16:50 And that’s it from Ascot’s flat racing season and what a season it has been, especially for Aiden O’Brien who monopolised the Royal Meeting and most of the major races during the remainder of the season.
We will be back here on 1st November as the jumps season at Ascot kicks off.
Meanwhile from a sunny Berkshire good evening.
16:45 It’s a funny game is this racing – after the stands side dominating all afternoon on the straight course the finale saw the complete opposite with the far side prevailing. None more convincingly that Judge 'n Jury who romped home by 4½ under Andrea Atzeni (who regulars will know is a male Andrea not a female model).
Always to the fore he was taken to the front approaching the furlong marker and never challenged.
Bosun Breese, the runner-up, was with the pace throughout but left looking flat footed as the winner ran away, his rider Louis-Philippe Beuzelin unable to get anything extra..
Old timer the 11 year old The Tatling ran on well to take third place under Jack Dean.
Rank outsider, the rogue, Peopleton Brook filled fourth place at a nice 100/1 for each way backers.
Favourite Lochstar was with teh pace mid-race but only managed to finish 5th.
16:20 And so we come to the final flat race of Ascot's 2008 season a very tricky 5f apprentice handicap. The very best of luck if you are thinking of having a bet in this one.
16:12 A mile and a quarter handicap for Ascot’s penultimate flat race of 2008.
It produced a good finish with Heaven Knows, despite sweating freely, running on well to take the race in the closing stages by 1¼ lengths from another running on runner Ramona Way.
The long time leader and pacesetter Prince Forever came home third.
It was another of those races where the runners were quite well strung out turning out of Swinley Bottom. However as they turned for home the field bunched up and the race developed.
Favourite Ascot Lime, along with the winner, had been tracking the pacesetters the aforementioned Prince Forever and Zero Tolerance. The latter fading badly to finish last.
The favourite flattered to deceive two out but could only finish sixth amongst a plethora of running on runners.
15:41 A group three contest over the Old Mile course next and the betting was spot on with the top three in the betting filling the first three places.
Quai D’Orsay continued with his paddock behaviour bay taking a very strong hold, fighting Greg Fairley all the way. Soon in the lead he never looked happy.
He was soon joined in the lead by the favourite Kite Wood, who led in a much more relaxed manner. Second favourite Taameer was happy to track the leaders.
As they turned for home Quai D’Orsay was a spent force and Kite Wood had a good lead.
Taameer tried to launch a challenge but, when asked for an effort by Richard Hills, ran somewhat
green for a few stride and although running on at the end was never a threat to the winner.
Four Winds, in The Queen’s colours, ran on to take third place.
The winner now has a 14/1 quote with Paddy Power for next year's Derby, in from 25's
15:18 If you are thinking of backing Quai D'Orsay in the next race - a word of warning, he is being a right bugger in the ring - rearing and being a real handful for his handler, who is doing really well to stop the colt boiling over completely.
15:09 No change to the result of the last - no surprise to be honest.
15:06 Back to the straight course and seven furlongs for our next race and in contrast to the earlier races only four runners.
Despite the small field there was plenty of incident and you wouldn’t expect a runner in a four runner race to find themselves looking for room, yet that’s what happened to Darryll Holland on Rileyskeepingfaith who needed a gap to appear before claiming victory by half a length.
It was very tight for minor honours with Weald Park claiming second with Aahaykid and Alazeyab dead heating for third a short head behind the runner-up.
The stewards are now taking a look at the race.
14:33 A really good mile and a half handicap for our third race.
Inventor and Drill Sergeant took the field along at a fair pace in the autumn sun and coming out of Swinley Bottom the field was well strung out.
Turning for home there was little change in the order up front and the race proper began, as often happens, in the home straight.
Allied Powers cane from behind the leaders but a better run came from Night Crescendo, for whom the gaps came at the right time giving trainer Amanda Perrett a well deserved win.
Runner up Pevensey had to thread his way through tiring runners before getting clear air and once in space ran on well. It could be argued with a clearer run the result may have been different, especially as the margin of victory was only a neck.
A head back in third was Drill Sergeant and it was left to judge Felix Wheeler to decide fourth place, which went to the front running Inventor.
Favourite Young Mick met trouble in running and was never a danger.
13:52 Well it looks as though it is going to be a stands side day on the straight course.
More jockeys came stand side this time, although by half way the pace was right across the course, with Major Eazy, Perfect Polly, Prime Defender and Dark Missile all towards the front.
It was running on horses who were involved in the end. First run went to Zidane on the stand side, however tracking his every move was Jimmy Fortune on Conquest, taking the lead from Zidane he ran on well taking the lead in the final half furlong to win by three parts of a length.
The favourite Sir Gerry was the best of the centre runners taking third place.
13:20 There are some things I will never understand, amongst them particle physics, feminine logic, organic chemistry.
Add to that the draw bias at Ascot. For the past few meetings the bias seems to have inclined towards the centre, far side.
In the first race most of the runners, as expected, went centre to far side, all bar two, Amour Prince and Waffle – drawn one and two.
Guess which two took first and second – yep the two who came along the stands rail.
Both were to the fore throughout and they battled out the finish with Amour Prince getting the better of Waffle by a neck. It has to be said Waffle had every chance to win as the winner seemed to jink inside the final furlong.
Best of those running in the centre was Mrs Kipling under Jamie Spencer.
12:45 We have another non-runner in the shape of Mishrif in the 3:30
Today's racing distraction is a Farmers Market and very good it is too - I have just spent a fair amount of money down there.
11:15 Good morning from Ascot for their final flat meeting of the 2008 season, an early start at 1:10, to do with TV coverage.
The weather is sunny and it is a pleasant autumnal day.
The going is Good to Soft on the straight course and Soft on the round course.
We currently have four non-runners.
Return to race archive: |
Non-Runners
1:10
2 Aldermoor (going)
1:45
7 Orpsie Boy (going)
2:50
3 Laahig (bad scope)
3:30
5 Mishrif (vets cert)
7 Sans Frontieres
4:05
10 Amanjena (lame)
4:40
12 First Trim (lame)
Results
1:10
1st 3 Amour Propre 10/1
2nd 12 Waffle 12/1
3rd 20 Mrs Kipling 12/1
19 Ran NR 2
Distances Neck & 1 3/4
Fav 7 Magic Cat 3/1 (Upl)
Tote
Win £10.00
Place £3.40 £3.90 £3.80
Exacta £125.30
CSF £112.71
Time 1' 01.39"
1:45
1st 4 Conquest 16/1
2nd 10 Zidane 8/1
3rd 12 Sir Gerry 7/2 fav
13 Ran NR 7
Distances 3/4 & 1 1/4
Fav third
Tote
Win £19.90
Place £4.90 £2.60 £2.00
Exacta £219.10
CSF £136.69
Time 1' 14.74"
2:20
1st 9 Night crescendo 20/1
2nd 7 Pevensey 12/1
3rd 5 Drill Sergeant 22/1
4th 13 Inventor 12/1
19 Ran
Distances Neck & Head
Fav 1 Young Mick 9/2 (Upl)
Tote
Win £26.70
Place £5.00 £3.00 £4.60 £3.00
Exacta £297.50
CSF £230.59
Tricast £5,304.56
Time 2' 35.34"
2:50
1st 4 Rileyskeepingfaith 100/30
2nd 5 Weald Park 11/8 fav
4 Ran NR 3
Distances 1/2
Fav second
Tote
Win £3.10
Exacta £4.40
CSF £8.57
Time 1' 30.30"
Result Stands
3:30
1st 4 Kite Wood 9/4 fav
2nd 8 Taameer 11/4
3rd 3 Four Winds 4/1
8 Ran NR's 5 & 7
Distances 1 1/2 & 2 1/4
Fav winner
Tote
Win £3.10
Place £1.30 £1.40 £1.90
Exacta £9.10
CSF £8,85
Time 1' 42.42"
4:05
1st 7 Heaven Knows 5/1
2nd 9 Ramona Chase 12/1
3rd 5 Prince Forever 6/1
10 Ran NR 10
Distances 1 1/4 & 3/4
Fav 11 Ascot Lime 15/8 (6th)
Tote
Win £5.70
Place £1.90 £3.30 £2.30
Exacta £75.20
CSF £62.66
Tricast £372.49
Time 2' 11.00"
4:40
1st 3 Judge 'n Jury 8/1
2nd 2 Bosun Breese 16/1
3rd 11 The Tatling 25/1
4th 17 Peopleton Brook 100/1
16 Ran NR 12
Distances 4 1/2 & 3/4
Fav 7 Lochstar 7/2 (5th)
Tote
Win £9.10
Place £2.20 £3.10 £3.20 £10.80
Exacta £195.30
CSF £131.48
Tricast £3,215.32
Time 1' 01.25" |
