3 minute read
The Revenant takes out Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Having finished second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) last year, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained The Revenant (5 g ex Hazel Lavery by Excellent Art) went one better on Saturday landing the Group 1 in impressive fashion and in the process handed Darley stalwart Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) with his 44th top-flight winner.
The five-year-old gelding stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to repel the advances of Roseman (Kingman) to beat him by a head, while Palace Pier (Kingman) - who was handed the first defeat of his career - finished another three and a quarter lengths further away in third.
Winning rider Pierre-Charles Boudot said: "We were very confident. He loved the ground, he travelled well behind Circus Maximus and showed a good turn of foot when I asked him.
"His prep was good, he's courageous and he's just good."
The gelding is out of the St Simon Stakes (Gr 3, 1m4f) winner Hazel Lavery (Excellent Art), who is herself a half-sister to Italian Listed winner Leo Gali (Galileo).
Further afield, the gelding hails from the same family as Group 3 winner Artema (Common Grounds) and Listed scorers Hello Soso (Alzao), Kings Quay (Montjeu) and Jaasoos (Noverre).
Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) stood at Darley’s Dalham Hall for a fee of £250,000 and he is represented in Australia this season by his multiple Group 1-winning son Too Darn Hot, who is standing his first season at Darley’s Kelvinside base for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST).
Palace Pier beaten! The Revenant wins the Queen Elizabeth II for @PCBOUDOT and @GraffardRacing! @Ascot #ChampionsDay pic.twitter.com/KKBSwwsoCn
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 17, 2020
