Brothers in Arms: Idaho Takes Hardwicke Stakes

Idaho emerged from the shadow of his older brother Highland Reel to win the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) on the final day of the Royal Ascot meeting June 24, providing the Coolmore owners and trainer Aidan O'Brien a powerful 1-2 punch for the remainder of the season worldwide.

 

Idaho found his best stride in the final furlong of the Hardwicke Stakes, edging off to win by a half length. In the process, he denied Her Majesty The Queen her 24th Royal Ascot victory and Sir Michael Stoute the outright lead on the all-time Royal Ascot trainer's list.

 

The 4-year-old son of Galileo out of the Danehill mare Hveger raced in the clear and closely in touch with the early pace through the first mile of the Hardwicke. Jockey Seamie Heffernan pushed the button halfway down the stretch and Idaho responded willingly.

 

Barsanti and Chemical Charge both came with late efforts to finish second and third.

 

Her Majesty's runner, Dartmouth, won last year's Hardwicke for Stoute and was the favorite to repeat. His trainer was bidding to break a tie with the late Sir Henry Cecil for the all-time Royal Ascot training record, as both have 75 winners. Dartmouth, after taking a narrow lead under jockey Ryan Moore's urging, was swallowed up in the last sixteenth but still came home fourth, beaten 3 1/4-lengths.

 

Idaho was making his second start of the year, following a sixth in the Investec Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom, when O'Brien's string arrived late due to a travel snafu. Despite suffering the same hardship, Highland Reel won the Coronation Cup under Moore, who rode for the Queen in the Hardwicke.

 

"I had a lovely draw," Heffernan said, "And tactically, the race worked out as I thought it would. I wanted to follow Ryan and my lad's a good stayer, so I had a nice toe into the race. We thought he would run well."

 

O'Brien, who scored his eighth Royal Ascot training title, said Idaho "has a fabulous pedigree and we've always loved him. Epsom was his first run of the year and he arrived at the track only an hour before the race and he was very upset and he never got time to cool down."

 

Highland Reel, already an international group 1 winner on three continents, won the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) on day two of this year's Royal Ascot and the full siblings provide Coolmore the full worldwide range of options for the remainder of the season.

 

The meet's final group 1 event, the Diamond Jubliee Stakes, saw The Tin Man rally inside rivals and then survive a stewards' inquiry brought on by a three-horse sandwich at the finish to earn the victory.

 

Tasleet finished second, a neck back, in the six-furlong sprint as the favorite, Limato, was caught in the middle and squeezed in the final yards. After an interview with the jockeys, televised live, the stewards made no change.

 

The Tin Man, a 5-year-old Equiano gelding, is trained by James Fanshawe and had Tom Queally in the irons. The Tin Man scored his second group 1 victory, after the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes last fall, also at Ascot. He finished eighth in last year's Diamond Jubilee.

 

The American hope in the Diamond Jubilee, Long On Value, finished 12th with Joel Rosario up for trainer Bill Mott. Long On Value, a 6-year-old son of Value Plus, was second in the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (G1) at Meydan Racecourse March 25 in his previous start.

 

Fanshawe said Queally gave The Tin Man "a suitable ride today" and said he will accept the honor of top older sprinter on the scene.

 

Fanshawe would not commit to The Tin Man's next race, though he is entered in the July Cup (G1) at Newmarket July 15, where he could face undefeated 3-year-old Caravaggio, winner of the Commonwealth Cup (G1) on the penultimate day of the Royal meeting.

 

The Chesham Stakes, won last year by Churchill en route to his sweep of this year's English and Irish 2000 Guineas, this year went to the Coolmore-owned filly September. The daughter of the Japanese sire Deep Impact reeled in breakaway leader Nyaleti, an Arch filly, in the final furlong and kicked away to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Nyaleti held off Godolphin's Masar to finish second.

 

"She could be anything," O'Brien said of September. "She is out of Peeping Fawn and by Deep Impact, so she is bred absolutely in the purple. You would imagine that she would stay much further in time. We might try and finish the season racing at a mile and then see where we go next year—I'm delighted that she does have the pace to run at seven."

 

Also on the final day of Royal Ascot 2017, Oriental Fox outfinished Thomas Hobson to win the final race of the meeting, the Queen Alexandra Stakes at 2 miles, 5 1/2 furlongs. Oriental Fox, a 9-year-old gelding by Lomitas, won the same race two years ago and was fourth last year. Thomas Hobson won the 2 1/2-mile Ascot Stakes on opening day of the Royal meeting and nearly pulled off the improbable distance double. Coolmore's US Army Ranger was third in his first marathon bid.

The Wolferton Stakes went to Snoano, more often found racing in the north of England, who emerged from the pack in the final 100 yards to win the 1 1/4-mile test. The 5-year-old Nayef gelding held off Majeed with Kidmenever third.

 

In a field of 27, Out Do and Steady Pace raced with the group on the outside rail to finish first and second in the Wokingham Heritage Handicap going six furlongs down the straight. Projection was third and best of the group on the stands side. Out Do is an 8-year-old Exceed and Excel gelding.