Upper Lambourn trainer
Jonathan Portman will never forget the filly Annecdote, who today became his
first Royal Ascot winner when taking the Listed Sandringham Handicap.
Ridden by Richard
Kingscote, Annecdote prevailed in a tight finish, beating Auction and Woodland
Aria by a neck apiece. The winner is owned by 94-year-old Tom Edwards and
partners, who have turned down a number of offers to buy the filly in order to
be with her at Royal Ascot today. The partners include the Pertemps Group,
which bought a quarter share in the filly when she was offered at a Starlight
Foundation Charity auction last year.
Portman, who moved to his
current yard last autumn, said: "This feels rather nice. She's a very gutsy
filly.
"When we looked at
the Programme Book back in February this race was the plan, but she ran rather
disappointingly at Goodwood first time out this season over a mile, so we
ditched the plan temporarily because it looked as though she didn't stay.
However, my horses were not quite right, she had a bad draw and ran a bit
freely.
"We took her to
Newbury over seven furlongs and she scooted up in a very good time looking as
if she would stay so we said let's give the Sandringham a go - and here we are.
It's extraordinary.
"When we first moved
to Upper Lambourn we went about eight months without a winner, but the idea of
moving to a bigger yard was to raise our profile and attract some more owners,
and this hopefully might just help.
"We could go to
Goodwood with her, but any thoughts I had of going for a nice handicap have
probably been blown."
IMPROVING
AUCTION LEAVES DUNLOP A LITTLE FRUSTRATED
Auction narrowly failed to
make it four out of four this season when coming home a neck second in the
closing race on the second day of Royal Ascot.
Auction, who lost her
maiden tag first time out this season in May and built on that with two further
victories in handicaps, is trained by Ed Dunlop who said after the race:
"A great run though a little frustrating.
"We ran out of the
handicap and took a chance - she nearly justified it. I am thrilled for Jonny
(Portman, trainer of the winner Annecdote) but we would have like it for
ourselves.
"I don't really have
any thoughts on where we go next, she is an improving filly and has done little
wrong this year. She has beaten some good horses today but of course it was a
handicap."
Dunlop also commented on
Red Cadeaux, who finished ninth in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes earlier in the
day, saying: "The ground was a bit quick and it was probably a race too
many after his world tour. He will have a holiday - we will give him a break
and bring him back in the autumn."
5.35pm
Sandringham Handicap (Listed)
£60,000
total prize fund. For 3yo fillies, 1m (str). Rated 96-110 (also open to such
fillies rated 95 and below). Weights: highest weight 9st 7lb; minimum weight
8-7. Penalties after June 8th, a winner of a Class 1, 2 or 3 race 3lb. Penalty
value 1st £34,026.00 2nd £12,900.00 3rd £6,456.00 4th £3,216.00 5th £1,614.00
6th £810.00.
1)
ANNECDOTE (Tom Edwards & Partners) Jonathan Portman 3-8-07 Richard
Kingscote [3] 11/1
2)
AUCTION (IRE) (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing - Coventry) Ed Dunlop 3-8-7
Silvestre De Sousa [5] 16/1
3)
WOODLAND ARIA (Robin Geffen) John Gosden 3-8-09 William Buick [2] 7/1
4) NARGYS
(IRE) (Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum) Luca Cumani 3-9-05 Jamie Spencer [22]
20/1
5) HINT
OF A TINT (IRE) (Sue-Ann Foley) David Wachman IRE h3-9-02 Fran Berry [14]
6) LIGHT
UP MY LIFE (IRE) (D Boocock & K Ivory) Richard Hannon 3-9-02 Pat Dobbs [26]
7)
SORELLA BELLA (IRE) (Ann Black) Mick Channon 3-8-11 Martin Harley [16]
8)
BRACING BREEZE (Khalid Abdullah) Dermot Weld IRE 3-8-12 Pat Smullen [9]
9) MANGO
DIVA (Antoniades Family) Sir Michael Stoute 3-8-10 Ryan Moore [15] 6/1 Fav
10)
ULEAVEMEBREATHLESS (Andrew Oliver) Andrew Oliver IRE 3-8-10 Chris Hayes [18]
11)
HARMONIC NOTE (Qatar Racing Limited) Ger Lyons IRE 3-8-07 Harry Bentley [11]
12)
TYPHOON LILY (USA) (Barbara Keller) Michael O'Callaghan IRE t3-8-08 Stephane
Pasquier [4]
13)
FLEETING SMILE (USA) (Hamdan Al Maktoum) Richard Hannon 3-8-11 Paul Hanagan
[20]
14)
VALTINA (IRE) (Martin & Lee Taylor) William Haggas 3-8-07 Wayne Lordan [1]
15) THE
GOLD CHEONGSAM (IRE) (Arashan Ali) Jeremy Noseda t3-9-07 Frankie Dettori [24]
16)
STRESA (Denford Stud) John Gosden 3-8-07 Rab Havlin [17]
17)
CALIFANTE (Foursome Thoroughbreds) William Muir 3-8-09 Martin Dwyer [12]
18)
LIZZIE TUDOR (Haren Gough) Andrew Balding 3-8-07 Catherine Gannon [21]
19)
FLAWLESS BEAUTY (Decadent Racing) Hugo Palmer b3-8-08 Hayley Turner [23]
20)
SENAFE (Mubarak Al Naemi) Marco Botti 3-9-02 Neil Callan [6]
21)
WATERWAY RUN (USA) (Thurloe Thoroughbreds XX & Martin Schwartz) Ralph
Beckett 3-9-05 Jim Crowley [7]
22) GO
ANGELLICA (IRE) (Ahmed Jaber) David Simcock 3-8-08 Martin Lane [19]
23)
DESERT IMAGE (Khalid Abdullah) Charlie Hills 3-9-00 James McDonald [25]
24)
ZURIGHA (IRE) (Saeed H Altayer) Richard Hannon 3-9-07 Richard Hughes [8]
25)
ANNIE'S FORTUNE (IRE) (Cedars Partnership) Alan Jarvis 3-8-11 Kieren Fallon
[13]
26)
TRAPEZE (Anthony Oppenheimer) John Gosden 3-8-07 Nicky Mackay [10]
26 ran
Time: 1m
38.34s
Distances:
nk, nk, ½, 2¼, ¾, ½, 1¾, ½, hd, 1, nk, ¾, ½, ¾, hd, 9, 2¼, 3¾, hd, 1½, 1¾, 14,
12, 1¾, 6
Breeder:
The Hon Mrs R Pease Breeding: Lucky Story (USA) - May Fox (Zilzal (USA)
Tote
Win £16.00
Place £3.60 £2.90 £2.30 £5.10 Exacta £234.20
Winning
trainer:-Name: Portman, Jonathan G Based: Whitcoombe House Stables, Maddle
Road, Upper Lambourn Born: June 18, 1965 Background: Former
amateur rider, winning Flat and NH races in Britain and France. Assisted father
with training of arab racehorses and point-to-point horses at an early
age.Previously assistant trainer to classic winning Luca Cumani in Newmarket
and Breeders' Cup winning Jonathan Pease in Chantilly, France. He has also
worked in Australia and USA. Date of first trainer's licence: 1998 Royal
Ascot Wins (1): Sandringham Handicap (2013 Annecdote) Big Race Wins: DBS
St Leger Yearling Stakes (2006 Cheap Street), Tattersalls (Ireland) EBF Mares'
Chase Final (2004 Annie Byers) Number of Flat Wins (2001-2012): 11; 3;
5; 6; 5; 15; 6; 11; 11; 10; 23; 19 Flat Wins in 2013: 8
Winning
jockey:- Name: Kingscote, Richard Background: Builder's son from
Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset. Spent winter 2005/06 riding in Australia for
Sydney trainer Ron Quinton. Is famous for his large collection of tattoos. First
Goodwood Winner: Little Eye, Eros Apprentice Stakes, August 13, 2005 First
Pattern Race Success: Classic Blade (2008 TNT July Stakes) Big Race
Wins: Weatherbys Superlative Stakes (2008 Firth Of Fifth); TNT July Stakes
(2008 Classic Blade); Rockingham Stakes (2007 Max One Two Three), National
Stakes (2011 Pyman's Theory) Royal Ascot Wins (4): Sandringham
Stakes(2011 Rhythm Of Light, 2013 Annecdote); King George V Handicap (2011
Brown Panther); Queen Mary Stakes (2012 Ceiling Kitty) Wins 2004-2012: 2;
31; 33; 44; 60; 69; 47; 64; 93 Wins in 2013: 25
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