Electrocutionist clinches International victory
Electrocutionist came from last to first to take the Juddmonte International on Tuesday providing Italy’s Valfredo Valiani with his nation’s biggest win in Britain.
In a truly cosmopolitan finish, Electrocutionist narrowly overcame the Japanese star Zenno Rob Roy with Britain’s Maraahel third and Ace, from Ireland, fourth.
It was a tight finish: as they entered the straight Ace was set alight and Kinane was sitting plum last on Electrocutionist, with Zenno Rob Roy one place in front, and with five virtually abreast at the furlong pole, it wasn’t until the last 50 yards that the winner’s powerful stride began to tell as he prevailed by a neck and a head.
There could be better to come from Electrocutionist who is a top priced 25-1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with totesport but a 14-1 chance with William Hill, Coral and Paddy Power. He is 10-1 with Coral for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, another possible objective.
Ouija Board pleases in Lingfield spin
Ouija Board is making further steps on the long road to recovery with a pleasing performance on the Polytrack at Lingfield on Thursday morning. Trainer Ed Dunlop felt it beneficial for the filly to have an away day to the Surrey course in preparation for the September Stakes at New Market on September 3rd.
The Breeders’ Cup heroine failed to display her Classic winning form in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot at York in June and it was later discovered that she had suffered a small stress fracture to her near-fore cannonbone.
Ouija Board worked over a mile under Jamie Spencer and gave Dunlop plenty of positive indications as she strode eight lengths clear of her lead horse. After Newmarket, Dunlop is aiming for a repeat of last year’s win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, run at Belmont Park.
A good week for
Frankie Dettori has earmarked August 25th as a target comeback date following a promising return to the Newmarket gallops on Tuesday.
Dettori, who has been sidelined since July 2nd when he fractured his left collarbone in a horrific fall at Sandown, took a massive step towards getting back into the weighing room when riding first lot for Godolphin on three-year-old Munaddam, 24 hours after x-rays revealed the rider’s injury was healing.
The Godolphin ace missed the winning ride on Dubawi in Sunday’s Prix Jacques le Marois after he put too much pressure on the injury and suffered a setback.
Should Dettori return next week, he would be able to partner recent Group 3 winner Layman in next Saturday’s Celebration Mile at Goodwood
A bad week for
An accident in a paddock near Cheltenham on Wednesday claimed the life of Garrison Savannah, who in 1991 came close to winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season.
Garrison Savannah was trained by Jenny Pitman, one of the biggest trainers of the era and had a career stretching across 10 seasons.
After dramatically fending off The Fellow to win the Gold Cup by a short head with Desert Orchid third and Cool Ground fourth, Garrison Savannah looked certain to follow up at Aintree as a faultless exhibition of jumping put him half a dozen lengths clear by the final fence.
However, his stride shortened in the testing ground at the elbow, and he was caught by Seagram. In all, he won nine of his 49 races, earning £283,484.
Sadly Garrison Savannah suffered a kick on a rear leg from another horse earlier this week at the age of 22. Three vets were called in, but bones in the knee joint were damaged irreparably.
Garrison Savannah was ridden by Pitman’s son Mark in the Gold Cup who described him as doing more for his career as a jockey than any other horse.
Cheltenham promises to improve food standards
Edward Gillespie, managing director of Cheltenham race course has assured racegoers that food hygiene standards will improve following a damning report by consumer watchdog group Which? The investigation revealed that most of the food served on Gold Cup day (March 18th) failed to meet basic standards of hygiene. All cold solid foods failed.
And finally
The Jockey Club’s regulatory board will meet on September 8th to decide whether to make mandatory the use of body protectors when jockeys, grooms and others are doing riding work. Body protectors are already compulsory during races and some trainers insist that all work-riders wear them too.
