Novellist solitario sul traguardo delle
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Tremendo Novellist! Ad Ascot, un anno dopo Danedream un altro tedesco ha iscritto il suo nome sull’albo d’oro della corsa dei Diamanti: il figlio di Monsun ha portato a casa gioco, partita ed incontro nelle King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes G1 dominando per 5 lunghezze la prova sui 2400 metri, rifinita in 2m 24.60s (fast by 5.40s) con relativo record della corsa. Novellist, dopo aver gestito dalla quarta posizione in una corsa resa vitale da Ektihaam ed Universal, ha risolto in dirittura, quando si è allargato verso il centro della pista e scatenato la sua azione dirompente, che gli è valsa la vittoria nei confronti del tre anniTrading Leather (Teofilo) e Hillstar (Danehill Dancer) al terzo. “Ha una classe incredibile abbinata ad un gran motore, più spingevo e più ne aveva sotto. Una forza della natura!” Queste le prime parole di Johnny Murtagh, indemoniato nella stagione, alla quarta vittoria nelle King George dopo Alamshar, Duke Of Marmalade e Dylan Thomas e leading rider nell’ultimo Royal Ascot. Stavolta nelle sue grazie è capitato Novellist, il quale ha aggiunto al già suo ricco palmares, una corsa che vale per davvero. La corsa dei diamanti, quest’anno molto significativa (per via del nuovo arrivato in casa Windsor, George Alexander Louis), ed una volta momento più alto nel calendario per l’ippica europea, ora quasi un G1 normale ma comunque un vero e severo test di stamina. Ha vinto quello che concentrava, sottoforma di cavallo da corsa, la condizione strepitosa, la consistenza tedesca, l’integrità fisica necessaria per vincere un tipo di corsa del genere, ed in sella il jockey irlandese, che sta montando come non mai e sta vivendo un’altra giovinezza da quando si è messo a fare anche l’allenatore. Novellist è allenato da Andreas Wohler, mercuriano per eccellenza (per abusare di un termine coniato da Mario Berardelli) che non si sposta mai per caso. Il cavallo di proprietà del Dr Christoph Berglar, aveva già vinto nella stagione il Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud G1 con in sella Ryan Moore, ma quest’ultimo ha dovuto rinunciare a favore di Sir Michael Stoute ed il supplementato Hillstar. Lo scorso anno aveva chiuso la stagione con la vittoria per dispersione nel Gran Premio del Jockey Club a San Siro, li dove ha cominciato la sua scalata verso il successo, tipico dei figli di Monsun. Novellist condivide lo stesso piano con Flintshire,Al Kazeem e Orfevre per il Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe della prima domenica di Ottobre (quello si, il momento più alto per l’ippica europea) a 6/1. Al tripudio per Novellist, da menzionare anche la “caduta” sportiva di un mito come Cirrus des Aigles. Il castrone, forse, proprio ad Ascot ha lasciato la voglia di correre ed il cuore, per cercare di stare dietro a Frankel nelle Champion del 2012. Alla fine, il vecchio Cirrus, ha guadagnato il 4° posto.

PUBBLICATO DA GABRIELE CANDI A SABATO, LUGLIO 27, 2013

German raider Novellist captures King George

BY JAMES BURN3:54PM 27 JUL 2013

Report: Ascot, Saturday

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) (Group 1) 1m4f, 3yo+

NOVELLIST gave Germany back-to-back triumphs in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday when he emulated last year’s winner Danedream in winning Britain’s premier all-aged Flat race.

The victory also continued the golden run for jockey-of-the-moment Johnny Murtagh, who earned plenty of plaudits for his ride on the wayward Chicquita in the Irish Oaks and was leading rider at Royal Ascot.

The Classic generation filled the places with Irish Derby winner Trading Leather second and Hillstar third.

Ascot Result, 27 Jul 2013. KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES SPONSORED BY BETFAIR (BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES) (GROUP 1)

(Class 1) (3yo+) 1m4f Good To Firm
£603,961.50, £228,975.00, £114,594.00, £57,084.00, £28,648.50, £14,377.50

			HORSE/SP	AGE	WGT	TRAINER/JOCKEY	OR	TS	RPR

«	1 3		Novellist (IRE) 13/2	4	9-7	A Wohler	119	*	*
«	1 3					Johnny Murtagh	119	*	*


«	2 6	5	Trading Leather (IRE) 9/2	3	8-9	J S Bolger	118	*	*
«	2 6	5				Kevin Manning	118	*	*


«	3 8	¾	Hillstar 5/1	3	8-9	Sir Michael Stoute	111	*	*
«	3 8	¾				Ryan Moore	111	*	*


«	4 1	3	Cirrus Des Aigles (FR) 6/4F	7	9-7	Mme C Barande-Barbe	131	*	*
«	4 1	3				Christophe Soumillon	131	*	*


«	5 4	hd	Universal (IRE) 14/1	4	9-7	Mark Johnston	115	*	*
«	5 4	hd				Joe Fanning	115	*	*


«	6 7	5	Red Cadeaux 25/1	7	9-7	Ed Dunlop	116	*	*
«	6 7	5				Graham Lee	116	*	*


«	7 5	7	Very Nice Name (FR) 14/1	4	9-7	A De Mieulle	118	*	*
«	7 5	7				Olivier Peslier	118	*	*


«	8 2	36	Ektihaam (IRE) 10/1	4	9-7	Roger Varian	115	*	*
«	8 2	36				Dane O’Neill	115	*	*

15 ran TIME 2m 24.60s (fast by 5.40s) Total SP 114%
1st OWNER: Dr Christoph Berglar BRED: Christoph Berglar TRAINER: A Wohler
2nd OWNER: Mrs J S Bolger
3rd OWNER: Sir Evelyn De Rothschild
TOTE toteswingers 1&2 £5.10, 1&3 £4.90, 2&3 £4.10 WIN £5.20 PL £1.40, £2.70, £2.60; Ex £35.00; CSF £35.78; TRICAST £158.37 TRIFECTA £86.40 Pool: £18,535.43 – 160.84 winning units.
New course record.

Trained by Andreas Wohler for Dr Christoph Berglar, Novellist, who won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time, was due to be ridden by Ryan Moore, but he was required to partner the supplemented Hillstar.

William Buick was a back-up option, but connections opted for Murtagh and he did not let them down, scoring his fourth King George success on the ultra-impressive winner.

He was settled just off the pace by his master jockey as Ektihaam and Universal took the eight-runner field along at a gallop which resulted in a new course record time.

Irish Derby winner Trading Leather – bidding to give trainer Jim Bolger a big-race double he completed with St Jovite in 1992 – was also handy with leading ante-post fancy and crack older horse Cirrus Des Aigles held up.

Ektihaam, who slipped when performing the same front-running role in the Hardwicke at the royal meeting, faded turning for home, leaving Universal in front. Novellist, however, was primed to strike.

The 5-1 winner was delivered with perfect timing by Murtagh and shot clear in the final two furlongs, charging to a sparkling five-length win.

“He’s a high-class horse and has a good engine,” beamed Murtagh, whose other King Georges came on Alamshar (2003), Dylan Thomas (2007) and Duke Of Marmalade (2008).

“I love the way that when I asked him he really stretched, he really got down and wanted it. I can’t thank the owner enough, I was their third choice but I was probably worth waiting for.”

Novellist is now vying for favouritism with Flintshire, Al Kazeem and Orfevre for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with each available to back at 6-1.

And the Longchamp showpiece is very much the aim.

Wohler said: “I can’t believe it. To win a race like that in track record time is beyond my dreams. He was really impressive.

Andreas Wohler: “the Arc is
the main target in the autumn”

PICTURE: Edward Whitaker

“The statistics wouldn’t have said there would be two German winners but when we have good horses they are good. It’s the first big comparison between the best older horses and three-year-olds and he’s beaten the best three-year-olds. He will have one race beforehand and the Arc is the main target in the autumn.”

A drop in trip to 1m2f is on the cards for the Kevin Manning-ridden Trading Leather.

Bolger, who bred the Teofilo colt and trains him for his wife Jackie, said: “That was very satisfactory. Everything went well until the last furlong and he probably could have done with a bit more pace early in the race. Kevin was happy with him and so am I. He’ll go to York for the Juddmonte and then the Irish Champion Stakes.”

If Hillstar had won he would have provided trainer Sir Michael Stoute a record sixth success in the race. It was not to be, but connections got a return on the £75,000 they spent supplementing him.

“I’m delighted with him,” Stoute said of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s King Edward VII Stakes winner.

“I don’t think we’ll be dropping him in class now. It was a good solid effort and he is still going the right way.”

Cirrus Des Aigles was disappointing on his seasonal reappearance behind Novellist at Saint-Cloud and trainer Corine Barande-Barbe felt he may still lack some match fitness.

Sent off the 6-4 favourite, the seven-year-old – aiming to become the oldest winner of the King George – could finish only fourth under Christophe Soumillon.

Barande-Barbe said: “Christophe said he still lacks a bit of condition. He needs competition because what you do in the mornings is just not the same.

“Christophe said he didn’t want to ask more of him as he knew he couldn’t win but he wasn’t disappointed and he said that the horse would improve. Maybe if the storm had come it would have been easier for him. We might go to York next.”

fonte: RacingPost