Trainer
Clive Cox, enjoying his fourth Royal Ascot success, was quick to praise jockey
Adam Kirby after 11/1 shot Lethal Force made all the running to land the Group
One Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot this afternoon.
The son
of Dark Angel broke smartly and soon headed the 18-strong field and it was
clear from halfway that he would take some catching. 4/1 favourite Society Rock
emerged from the rear of the field to try and catch the leader but he couldn't
quite reel him in as Lethal Force galloped to a two-length victory.
"It
wasn't the plan to be in front like that and I was more than a bit worried that
the field would swamp him at some point," said Cox.
"He
sometimes struggles with his concentration and we've had the blinkers on him in
the past but left them off today. He hits the gates so well that sometimes it's
difficult to hold him back.
"Lethal
Force was having a blow in front and when Adam sent him on he was explosive -
it was a very authoritative victory.
"Adam
is such a brilliant rider and it is amazing how he does what he does
considering his weight.
"It
was clear that Lethal Force was a potent force when winning the Hungerford
Stakes (at Newbury over seven furlongs) last year and showed just how good he
was at six when chasing home Society Rock at York last time out.
"It's
very special to win a Group One like this on home territory - that's what this
game is all about.
"I
am thrilled for everybody concerned and it's fantastic for the team at home,
especially after the winter that we've had. I'm delighted for both the owners
and the horse. Just to compete at this level is amazing but to actually win is
fantastic.
"He's
clearly very good at this trip so we'll see how he is when we get him home and
plan the rest of the season from there. He's in the July Cup but I'm not sure
Newmarket would be his track so we'll have to think about that.
"There
are plenty of options though which obviously includes those sort of races
abroad."
KIRBY
CELEBRATES FIRST GROUP 1
Jockey Adam Kirby enjoyed
his first Group One victory and his second at Royal Ascot when Lethal Force
captured the Diamond Jubilee Stakes with a front-running performance.
"I am really, really
pleased. We have always had a lot of respect for this horse and to be fair he
has always run his race without winning," said Kirby.
"The only man I've
got to thank is Clive Cox. I said I was going to drop the horse in and Clive
told me to do whatever I wanted. Lethal Force hit the gates well and was doing
it all so easily. It wasn't the way I'd intended to ride him but he has a very
high cruising speed.
"He's unbelievable
the way he does things. Everyone said it was a fluke when he won the Hungerford
over seven furlongs last season but it wasn't. He was only three and just a
frame then but he's a much more solid horse now."
Lethal Force is owned by
Alan Craddock and his son Robin, who were delighted with the result.
SOCIETY
SUCH A FACTOR IN TOP-GRADE SPRINTS
Mr Consistent Sprinter,
Society Rock, who is trained by James Fanshawe, embellished his wonderful
record when finishing runner-up in today's £500,000 Group One Diamond Jubilee
Stakes.
His formline in this race
alone is 2 1 5 2, and his prize-money earnings have now comfortably surpassed
£900,000.
Today he was outgunned by
Lethal Force - a rival he beat recently in the Duke Of York Stakes - going down
by two lengths under Kieren Fallon, but finishing one and three-quarter lengths
ahead of third-placed Krypton Factor representing Bahrain trainer Fawzi
Nass who owns Aislabie Stud near Newmarket. He used that base to prepare the
five-year-old for today's encounter.
Fanshawe said: "We
beat the winner at York and they are clearly the top two [sprinters] at the
moment. I hope to have him at his best and ready for Newmarket [to run in the
Darley July Cup on July 11]."
The first three all hold
entries for that contest, and Nass said Krypton Factor would be in the line up.
The horse was sixth in last year's Diamond Jubilee Stakes behind Black Caviar,
and today moved up the places to take some valuable prize money.
Nass added: "He is in
better form this year. Last year we went to Singapore after Dubai and there was
a lot of travelling for him. This year was a different case - he came here
direct from Dubai and did not have such a hard campaign while he was there. He
will come on plenty from this run.
"He did one good
piece of work recently - we have gallops at Aislabie where we do steady work,
and we use the Newmarket gallops for fast work.
"He will go for the
July Cup next, but he needs good to firm ground. Maybe good, but nothing
worse."
SIREN TO
CROSS THE IRISH SEA NEXT
Sea Siren, who made the
mammoth trip from Australia to the UK for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on the
final day of Royal Ascot, will now make another voyage, although of a shorter
distance, when she travels to Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle yard in Ireland.
The Fastnet Rock mare
finished eighth in the Group One sprint and her trainer, John O'Shea, commented
afterwards: "She's got a bit tired up the run in. It is a learning
experience as she is probably saying she has had enough - she had a hard run in
Brisbane and then the trip up here.
"It has been
worthwhile coming and we are happy with the way that she has done since she has
been here.
"I think it is a very
doable thing if you get your horse to the right stage of his preparation. It
would be wonderful to win here. We have just got to find five or six lengths.
"She is going to
Aidan on Monday night so I just had a chat with him to help him get a feel for
her."
Ryan Moore added: "I
think that the stiff track found her out - she travelled fine. She jumped out
well and just outside of the leader but then just struggled up the hill."
Asked if she would go for
the July Cup at Newmarket, Aidan O'Brien, who is to take over the training of
Sea Siren, replied: "Obviously the lads (owners John Magnier, Michael
Tabor and Derrick Smith) will talk about that."
Frankie Dettori who rode
American challenger Havelock and finished eleventh said: "I didn't get
much of a run."
3.45pm Diamond Jubilee
Stakes (British Champions Series & Global Sprint Challenge) (G 1)
£500,000
total prize fund. For 3yo+, 6f. Weights: 3yo colts and geldings 8st 11lb;
fillies 8st 8lb; 4yo+ colts and geldings 9st 4lb; fillies 9st 1lb. Weight for
age: 3 from 4yo+ 7lb. Penalty value 1st £283,550.00 2nd £107,500.00 3rd
£53,800.00 4th £26,800.00 5th £13,450.00 6th £6,750.00.
1. LETHAL
FORCE (IRE) (Alan Craddock) Clive Cox 4-9-04 Adam Kirby [15] 11/1
2.
SOCIETY ROCK (IRE) (Simon Gibson) James Fanshawe 6-9-04 Kieren Fallon [8] 4/1
Fav
3.
KRYPTON FACTOR (Fawzi Abdulla Nass) Fawzi Nass UAE 5-9-04 Luke Morris [16] 25/1
4. GORDON
LORD BYRON (IRE) (Dr Cyrus Poonawalla & Morgan Cahalan) Tom Hogan IRE
5-9-04 William Buick [4] 15/2
5. ROSDHU
QUEEN (IRE) (Clipper Logistics) William Haggas 3-8-08 Richard Hughes [10] 16/1
6.
HAWKEYETHENOO (IRE) (Johnnie Delta Racing) Jim Goldie 7-9-04 Graham Lee [7]
7. SLADE
POWER (IRE) (Sebena Power) Edward Lynam IRE 4-9-04 Wayne Lordan [17]
8. SEA
SIREN (AUS) (Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier) John O'Shea AUS 5-9-01
Ryan Moore [13]
9. MAAREK
(Lisbunny Syndicate) David Nagle IRE 6-9-04 Jamie Spencer [5]
10.
GAMMARTH (FR) (Gerard Mimouni) Henri-Alex Pantall FR 5-9-04 Fabrice Veron [6]
11.
HAVELOCK (USA) (Tommy & Bonnie Hamilton) Darrin Miller USA 6-9-04 Frankie
Dettori [9]
12.
INTENSE PINK (D Lee) Chris Wall 4-9-01 Seb Sanders [14]
13.
SIRIUS PROSPECT (USA) (Miss N Yarrow) Dean Ivory 5-9-04 Jim Crowley [12]
14. DANDY
BOY (ITY) (Malih Lahej Al Basti) David Marnane IRE 7-9-04 Pat Dobbs [1]
15.
ZANETTO (Mick and Janice Mariscotti) Andrew Balding 3-8-11 Liam Keniry [2]
16. MINCE
(Lady Rothschild) Roger Charlton 4-9-01 James Doyle [11]
17. SOUL
(AUS) (Godolphin) Saeed bin Suroor 6-9-04 Silvestre de Sousa [3]
18. REPLY
(IRE) (Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mordukhovitch) Aidan O'Brien
IRE 4-9-04 Joseph O'Brien [18]
18 ran
Time: 1m 13.36s Distances: 2, 1¾, 1, ns, ¾, hd, nk, 2, ½, hd, nk, 3, nk, nk,
3½, 3½, 7
Breeder:
Declan Johnson Breeding: 4 gr c Dark Angel (IRE) - Land Army (IRE) (Desert
Style (IRE))
Tote Win
£13 Place £3.90, £2.20, £10.60 Exacta £57.70
Winning
trainer:- Name:Cox, Clive Born: May 14, 1964 Trains at: Beechdown
Farm, Sheepdrove, Lambourn, Berks Former Occupation: Professional jump
and Flat jockey recording 80 winners in ten years. Rode for Peter Cundell on
the Flat and Oliver Sherwood over Jumps. Started dual-purpose training from a
farm in Wootton Bassett in 1992, having previously run a livery yard in
Lambourn for several years. He was forced to quit a year later due to the
recession, having saddled three winners, joining Mikey Heaton-Ellis' yard near
Swindon as assistant trainer. He worked for him for seven years before taking
out a trainer's licence again in 1999 upon Heaton-Ellis' death from motor
neurone disease. First Winner On Return To Training: Bet Direct On
Racing Channel Text Page 372 Handicap, March 14, 2000, Southwell First Group
One Win: Gilt Edge Girl, Qatar Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, October 3,
2010 Other Major Wins Include: Tote International (2003 & 2005 New
Seeker), Portland Handicap (2005 Out After Dark), Prix Le Fabuleux (2003Lago
D'Orta), On The House Stakes (2007 Dunelight)Old Newton Cup (2007 Dansili
Dancer)Great St Wilfred Stakes (2007 Kostar), Horris Hill Stakes (2007 Beacon
Lodge), Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord (2009 Beason Lodge), Veuve Clicquot
Vintage Stakes (2009 Xtension), CGA Hungerford Stakes (2009 Balthazaar's Gift,
2012 Lethal Force), Ballyogan Stakes (2010 Gilt Edge Girl), Rose Of Lancaster
Stakes (2010 Poet), Eddie Stobart Park Stakes (2010 Balthazaar's Gift),
totesport Chartwell Fillies' Stakes (2011 Perfect Tribute) Prix Robert Papin
(2012 Reckless Abandon), Prix Morny (2012 Reckless Abandon) vision.ae Middle
Park Stakes (2012 Reckless Abandon) Royal Ascot Wins (4): Britannia
Stakes (2003 New Seeker), Royal Hunt Cup (2005 New Seeker), Norfolk Stakes
(2012 Reckless Abandon), Diamond Jubilee Stakes (2013 Lethal Force) Horses
In Training (2004-2013): 30; 34; 50; 65; 63; 61; 79; 85; 77, 89 Wins
(2000-2012): 3; 8;11; 14; 16; 23; 25; 29; 18; 52; 29; 52; 36 Wins This
Year: 19
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