Graham Clifford Reviews Day 2 of the Challenge Finals (Classics Distances)

Day 2 of the Challenge Finals – Classics review

With Graham Clifford

New kid on the block steals the limelight

Less than 24-hours after collecting his first ever challenge final win Amber Fields was back in the winner’s enclosure in the USA this time collecting an even bigger winning cheque. Oh yes all the women want Amber and all the men want to be him! In his last race Harjab(England) actually came last in a classic challenge qualifier though to be fair that day he was running on empty. On Thursday on stateside he was an entirely different beast!

Classic finals can get the better of a horse and their owner as nerves jangle and the more experienced and successful owners appear unbeatable. Under grey clouds though Harjab and his jockey Wayne Bailey kept their composure.

In the stands I was told that Amber Fields was very animated throughout this final. You see Harjab found himself on the rails from early on and it seemed that he wasn’t trying to move off them. By the half-way point the 2-year-old, who was plucked from the sales ring for a mere £9.45, was back in fifth and it appeared as though his goose was cooked. Indeed it was difficult to see how Mavatorian Beast from the shotgun_mike stable could be beaten, he had a three lengths lead with the line in touching distance. But somehow Bailey found an opening and Harjab finished at electric speed. 

So delighted was Amber he pulled his jumper over his head and ran around the track followed by local police!

Textbook display from Gracious Lady secures Classic win

If Harjab had pulled out all the stops to capture the Classic final for colts at the death in Thursday’s first big race of the day then Gracious Lady from the Wrs Stable ran a textbook race from start to finish. Indeed even when the grey La Femmezilla from the Nightmare stable made a last gasp dash for the line Gracious Lady (apparently named after Jo Brand) kept her composure to send her yard into a state of euphoria!

The sensational victory in Hong Kong brings to five the total of challenge final wins for the Wrs Stable but in terms of prize money this has been the biggest of the big.

In a recent interview the wife of owner Ron explained the routine the couple share when their nags are fighting it out on Challenge final day, she said “Ron likes to have a beer while he is watching the finals (Just an excuse on his part), another beer if celebrations of a victory are required and a large one if it is commiserations. For myself I am a romantic. I will cuddle up with Ron while we watch and give a big kiss if we win and also need a cuddle and a kiss if we lose. A good amount of cheering occurs during the race particularly if the amber nectar has been flowing. Ron watches with disgust as I celebrate with a glass of water!”

Let’s hope the amber nectar was flowing on Thursday night Ron, you definitely deserve it!

Sky Castle Stables reaches the 50 win mark first

After the Sky Castle finals victory on Wednesday, which brought its grand total of challenge final wins to 49, I asked if this yard or Shotgun_mikes would be the first to hit the half-century of top wins.

Duc De Richelieu from the Sky Castle stables captured the Derby in the USA one hour before Shotgun_mike’s 50th win thereby delivering a moral victory to the stable in blue.

Winning jockey Charlie Saxon described Duc De Richelieu as one of the most impresses rides he’d ever had and having been with every virtual female jockey in the game he speaks from experience!

Sky Castle stables snapped up this youngster in January paying the Vasya stable £511 for his services, money well spent by a stable that has this challenge series lark down to a tee.

Old habits die hard

‘So Theatrical’ just couldn’t help herself. Leading by at least four lengths in Thursday’s Oaks final in Hong Kong she took the foot off the gas as the line neared just to entertain the crowds.

The victory was never in doubt, the 16th challenge final success for the RedHalo Racing stable – hats off to you guys, but for a moment the Jemchipsa Magic stable must have thought this was their chance to get that elusive first win at this grade.

With her mind elsewhere So Theatrical appeared to lose concentration nearly gifting the big win to Jemchipsa Nova who just ran out of turf at the end.

“I’m not sure what happened” said a clearly shocked Charlie Saxon after riding back-to-back winners, he continued “one minute she was storming ahead the next it was like she was on the beach at Blackpool.”

Still a wins a win and congratulations to RedHalo Racing.

The Challenge final masters share Royal loot

Shotgun_mike may have lost out on getting the 50th challenge final win first but he didn’t let it show as his combination of Eccellenza Suecia and Heinz Huber delivered the Queen Elizabeth win on Thursday evening.

And it was fitting that the horse beaten into second was Champagne Opel from the Sky Castle stables. Between them the two yards now have 103 Challenge final winners according to my calculator, that’s simply astonishing.

On the dirt in Dubai Sky Castles added to their tally when Service Resumes romped to victory in the King George. It was very much a family affair with the stable taking 1st, 3rd and 4th in the final.

Now Sky Castle Stables face a fight to retain ownership of the stable with a number of wealthy sheiks present in Dubai enquiring as to what it would take to take this brilliant yard for their own!

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