3 minute read
Jimi Hendrix leads home a remarkable one-two for owners Chelsea Thoroughbreds and trainer Ralph Beckett in this afternoon’s Royal Hunt Cup.
The four-year-old disappointed slightly when eighth over a furlong further in a competitive Newmarket handicap in May but reaped the rewards of dropping back to the mile trip with a dominant display.
As so often is the case in this fiercely competitive handicap the field split into two groups, and it was seemingly tough to split the pair for much of the Ascot straight.
Isla Kai and Light And Dark cut out much of the running on the far side group with Point Lynas and Reach For The Moon leading up the near side group.
The race looked very much in the balance at the two-furlong marker, but Jimi Hendrix burst to the front entering the final furlong and showed a bright turn of foot to kick clear against the far side rail. Chelsea Thoroughbred looked certain to land the Royal Hunt Cup with half a furlong to run as stablemate Sonny Liston emerged as the sole threat on the adjacent side of the track. However, Rossa Ryan's mount kept up the gallop and eventually ran out a convincing two-length winner while Sonny Liston stuck on well to finish second and ensured it was smiles all round for connections.
Simon and Ed Crisford's Awaal (15/2) was back in third with Aerion Power (40/1) a further neck behind in fourth.
Trainer Ralph Beckett said: "I gave Ryan Moore the choice – he could have ridden it! It's great to get Sonny Liston back and he has to be ridden patiently like that, we think. He'll probably go for the John Smith's now [at York]. I'm thrilled to bits with him.
"Jimi, I always felt he had a day like this in him. He won the Spring Cup well, but he didn't go so well back on the Rowley Mile. We'll probably leave the Rowley Mile out for now – I thought I'd win a Cambridgeshire with him last year – but it doesn't matter, he's won today and it's wonderful. You couldn't make it up, really. I thought we might win the Lincoln with him, as well. He has always threatened to do something like this.
"Things haven't been going great this week so far but to win a Hunt Cup takes a bit of doing. To finish first and second – I am so pleased. Rossa is a guy on the up; it's great for him and he gave him a peach."
Ryan said: "Ralph is a genius. We fancied this horse in the Lincoln and it didn't go right, but he was impressive in the Spring Cup at Newbury. We figured out a lot last time at Newmarket when he didn't run up to scratch.
"Ralph has freshened him up lovely and credit to him and everyone at Kimpton – I get the easy job of riding him, but the lads behind the scenes do all the work. This one is for them.
"We didn't have much pace our side on paper, but the majority of the fancied runners were our side. I wanted to be handy, but he missed the break and didn't carry me into it until about three furlongs out.
"When I was rolling like that I had to keep rolling, and one thing about this lad is that he needs all the space. That's why I was adamant to come out wide and go round everyone and not try to be a hero.
"He's blessed with ability and it's only now I'm figuring him out."
