Richard Hughes gave
further reaction following Toronado's QIPCO Sussex Stakes victory. The champion
jockey said: "On things like Twitter you can get slagged off but I
love my horses. I hate it when people slag them off and Lizzie knows how much I
think of this horse.
"We were so gutted at
Ascot that he didn't get up. If he didn't get the bump he would've won and the
whole week might have gone great but it just didn't work out. There was a lot
of pressure on today as there were no excuses if he got beat today. I thought
his reputation would be ruined if he didn't win today, so there was a lot
riding on it.
"I just said to the
owners when we went into the ring that I thought I'll come fast and late but
the most important thing was to let him get his head down early and let him
breathe which was an issue at Newmarket. That is your first priority to make
sure he breathes properly in a race and he won't do that by pulling or dragging
your arm.
"There's only one
winning post at Goodwood and it's right down the end. Declaration Of War has
done me a favour as he brought me into the race. My lad wasn't as instant as he
can be on firm ground but I'm glad we didn't roll down into Dawn Approach, we
kept well away and left him alone.
"The yard and
everybody have done a lot of work with this horse. Sean Levey has done a
wonderful job, he's probably the best pair of hands in the weighing room. He
rides this horse every morning and he's done a better job settling him than I
ever would have ever done.
"He can only get
better, he's 13 kilos heavier now than when he ran in the Guineas. We had him
pretty fit today, he's done two bits of work since Ascot, Sean rode him once
and I rode him in the morning - what he did the other morning was a piece of
work than only Canford Cliffs could've done."
BOLGER
PLEASED WITH DAWN APPROACH
A duel always has a winner
and loser and it was no different in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes, billed as the
Duel on the Downs, after Toronado finished late and wide to snatch the verdict
by half a length from Dawn Approach who had gone to the front by the one and a
half furlong point.
Dawn Approach's trainer,
Jim Bolger, reacted initially by saying: "It was a top performance. We
were just beaten by a better horse on the day. There no reasons for the defeat
- we were beaten by a better horse on the day. I am not concerned about a
rematch. We still have to figure out exactly where we go from here. Whatever
turns up, turns up. There are a couple of possibilities but time will tell
all."
He added: "The
tactics used were the ones decided on. They have served us in good stead in the
past and whatever happened, happened. That is his style of racing and that is
how we like to manage things for him. It has not worked out too badly in the
past doing things that way.
"I don't think it was
a question of the course. We were beaten by a better horse on the day. They
aren't many horses who would want to eyeball Dawn Approach who is entered in
all the Group One mile races and we will decide that at a later stage.
"I was very happy
with Dawn Approach coming into this race. I have been beaten here before - I
would not say I am used to it at this stage but I have no difficulty accepting
results. I was hopeful - I never use the word confident. I was hopeful of a
good run. He may not have run up to his very best - I don't know. I was hopeful
of a good run and we got a good run. He was just beaten by a better horse on
the day.
"We will sit down and
think about it. I will talk with Sheikh Mohammed and Simon Crisford and see
where we go."
Regarding Dawn Approach's
next race, Bolger said: "Whoever turns up, turns up. We won't be shirking
anybody when we decide where to go.
"I felt our horse ran
a really good race. We were beaten by a better horse on the day and that is how
I am viewing it. Things panned out exactly as I planned except for the very
result. The track is the same for everybody."
Asked whether it was
vintage QIPCO Sussex Stakes, the trainer replied: "It will be billed as a
very good race but I don't see it as a vintage race for the simple reason that
the battle did not last all that long.
"It wasn't like some
previous battles from one and a half (furlongs) out like between Alexander
Goldrun (who Bolger trained) and Ed Dunlop's filly (Ouija Board in the 2006
Markel Insurance Nassau Stakes at Goodwood).
"Dawn Approach is the
top-rated three-year-old colt in the world at this stage - he may not be after
that, I don't know. But when horses like Dawn Approach turn up to run in any
race that should be enough to remind people of the quality of the horses in the
race."
Beaten but not unbowed asked
a journalist and Bolger came back: "Certainly not. Maybe on a different
track you would get a different result; I don't know. I would not be
disappointed - I think he ran near enough to his best form. I suppose they
won't run quite to their best all the time. We are very happy to be here. It
was a wonderful race and a wonderful racetrack. The only thing we did not get
was the right result."
Kevin Manning, Dawn
Approach's jockey, added: "It was a proper-run race. Dawn Approach
quickened up and went all the way to the line. Richard (Hughes on Toronado)
just came deep and wide of me."
NEW
CAMPAIGN FOR WAR
Declaration Of War may
break new ground after his third place to the top-class three-year-old milers
Toronado and Dawn Approach in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes. After winning the Queen
Anne Stakes over a mile, the son of War Front stepped up to 10 furlongs to run
second in the Eclipse Stakes. And he may drop back in distance later in the
season.
"He has a lot of
speed, this horse," said trainer Aidan O'Brien, "and he certainly
won't be going beyond a mile again. In fact, we wouldn't be afraid of going
then other way. A race like the Haydock Sprint Cup [over six furlongs] would be
a definite possibility."
Of Declaration of War's
Sussex Stakes performance - he was beaten three lengths by the winner - O'Brien
said he was satisfied under the circumstances. "We knew he was taking on
two very good three-year-olds," he said, "and he ran very well.
Ideally, he'd want faster ground; it looked as if his wheels were spinning a
bit today.
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