Hobbs Draws Wide In Champion S.
Updated: October 15, 2015 at 7:49 pm
Trainer John Gosden admitted to being disappointed by the draw handed to his G1 Qipco Champion S. favorite Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) when the field for that season-ending showpiece was drawn Thursday. Godolphin’s G1 Irish Derby hero landed in gate 12, with only his pacemaker Maverick Wave (Elusive Quality) drawn wider, and Gosden told Racing Post, “It’s a disappointing draw. For those that know the mile and a quarter start at Ascot, the bend comes up very quickly and you are naturally forced wide. One blessing is that our pacemaker Maverick Wave is drawn next door to Jack Hobbs in 13. One thing’s for sure; Jack won’t get boxed in. I’ll leave the tactics to [jockey] William Buick.”
Jack Hobbs isn’t Godolphin’s only chance in the £1.3 million contest, however, with Farhh (GB)’s full-brother Racing History (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) supplemented for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. The lightly raced 3-year-old experienced opposite fortunes from Jack Hobbs at the draw, landing on the rail. Another who fared well is Aidan O’Brien’s resurgent 3-year-old filly Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who landed in post eight. Found is the second choice after running into Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in her last two outings: a second in the G1 Qipco Irish Champion S. and a ninth in the G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Fellow Irish raider Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is drawn alongside her in gate seven.
One who was missing from the final declarations is Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}), winner of the 2011 Champion S. and second the next two years. Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe said the ground would be too firm for the evergreen 9-year-old gelding.
“If the going had been softer he would have probably run, but the race probably would have been too fast for him,” said Barande-Barbe. “He needs a bit more time in his races now; he’s run over a mile and a half twice in Dubai on good ground and that has been fine.”
“We’ll probably run him in the [G1] Prix Royal Oak [Oct. 25] next,” she added. “I know that is over much further [one mile, seven and a half furlongs] but we’ve had no rain in France for a long time and it will be nice for him not to have to rush. If he goes to Asia after that, it would be for the [G1 Hong Kong] Vase over 12 furlongs, rather than the [G1 Hong Kong] Cup over 10.
We’ll try him over longer now; he’s an old boy but still in a good mood.”