Hosting Ascot proves breezier than expected

Published on Saturday 18 June 2005 00:36

WITH only today left of the Royal meeting at York I think we can judge the whole enterprise at least a qualified success. Despite my misgivings, everyone seems to have had a lot of fun, both for the men who dress like penguins and the ladies who dress - well, like ladies.

Some of the hats took a fair bashing in the stiff Yorkshire breeze earlier in the week. However, there was no nightmare on the Knavesmire for most of the Ascot faithful.

The difficult weather at the start of the week did not help the crowds and it was only on ladies' day on Thursday that the crowd topped the 50,000 mark. This is some 20,000 down on what would be expected at Ascot but is not a bad turnout, and a course record for York.

I found the last statistic a bit of a surprise given that, on television at least, the crowd did not look as big as those on Ebor day, which I have attended in person.

As I expected, York's course prevailed in terms of style of running and it mostly paid to have your fancy ridden on, or at least up with the pace. That is perhaps no bad thing, that some proven front-runners got a chance at the biggest prizes as opposed to getting "done" in the final furlong.

That said, many of the races provided epic finishes with perhaps the best jockeyship of the week being displayed by a Frenchman, Olivier Peslier, on Westerner, who had the courage to wait and wait on the superbly talented French horse to coax him home in the Gold Cup by an easy neck.

If President Chirac is a racing fan then he may have used the French triumph in the Gold Cup as a suitable riposte to our beloved leader at the European summit.

The best horse on display was another French connection, their scintillating Derby winner Shamardal, who waltzed away with the St James Palace on Tuesday.

Many important things may be about to happen in the world on Saturday, 2 July but at least spare a glance for the upcoming "race of the century" between the brilliant Epsom Derby winner, Michael Bell's Motivator, and Shamardal in the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.

After the Godolphin horse won the French Derby, some early betting on the Eclipse had Motivator a heavy odds-on chance. The odds changed after the race on Tuesday.

It would, of course, be a racing dream if a horse from a relatively small stable like that of Bell goes on to prove himself the supreme middle-distance champion throughout the year but, for my money, there has been no better three-year-old than Shamardal for many years.

If the pair had met at Epsom on Derby day then I dare say the prospects would have been entirely different and would have favoured the Bell horse. However, in the Eclipse at Sandown over ten furlongs I expect it to be Godolphin's day.

At any rate, great credit goes to both camps for being willing to take on the race and the build up to the Sandown showdown may put even Royal York in the shade.

Strike Up The Band fell out of the stalls in the Norfolk Stakes on Thursday and did well in the circumstances to run on for a gallant second. He comes out again in the Windsor Castle at 2.30 today. For some, running a two-year-old twice in such elevated company in two days is asking a great deal, however, there are many examples of Dandy Nicholls' horses answering the call. I think he will go one better this afternoon.

In a competitive little card at Ayr, Mark Johnston sends up Nihal, who promised much when fourth on his debut at Pontefract. He will be good enough today and rates the nap.

For National Hunt fans, the card at Hexham tomorrow offers two open-looking novice hurdle contests. Take Sterling Guarantee in the first race and Diamond Cutter in the last as sound each-way bets to upset the favourites.

CAMARA TWIST

THERE was another twist in the Ooh Aah Camara saga yesterday when trainer Richard Guest ran the Scottish-owned filly at Royal Ascot at York despite being warned about a potential risk. It was rumoured that the two-year-old had been given bute, a substance prohibited when a horse races.

Ooh Aah Camara was an 11th-hour withdrawal from Wednesday's Queen Mary Stakes due to a "legal dispute" between football agent owner Willie McKay and trainer Vicky Haigh. But the filly was given the all-clear to run in Guest's name in the Albany Stakes after the matter was resolved.

However, Malcolm Wallace, the Jockey Club's director of regulation, said: "There was a rumour going round that the horse had been given bute (phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory). Richard Guest was informed and he was told that if he ran the horse it would be tested.

"He knows what's going to happen if it tests positive - as the horse's trainer, he is responsible."

Ooh Aah Camara finished 11th of the 14 runners after having every chance.