In common with the Eurovision Song Contest the Lockinge Stakes is always great fun but seldom has long-term implications and should probably not be taken too seriously. Mustashry delighted his connections in winning Saturday’s big race by a comfortable margin but he had reached the age of six without previously taking a top-class race and, having been gelded a year ago, is of little interest to the breeding industry.
But he put a smile on the features of Sir Michael Stoute, which are generally a model of studied neutrality, and drew vivid delight from his groom, Jade Ransley. “Jade has made this horse,” the trainer readily conceded. “She rides him, looks after him like no other could. He’s had niggles all his career but I don’t think we’ve ever had him in better shape. She is particularly dedicated.”
“It’s incredible,” Ransley enthused. “It’s one of those things you always dream of and you want to believe in the horse as much as you can but it’s almost out of reach. And then he goes and does it like that.”
The trick with Mustashry has evidently been recognising that he was not entirely happy being trained amid a long string of others. When he exercises, he goes out with only a lead horse for company. “He’s quite soft,” Ransley said. “He’s definitely a girl’s man, if I can put it that way. He has his own quirks, he’s his own person. I’ve done everything with him since he was a baby.”
Ransley is not one of racing’s luckiest stable staffers, having spent eight years at Stoute’s yard without having so much as a Listed winner to care for until Mustashry came along. But she will now get the chance to lead up her boy at Royal Ascot, as the Queen Anne has been named as his next target.
The bookmakers have him as 7-1 favourite, but the team behind Laurens, who chased him home, feel the winner had a fitness advantage and hope their popular mare can turn the form around. “When Mustashry came upsides her, she just changed legs and had a little wobble, had a little blow there,” said Karl Burke, her trainer. “In the last 50 yards she got her second wind and ran on again. I’m sure there’s a couple of lengths’ improvement still in her. “
Stoute had a treble on the card and his other winners may also have big targets in the near future. Crystal Ocean could take in the Prince of Wales or the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, while Queen Power holds an Oaks entry if she recovers sufficiently quickly from her Listed success here.
Another big-name trainer with much to celebrate was Willie Mullins, who landed the French Champion Hurdle with Benie Des Dieux. In eight runs since moving to Ireland, the mare’s only failure was when falling at the final flight at the Cheltenham Festival but she did not start favourite this time, thanks to the presence in the field of the local heroine, De Bon Coeur.
Kevin Nabet took a wide course down the far side on that one, which may not have helped, but there was undeniable authority in the way Benie Des Dieux pulled six lengths clear. “I was surprised how easily she did it,” Mullins said. “De Bon Coeur appeared to be travelling so well the whole way.”
Mullins will attempt to dominate Auteuil’s big weekend, as he has a quarter of the field for Sunday’s Grand Steeplechase de Paris, the French equivalent of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Having finally secured his first wins in the Cheltenham race and the Irish Grand National, Mullins reportedly has the “Grand Steep” high on his list of most wanted prizes and he fields the favourite in Burrows Saint, while Rathvinden, Pleasant Company, Total Recall and Acapella Bourgeois give him strong back-up.
Market Rasen 1.45 Siannes Star 2.15 Istimraar 2.50 Whatmore 3.25 Deputy Jones 4.00 Marmont 4.35 Star Foot 5.10 Craigmor 5.45 Lamh Ar Lamh
Ripon 2.00 Lexington Warfare 2.35 Tizwotitiz 3.10 Seanjohnsilver 3.45 Takumi (nap) 4.20 Kripke (nb) 4.55 Kareena Kapoor 5.30 Great Example
6.00 Qaaraat
Stratford 2.25 Zamparelli 3.00 Goodthyneaway 3.35 Riviere Argentee 4.10 King Cnut 4.45 Telson Barley 5.20 The Kings Baby 5.55 Whocalledmespeedy
