Dubai: Dubai-owned Taghrooda secured her place among the sport’s greats when outclassing her rivals to score a resounding victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), Britain’s most prestigious open-age flat race at Ascot on Saturday.
Given an inch-perfect ride by two-time champion jockey Paul Hanagan, the three-year-old daughter of Sea The Stars came with an electrifying burst from the back of the eight-horse field to score by three lengths from Telescope, the mount of Ryan Moore, while Mukhadram ran a scorcher to finish a neck back in third.
In retaining her unbeaten record, the winner became the first horse in 38 years to complete the Epsom Oaks (G1) and King George double after French-trained Pawneese.
Taghrooda also ended the wait for a second King George trophy for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, after the iconic Nashwan triumphed in 1989.
She also became only the third filly to win the 2,400-metre contest, which pits the Classic generation against older horses. Dahlia (1973-74) and Pawneese being the other successful fillies. “Amazing, this win just caps it all, something you never think would happen,” Hanagan told Channel 4 Racing. “I’m just so delighted for the whole team — a great job.
“They went hard and I didn’t plan to sit that far back, but you can only go as fast as you can and she adapted really well. If you take a look at her she’s hardly had a race, she’s so laid-back.”
Special performance
Winning trainer John Gosden, who moved to the top of the British Trainer’s table with prize money of £2.926 million (Dh18.14 million), was delighted with his filly, saying: “It was a special performance and I’m very glad Shaikh Hamdan made the correct decision.
“I thought it was a bold and good plan. I thought it was a bit defensive going for the other race [Irish Oaks] — I think Shaikh Hamdan will place all of my horses now.
“I’m absolutely thrilled and it was a great ride. I couldn’t have been more pleased with her,” added Gosden, the 2012 British Champion Trainer.
Angus Gold, Shaikh Hamdan’s racing manager, added: “She’s always shown us in her races that she’s an extra-talented filly, but you never know until you pitch them in at the deep end. She’s blessed with that wonderful attitude — nothing troubles her.”
British bookmaker Ladbrokes quickly made Taghrooda the 3-1 (from 14s) favourite for the Group 1 €5 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (October 5, Longhcamp, Paris) — a race that Sea The Stars also won.
Trainer William Haggas said Mukhadram, who is also owned by Shaikh Hamdan, will join Taghrooda at York’s Ebor festival next month. “We’ve run really well again. It looks like he got the trip, and I was as proud as punch,” he said. “I’d say he’ll go to the Juddmonte [International], why not?”
Earlier, the Mark Johnston-trained Heavy Metal was a surprise winner of the Longines International Stakes.
Sent off at odds of 33-1, the winner scored wearing the same colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, who landed the prize 12 months ago with Galician.
“These big handicaps, how can you predict the result?” Johnston told Channel 4 Racing. “It’s not a surprise, though. He was surprisingly big odds for a horse who has steadily been coming back to form. He’s a really good horse.”
