Kinane closes Ascot in style

Published on Sunday 19 June 2005 00:39

CAPE Of Good Hope capped a fine week for overseas raiders at Royal Ascot at York as he struck for Hong Kong in the Golden Jubilee Stakes yesterday.

Mick Kinane brought the 6-1 shot home to edge out Galeota in a time that took 0.24sec off the course record.

The seven-year-old extended his already-substantial lead in the Global Sprint Challenge by winning the second of two British legs in the six-race series.

And the result tied up another loose end, with victory also providing Kinane with his fifth win at the five-day meeting to seal the London Clubs Trophy for leading rider.

He went on to make it six later in the afternoon when Notable Guest won the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.

Kinane had been booked to ride Somnus, but switched to Cape Of Good Hope when Tim Easterby's horse was one of five late withdrawals with the ground riding very fast.

Fourth in the King's Stand Stakes over the minimum trip on Tuesday, the David Oughton-trained Cape Of Good Hope was always travelling well as Galeota attempted to make all the running.

Richard Hannon's charge looked for a long way as though he might hold on, but Cape Of Good Hope proved to be too strong in the closing stages. Balmont, the 9-2 favourite, finished third.

Trained 10,000 miles away in Hong Kong he may be, but Cape Of Good Hope could be considered a British winner in many respects.

David Oughton trained for five years in his home county of Sussex before relocating to Hong Kong, where he has been based for 19 years.

Similarly, Cape Of Good Hope started out life with David Elsworth before being sold privately to join Oughton in the Far East at the end of his three-year-old career.

Global travel clearly sits well with both trainer and horse.

"It's a great day for me to come home and have a winner. It means an awful lot," said Oughton. "He's so tough, and a marvellous horse to train.

"He's been all over the world - to Australia, Japan and England twice - and he's just a really tough horse.

"I wouldn't make a habit of running him twice in a week. He's now done it twice at Ascot, but normally in Hong Kong he would have six weeks between races.

"Coming all this way we take a chance and run him twice in a week, and it's come off."

Oughton says that his winner will now enjoy a well-earned break from the action after his return home.

"He flies back on Monday and then he won't run until the Sprinters Stakes in Japan in October.

"After that it will be the big sprint in Hong Kong in December and then the two races in Australia that make up the start of the Sprint Challenge.

"I was disappointed when we were beaten in this race last year because I knew that six furlongs suits him better than five.

"He ideally wants seven furlongs, but there aren't any Group Ones at the distance.

"What this win does show, though, is how good (HK champion) Silent Witness is. Every time we've been up against him he makes this horse look pedestrian - he really does. He must be some horse."

Delighted to come in for the ride, Kinane admitted he felt sorry for Philip Robinson, who was substituted.

He said: "I knew this horse had come on for the run on Tuesday, but I have committed to Tim Easterby's horse for the season. But when Tim took his horse out, David let me back on him.

"It turned into a bit of battle in the last 100 yards, but I just got there. He's a top-class sprinter. I rode him in the first leg of the Global Sprint Challenge in Australia when he was third, but I couldn't make it when he won his Group One there last time.

"I've known David for a long time and rode for him for five years when I was in Hong Kong. I'm delighted for him, because he deserves this."

There was a slight sting in the tail for Kinane, however, as he was handed a three-day ban for careless riding. The ban covers June 29, 30 and July 1.

Richard Hannon jnr said of Galeota, who was beaten by a head: "That was a monumental performance for a three-year-old.

"He just about had them all beat after five furlongs, and it was a massive run.

I think he is a champion sprinter in the making. The July Cup is a possibility and he'll get better and better. He's the sort of horse who could take you all over the world.

"People keep coming up to me and saying 'bad luck', but you can't feel that bad when you've just won 55 grand!"

The July Cup is also the target for Balmont, who was a further length and a half away in third. His trainer Jeremy Noseda felt the colt would be better suited by more cut in the ground.