| Course: ASCOT | Race date:21/06/08 | Race time:5:35 | Runners:16 |
| Race distance:2m5½f | Going:Good To Firm | Winners time:4m 49.07s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | J Murtagh | A P O´Brien | 4 | 9-5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7/4F | 2.28 | 1.67 | 1.55 | 1.01 | 1 | |
| Distinction | Ryan Moore | Sir Michael Stoute | 3 | 9-7 | 9 | 0 | 107 | 8/1 | 4 | 3.22 | 1.81 | 1.01 | 2 | 1½ |
| Metaphoric | Jamie Spencer | M L W Bell | 15 | 9-0 | 4 | 0 | 100 | 14/1 | 7.6 | 4.94 | 2.59 | 1.2 | 3 | 11 |
| Bulwark | Jim Crowley | Ian Williams | 16 | 9-2 | 6 | 0 | 103 | 8/1 | 6.5 | 3.41 | 2.9 | 1.15 | 4 | hd |
| Ajaan | Ted Durcan | H R A Cecil | 8 | 9-0 | 4 | 0 | 102 | 7/2 | 2.47 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.16 | 5 | 13 |
| Caracciola | Eddie Ahern | N J Henderson | 11 | 9-2 | 11 | 0 | 99 | 20/1 | 6.8 | 5.86 | 2.06 | 3.25 | 6 | 1 |
| Merveilles | P J Smullen | Mrs John Harrington | 6 | 9-2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 25/1 | 11 | 7.4 | 2.67 | 4.2 | 7 | 3¾ |
| Bahrain Storm | M J Kinane | Patrick J Flynn | 5 | 9-2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 25/1 | 11 | 8.52 | 3.65 | 7.4 | 8 | ½ |
| Baddam | Richard Hughes | Ian Williams | 17 | 9-2 | 6 | 0 | 91 | 16/1 | 9.4 | 7.12 | 4.21 | 5 | 9 | hd |
| Kayf Aramis | Steve Drowne | Miss Venetia Williams | 14 | 9-2 | 6 | 0 | 71 | 66/1 | 46 | 25.13 | 3.66 | 21 | 10 | 4 |
| Ashmolian | Sam Hitchcott | Miss Z C Davison | 2 | 9-2 | 5 | 0 | 52 | 80/1 | 260 | 173.59 | 50.49 | 150 | 11 | 29 |
| Enjoy The Moment | Shane Kelly | J A Osborne | 9 | 9-5 | 5 | 0 | 105 | 6/1 | 2.8 | 2.57 | 2.32 | 1.79 | 12 | 8 |
| Noddies Way | Liam Jones | J F Panvert | 7 | 9-2 | 5 | 0 | 62 | 40/1 | 50.49 | 19.13 | 4.67 | 11 | 13 | 10 |
| Hasanpour | Robert Winston | K J Burke | 10 | 9-2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 66/1 | 100 | 71.74 | 29 | 24 | 14 | 10 |
| Invasian | John Egan | P W D´Arcy | 12 | 9-2 | 7 | 0 | 86 | 66/1 | 90 | 53.05 | 4.02 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| Basalt | Kerrin McEvoy | T J Pitt | 1 | 9-0 | 4 | 0 | 80 | 25/1 | 24.83 | 8.31 | 3.84 | 6 | 16 | 93 |
Honolulu held up, headway over 4f out, challenged 2f out, narrowly led when carried head high well over 1f out, hard pressed until asserted final 100yds
Distinction midfield, headway over 4f out, challenged 2f out, upsides winner until no extra final 100yds
Metaphoric raced keenly, in touch, lost place 5f out, not much room and hampered over 4f out, not clear run over 3f out, headway when switched left 2f out, soon chased leaders, no chance over 1f out
Bulwark midfield, headway 3f out, ridden to chase leaders over 2f out but no chance, plugged on for places
Ajaan midfield, headway 4f out, upsides over 3f out, led over 2f out, soon hung right, headed well over 1f out, soon weakened, eased when well beaten inside final furlong
Caracciola midfield, ridden and hung right over 1f out when no impression, never able to trouble leaders
Merveilles raced keenly, in touch, upsides over 3f out, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out
Bahrain Storm raced keenly, steadied to run off the pace after 2f, effort over 3f out, no impression, never on terms
Baddam midfield, ridden and headway 5f out, challenged on outside over 3f out until 2f out, weakened over 1f out
Kayf Aramis chased leaders, ridden and losing place when not much room over 3f out, no danger when not much room again over 2f out
Ashmolian dwelt, behind, struggling 3f out, never on terms
Enjoy The Moment slowly into stride, raced keenly, held up, headway over 3f out, ridden and weakened over 2f out
Noddies Way chased leaders, went 2nd 10f out until 7f out, soon ridden, weakened 3f out
Hasanpour midfield, headway to chase leaders 10f out, went 2nd 7f out, led over 3f out, headed over 2f out, weakening when hampered over 1f out, finished tired
Invasian led, clear after 7f, reduced adavantage 10f out, ridden over 4f out, headed over 3f out, soon weakened
Basalt soon chased leader, lost 2nd 10f out, pushed along 7f out, weakened 6f out, tailed off
The only thing highest-rated Honolulu had to prove was his stamina for this extended trip. Stepping back up to the Leger trip for the Yorkshire Cup last time after his Ebor second as a three-year-old off a mark of 111, he had hinted that he had the potential to follow Yeats into the Ballydoyle stayers' ranks. He does not impress many with his head carriage and again here, he had along look at Distinction that Moonax would have been proud of. The result was in the balance until the last 50 yards, when Honolulu forged clear to assure his future as a Cup horse. Whether Goodwood would suit him is debatable.
Distinction may be nine but has lost none of his enthusiasm and only some of his class. Johnny Murtagh clearly tried to keep him hemmed in, even pushing his elbow out but Distinction is an old hand and brushed it off to lay down his challenge and did not flinch in defeat. The Goodwood Cup must be under consideration on the back of this.
Bulwark, hit by the handicapper for his narrow Chester Cup win, went a long way to justifying it with another sterling effort. He crept through nearer the inside rail as the principals went wider and, although readily outpaced by the class acts, he battled away to just lose out on third.
Ajaan just failed to see out this longer trip as he made a bold move off the home bend to momentarily look as if he might have stolen it. He emptied quickly into the final 2f and was legless in the final furlong.
Caracciola did not have the pace to get competitivebut plugged on gamely as other wilted, one of whom was the 2006 winner and last year's second Baddam, who was driven up from the back inside the last 7f but weakened 2f out after holding a chance.
last year's winner Enjoy The Moment, who benefited from heavy rain last year, did not look happy on the ground when put under pressure. [BJ]
Racing results courtesy of racing post. Please note that ever effort is made to ensure results are correct but I accept no liability for mistakes. The data is provided as a free service.
Please visit my Blog or sign up to my racing forum for the latest news and views.
