels, Magic City Gentleman’s Code, and, Worthington, were all horses to look out for, but only one would go on to please fans, punters, and bettors alike.
Frederick Engels, owned by Qatar Bloodstock Ltd, and, trained by David Brown, was the deserving winner of the stakes, while Sir Alex Ferguson’s Magic City ended at a disappointing 17th position.
Not only had Frederick Engels led the betting market with odds of 9-4, he also proved his worth on the field of the five-furlong race under Johnny Murtagh. The field was slowly shifting towards the stands’ side rail but Johnny Murtagh maneuvered his way
around the runners and Frederick Engels went on to win by over two lengths.
Keith Dalgleish trained, Stonefield Flyer, came in second while Alan McCabe trained, Caspar Netscher, and, Gentlemans Code, finished at third, and, fourth respectively.
The inexperienced Frederick Engels pleased trainer Brown, who won his first Ascot title and said:
“We'll probably have a party tonight, or if not tonight tomorrow. Then we can go the following day to win a seller at Redcar - onwards and upwards. We have a great training facility - if you couldn't train horses there you couldn't train them anywhere”.
He added that Johnny Murtagh had high hopes for the two-year-old’s future. Murtagh himself said, "It's so difficult to win here and it's such a special place, it's the best racetrack and it's the best racing in the world”.
What a day it must have been for the Qatar based owners of Frederick Engels, who had just made the purchase, just a week before the race.
Recent trends show that no trainer has won at the Windsor Castle Stakes more than once, and this might be the case with David Brown too. Whether he will defy trends and go on to win another Stake next year, or, fall into the pattern is yet to be seen.
There is also speculation about Frederick Engels future. From his impressive win at Musselburgh to this recent victory, it seems like this horse never ceases to please.
On the contrary Magic City’s performance has been on a downhill journey and with this final blow analysts feel the horse is not worth the money anymore.
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