The turf
Something special
Robin Oakley
After all the media excitement about Britain's explosive new generation of sprinters, Dwain Chambers and Mark Lewis-Francis, many millions tuned in to the televised 100 metres final at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday night only to see a near-unknown from St Kitts romp home the winner while the British pair sprawled medal-less on the track, victims in equal proportions of cramp, dodgy hamstrings and over-hype.
What a pity the British media find so little space by comparison for racing and that only a fraction of that audience would have been prompted to watch Ascot's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes the same day. We have not seen a better race all season than the final furlong duel between Golan and Nayef, two supreme athletes battling every yard of the way. Neither cried quarter and they were separated only by a head at the end. When surrounded by the cool professionalism of my colleagues in the press box I normally try to restrain myself from idiot yelling, but on Saturday, as one of Nayefs long-time admirers, I could not restrain myself from urging on his rider Richard Hills. But it was not to be.
My advice to readers at the start of the season was that the best bet around was that Kieren Fallon would retain his title as champion jockey despite losing the support of some of Sir Michael Stoute's Owners and his stable retainer. Kieren started Saturday with 93 winners to his nearest challenger's 75 and his ride on Golan showed precisely why he is on top of that table. Golan was last away at the start and had to be scrubbed along by his rider to stay in the race. This was no part of the plan, but Fallon kept his cool and crept slowly through the field, hugging the inside. As Stoute had told him, 'You don't win races coming round horses.' In the final furlong, he pounced on the long-striding Nayef and drove past him. But with Marcus Tregofling's colt battling back gamely and starting to close the gap again it took every ounce of Fallon's great strength to hold off Richard Hills in the final stages. It was a vintage ride and a poignant victory, for Golan was owned by Lord Weinstock, who had died on the Tuesday. As the jockey commented, The horse really stuck his neck out, which he has never done before. Maybe he had help from somewhere!' But if Fallon's ride was an achievement so even more so was Sir Michael Stoute's training of the horse. Last season he sent Golan out without a prep race and won the 2000 Guineas. This year the colt's appearance in the King George, following a setback before the Eclipse, was again his first start of the season. As his trainer acknowledged, it is one thing to win the Guineas first time out at the start of the season when nobody else is likely to have had more than one run, it is quite another to introduce a horse to one of Europe's top middle-distance events in high summer against others who have been racing hard through the season. We have a few other top-class trainers around, hut certainly none better.
And if there was high emotion in the Golan camp following the death of Lord Weinstock, whose whole aim as an ownerbreeder was to bring off victories like that and who had an especial fondness for Golan, there was no shortage of it either among Nayers connections. Nashwan, who won the 2000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse and King George for the late Dick Hem, died last week too. Marcus Tregoning, who was sent for to become Hem's right-hand man when the tetraplegic trainer left Stoke Mandeville in a wheelchair and whom Hem n once described as the best man he knew at sounding a horse's legs, was with him through Nashwan's successes.
At Newbury the other day, he expressed his hope that victory for Nayef in the King George, added to his Champion Stakes win and his storming success in the Duba Sheema Classic at Nad al Sheba in March, would stamp him as a worthy eventual successor to Nashwan, his half-brother, at stud. The merit of Nayefs performance, the calmness of his approach and a recent 22 per cent strike rate underline Marcus Tregoning's advance towards the top rung of the training ladder. When he is standing on it, as surely he will one day before too long, there will be few to begrudge him that success. Tregoning, I noted, was one of those applauding the loudest as Golan was led into the winner's enclosure by the beaming Michael Stoute. Stoute. of course, had plenty to beam about on Saturday.
I had gone to Ascot determined having already backed Ed Dunlop's filly Nasij for the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes. As soon as I saw Stoute's filly Russian Rhythm in the paddock I regretted my bet. The big chestnut Kingmambo filly, bought for 440,000 guineas last year, looked absolutely magnificent with a truly imposing physique and was cool and calm in the preliminaries. Her racing temperament proved just as good. Kieren Fallon dropped her out at the back to begin with and I wondered momentarily if she had been given too much to do, but urged on with hands and heels she quickened up splendidly when asked, as she and the useful Luvah Girl went five lengths clear of the field. Hearing that she had been made 14-1 favourite with the Tote for next year's 1,000 Guineas her trainer declared afterwards, 'It's a long way away but we do like her a lot. She's always looked very nice and has always looked the part. From early on at home we always felt she was decent.' I took the 10-1 which was the best available for the Guineas the next day and even that won't last. Get on now. I really believe she could be something special.
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