By Sean Cronin
Duke of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) was perfect in two prior starts at Goodwood, including a personal best in the Aug. 2 G3 Thoroughbred S. going one mile at the Sussex venue last time, and continued in his rich seam of form with a game victory in Saturday's G2 Ladbrokes Celebration Mile over the same course and distance. Reined back to track the leaders in third after an alert getaway, the 3-1 second favourite was angled off the fence for a clear passage inside the two pole and kept on relentlessly under a final-furlong drive to outpoint Turgenev (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) by 3/4-of-a-length.
“I spent all night on my tablet going through the form and working out how the race would pan out and I didn't sleep very well,” admitted rider Rossa Ryan after securing the biggest success of his fledgling career. “I was pretty confident I would get to Oisin Murphy [on Happy Power], but I could see Rab Havlin [on Turgenev] and others in the corner of my eye. He dug deep for me and has concentrated a lot more since they put the headgear on.” Trainer Paul Cole, who registered his first win in the contest, added, “He didn't show that form early in the year as he had a bit of a seedy toe. He was not finishing his races because he was feeling it, especially at Haydock [in May] when his shoe came off. He was a bit unlucky not to win two listed races last year and met a lot of trouble at the last meeting where his turn of foot got him out of trouble. This race was not really run to suit as it was too slow and he was difficult to settle, but I've no complaints. I just thought when he gets out then he will go and he did.”
Pedigree Notes
Duke of Hazzard, half-brother to a yearling filly by Teofilo (Ire) and a 2019 filly by Siyouni (Fr), is the first of three foals and lone performer out of a winning half-sister to G1 Racing Post Trophy-winning sire Palace Episode (Machiavellian) and to the dam of MG1SP G2 Debutante S. victress Laughing Lashes (Mr. Greeley) and G3 Abu Dhabi Championship second Janszoon (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). His unraced third dam Royal Run (Wavering Monarch), herself a half-sister to the dam of MGISW US champion Lady Eli (Divine Park), produced GI Kentucky Derby second and MGISW sire Tejano Run (Tejano) and GII Jersey Derby-winning sire More Royal (Mt. Livermore).
Saturday, Goodwood, Britain
LADBROKES CELEBRATION MILE S.-G2, £133,750, Goodwood, 8-24, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:37.47, gd.
1–DUKE OF HAZZARD (FR), 124, c, 3, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: With Your Spirit (Fr), by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
2nd Dam: Palace Weekend, by Seattle Dancer
3rd Dam: Royal Run, by Wavering Monarch
(€130,000 Ylg '17 ARAUG). O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-Runnymede Farm & Catesby W Clay (FR); T-Paul Cole; J-Rossa Ryan. £75,850. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP-Fr, 15-5-3-2, $340,297. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Turgenev (GB), 124, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Tasaday, by Nayef. O-HRH Princess Haya of Jordan; B-Godolphin (GB); T-John Gosden. £28,756.
3–Happy Power (Ire), 124, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Tamarisk (Ger), by Selkirk. (625,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £14,392.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 10.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Skardu (GB), Beat Le Bon (Fr), Nyaleti (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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