200-1 and 100-1, this was Champions Day with a double twist. The Champion Stakes itself was won by a world’s best performance by the already super successful Calandagan but before that Powerful Glory and Cicero’s Gift gave hope to every pin sticker.
Amazingly Powerful Glory’s 200-1 last stride snatching of the Champions Sprint off the favourite Lazzat was more explicable than Cicero’s Gift clear cut win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. They both happened on a track blest for once with good not autumn heavy going, a 31,000 crowd up 8% on last year, and with fairly run races the results could not have been a fluke. Crikey, Powerful Glory’s trainer Richard Fahy even had the temerity to say “it was the plan all along.”
To be fair to Fahy, who is a long established master of his craft but was redeeming his worst season numerically in 22 years, Powerful Glory had shown great promise as a two year old. He won both races then but needed a breathing operation after disappointing in his comeback and was only able to get a run, and finish last of five, less than a month ago. But he had talent – and he had Jamie Spencer.
At 45, Spencer may be a couple of decades on from the teenager who won the Irish 1,000 Guineas before following up an Irish Jockeys Championship with one in England. But he too is an absolute master of his craft and in particular of waiting races on the straight course at Ascot on which he shot Khadeem to an 80-1 win in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Patience is the key, not an easy virtue to exercise in a 70 second, 19 runner horse race but once again Spencer held his nerve before being the last to commit his horse for the last thrust home. James Doyle had already put Lazzat in control of his group on the far side when Spencer came across to course them down in the final strides.
The jockey was a bit more surprised than the trainer and two races later we should have heeded the words as he said “you never know in this game.” For after the beautiful Kalapan had repeated last year’s success with a majestic defeat of Estrange and the French filly Quisisana in the Champion Fillies and Mares, I watched the 16 runners going to the start of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and as Cicero’s Gift cantered down with Jason Watson actually said out loud, “well that’s one that cannot win.”
Oh ye of little faith. Cicero’s Gift was 100-1 because after winning as a two year old, his form had dropped off to a point where he started yesterday rated more than a stone inferior to the still thought to be champion Field Of Gold. But Cicero’s Gift had won last time out at Sandown and trainer Charlie Hills had said “we’ve always had the QE II in mind” albeit with the caveat that he hoped for heavy going. At Ascot the going was good and for Hills and Watson the result was beyond marvellous.
Both jockey and trainer have had their challenges but this greatest of achievements was again no fluke. The hard pulling Marvelman led Dancing Gemini in the closing stages and as other better fancied horses battled, the once super hope Lion In Winter took over with Field Of Gold stuggling to pick up, Watson got a run up the far rail to lead at the furlong pole and hold on by a length from Lion In Winter, Alakazi and Docklands with Field Of Gold a no excuses fifth.
In 2018, Jason Watson was champion apprentice with 111 winners but things have been much tougher since. “It’s been very difficult to get back to the position I know I am capable of” he said before adding, “Mum always says to me, if you’re in it, you can win it.”
For Hills it has been even harder. His legendary father Barry Hills died this year and he started yesterday looking into the worst season since he began. “Jeepers, it’s great” , he said. “It’s been a tough year for all of us. This horse is talented but he’s not been the soundest.”
So we came to the Champion Stakes ready for anything. We did not get shocks we got Calandagan proven as a true champion. A gallop led by pacemakers for the Godolphin and Coolmore stars Ombudsman and Delacroix only made things better for Calandagan who had won the KG VI & QE II on this track in July. Taking over from the staunch Almaqam two furlongs out he kept on strongly to be still two lengths clear of Ombudsman at the post with Almaqam just holding off Delacroix for third.
The Champion Stakes had closed out as it should. With Daryz victory in the Arc De Triomphe earlier in the month, trainer Francis Graffard had won Europe’s three greatest prizes for the colours of the late Aga Khan who died in the spring. Posthumous perhaps, but as with the shock signature of this Champions Day, a “Powerful Glory”.