Illuminate Shines at Newmarket
Updated: July 10, 2015 at 11:36 am
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE S.-G2, £80,000, NEW, 7-10, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:12.81, g/f.
1–ILLUMINATE (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Zoffany (Ire)
1st Dam: Queen of Stars, by Green Desert
2nd Dam: Queen Catherine (GB), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Russian Royal, by Nureyev
(£95,000 Ylg ‘14 DNPRM). O-Denford Stud; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Richard Hannon; J-Richard Hughes. £45,368. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $143,591. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Besharah (Ire), 126, f, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Dixieland Kiss, by Dixie Union. (30,000gns Wlg ‘13 TATFOA; 85,000gns Ylg ‘14 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Mr Gerard Kerin (IRE); T-William Haggas. £17,200.
3–Blue Bayou (GB), 126, f, 2, Bahamian Bounty (GB)–Oshiponga (GB), by Barathea (Ire). O-Mrs M. D. Stewart; B-Wellsummers Farm (GB); T-Brian Meehan. £8,608.
Margins: NO, HD, 2. Odds: 1.75, 7.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Easton Angel (Ire), *Rah Rah (GB), Glenrowan Rose (Ire), Kurland (Ire), Sixties Sue (GB), Silk Bow (GB). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
*Demoted from fourth to fifth.
Fresh from success in Royal Ascot’s G3 Albany S. last month, Illuminate (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) maintained her perfect tally, but only just, in Friday’s G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. at Newmarket. Ideally positioned just behind the pace from the outset, the 7-4 joint-favorite took a slender advantage into the final furlong and was all out under a drive up the hill to bravely hold G2 Queen Mary S. third Besharah (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Blue Bayou (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) by a nose and a short head, respectively. “She’s very good, but it was a messy kind of race and we were lucky to hang on I suppose,” said rider Richard Hughes. “I was committed from three furlongs out and was left in the middle of the track for the climb and she just got a bit lonely. I didn’t want to get to the front too soon and, to her credit, she kept very straight.” Richard Hannon, registering a first victory in the race to go with his father’s three, added, “She traveled very well and Richard [Hughes] gave her just about the perfect ride. I thought she was going to win by a length, but then the other two fillies stayed on. She’s always been a very good filly–really sweet to look at and a pleasure to deal with. She’s as good as we’ve ever had and could do the whole lot, the [Sept. 26 G1] Cheveley Park S. and things like that.”