Lemon Drop Kid's Cannock Chase Defies His Burden In the Huxley

Cannock Chase and Ryan Moore | Racing Post

When Cannock Chase came to this race 12 months ago, he looked a potential Sir Michael Stoute improver despite already having Royal Ascot's G3 Tercentenary S. under his belt from the previous season but he failed to live up to expectations when only second to the outsider Maverick Wave (Elusive Quality). It is a measure of how his trainer viewed his overall ability level that he was still chanced in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at the Royal meeting, but he was unable to enjoy a clear passage and finished an inconclusive seventh prior to finishing runner-up to the subsequent G1 Champion S. fourth Racing History (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) in Windsor's G3 Winter Hill S. staying at 10 furlongs in August. Upped to a mile and a half for a confidence-boosting win in Newmarket's Listed Godolphin S. the following month, the bay built on that experience to garner his first top-level success in the GI Canadian International before flopping when 11th in the G1 Hong Kong Vase in December. Harshly saddled with an extra seven pounds here for his Woodbine exploits, Cannock Chase was settled in fourth on the outer as Ryan Moore opted to keep it simple on a horse who stays further and when committed took control a furlong out as Western Hymn and Master Carpenter closed. “It was a massive run giving that amount of weight away and he'll improve for the run as well,” his rider said of the winner, a sixth in this race for trainer Sir Michael Stoute. “He definitely feels like he has improved and he travelled beautifully and always felt like he was in control. He's a talented and straightforward horse and he's in a better place this year, although last year's race was on bad ground.” Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail, added, “He's had minor problems all the time which kept him off the track for a bit. When he came back from Hong Kong it took Michael a long time to get him right, but he'd been working exceptionally well and it was a good performance to give seven pounds to Western Hymn. He's the type Sir Michael excels with and I think he'll be better at a mile and a half. We hope he can land a Group One here this year, whether he can I don't know, he could win another abroad. He used to want fast ground. but as he's got older he just prefers a bit of juice so the ground today was perfect.” Western Hymn's co-owner Robin Geffen commented, “It's a short straight here and he needed a bit more time to wind up. I think we'll go back to Sandown for the [G3] Brigadier Gerard [S. May 26], where he'll run without a penalty. We nearly lost him when he had very serious colic a week after the Eclipse, where he ran a really good race against two Derby winners. It's taken time to get him fit this year. He's absolutely genuine and he's a real trier.” Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Thursday, Chester, Britain
BETWAY HUXLEY S.-G3, £75,000, CHE, 5-5, 4yo/up, 10f 75yT, 2:11.65, gd.
1–CANNOCK CHASE, 133, h, 5, by Lemon Drop Kid
1st Dam: Lynnwood Chase, by Horse Chestnut (SAf)
2nd Dam: Lady Ilsley, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Sue Warner, by Forli (Arg)
(310,000gns Ylg '12 TAOCT). O-Saeed Suhail; B-Hascombe Stud (KY); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Ryan Moore. £42,533. Lifetime Record: GISW-Can, 12-6-3-1, $714,843. *Full to Pisco Sour, GSW-Eng & Fr, $407,780. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”indian-creek-foaled-and-raised”]2–Western Hymn (GB), 126, g, 5, High Chaparral (Ire)–Blue Rhapsody (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire). (50,000gns Ylg '12 TAOCT). O-RJH Geffen & Rachel Hood; B-Newsells Park Stud (GB); T-John Gosden. £16,125.
3–Master Carpenter (Ire), 126, h, 5, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Fringe (GB), by In the Wings (GB). (£30,000 Ylg '12 DNPRM). O-The Links Partnership; B-Naiff Sa & Newtown Stud (IRE); T-Rod Millman. £8,070.
Margins: 1, HD, 2. Odds: 2.75, 1.50, 14.00.
Also Ran: Gabrial (Ire), Battalion (Ire), Top Notch Tonto (Ire), Fire Fighting (Ire).

 

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