William Buick caps dream weekend with Prix Morny win
After a hectic trans-Atlantic schedule William Buick could have been forgiven for not knowing whether it was New York or new year. Or even whether it was Arlington Park or Deauville.
Not that it really mattered because he was a winner either place for the 22-year-old jockey. Barley 15 hours after he won the Grade One Arlington Million on Debussy, Buick landed his second major prize of the weekend when Dream Ahead won the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville.
If nothing else Buick’s success is getting closer to the home-based prizes that he craves. His weekend brace takes him to four Group or Grade One career victories following on from his wins on Lahaleeb, in the EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine last year, and Da Re Mi in the Dubai Sheema Classic, at Metdan in March.
The victory was a ground-breaking one in more senses than one for the colt’s trainer, David Simcock, who landed an initial Group-race triumph with Bushman in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom in June.
Dream Ahead had looked the part when he won his maiden at Nottingham last month by nine lengths but then Simcock took a gamble by not running in the Gimcrack Stakes at York on Wednesday in the hope of finding a softer option in terms of ground if not opposition.
However, the Diktat colt handled ground that was officially described as good perfectly well as he became the latest declared candidate for next season’s 2000 Guineas.
Libranno was up front early for Richard Hughes, but never looked same assertive form as he had been at the both the July meeting and Glorious Goodwood for Richard Hannon, and was ridden hard from two furlongs out. By then Buick had been making smooth progress on Dream Ahead to challenge Broox in the final furlong and was ahead about 150 yards out. He came slightly off a true line, in what was only his second career start, but looked comfortable as he beat Tin Horse by one-and-a-half lengths with Pontenuovo third.
The rest of the British runners failed to make any real impact with John Hills' Irish Field fifth Libranno sixth, the Mick Channon-trained Soraaya eighth and Godolphin's Al Aasifh 10th.
Simcock, speaking on his website, said: “That was a very good performance and he was very professional. He has plenty of ability and plenty of speed and he did it very nicely. It's fantastic to have a Group One winner and I'm probably most grateful to Khalifa Dasmal, who has probably been my longest-serving owner."
Elsewhere on the card British runners had to settle for place money. Stacelita had to work all the way to hold the late challenge of Godolphin's Antara in the Group One Prix Jean Romanet. Frankie Dettori looked to have timed his run but Stacelita, second to Midday in the Nassau Stakes last time out, won by a head. “Antara has run a big race. She was beaten by a better filly on the day, though she would have preferred softer ground," said Antara’s trainer, Saeed bin Suroor.
There are no firm plans for the filly but the Grade One E P Taylor Stakes over 10 furlongs on turf at Woodbine on October 16th could be one of her targets.
Kieren Fallon was another jockey who had done the double shift at Arlington and Deauville but for less reward. He and trainer Luca Cumani got close, but not close enough with Manighar a short-neck second to Americain in the Group Two Prix Kergorlay and Contredanse finishing a head runner-up to Lily Of The Valley Group Three Prix de la Nonette at Deauville.
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