3 minute read

Kinross was a decisive winner of the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot for Frankie Dettori and Ralph Beckett.

Last seen winning the Prix de la Foret over seven furlongs on Arc day, the Marc Chan-owned five-year-old travelled in the middle of the group on the stand side of the track before surging forwards two furlongs from home and striding into a clear lead.

The 3-1 favourite was unchallenged at the line, securing a comfortable victory over Henry Candy's 150-1 shot Run To Freedom.

A jubilant Dettori said: "Ralph has been training fantastically this year. Two Group Ones in the space of two weeks for Kinross and we will take him to America now (Breeders' Cup Mile).

"I kicked earlier than I usually would with him. I know seven is his optimum trip so I said 'let's go, come and catch me'.

"Kinross loves the conditions, Ralph has found the key to this horse, he keeps him happy at home and doesn't do much with him. He is in tremendous form."

"He has now won the last four and two Group Ones in two weeks. He is a push-button ride.

"I was very confident he would run a huge race. As you know, six is his bare minimum, but the conditions made the race a bit tougher for the others.

"The one I wanted to follow was William Buick (on Creative Force), but I saw the distress signal about one and a half out and I knew my fella would stay and he would not stop in front, so I kicked him nice and early and he ran to the line and I was able to hear the crowd cheering, which was a very good feel-good factor."

As to reports of a possible retirement at the end of next season, he added: "I might. It is a possibility. But I didn't say I was going to. I will keep it going. Everybody is always asking. So I always tell them it is a possibility."

Beckett said: "What a horse – to go and do that, what a horse. When he was a three-year-old the late James Delahook, who managed the stud for Julian and Sarah Richmond-Watson phoned up and asked, 'should I be backing this horse for the Guineas?'.

"I replied, 'Do you know what, James? I think he is quick enough to win a July Cup'. It took me a while, but I'm nearly there.

"I've always had a little bit of a hankering for him to do it at this trip and now was the time, even though with the Breeders' Cup Mile on the horizon, he'll go there as well with any luck.

"He is better off running than galloping. We are only an hour down the road and once we got enough juice in the ground – soft ground over six is no bother to him. I'm just delighted to see him travel so well. What a horse he is, we are blessed to have him, we really are.

"You wait a long time for horses like this. I trained his mother and she ran in the Oaks, so for him to be effective at this trip gives us all a real kick."

Candy, meanwhile, was not in the least bit surprised by the display of his huge outsider.

He said: "That was absolutely superb. The cheekpieces have made all the difference. He loved the ground and he loves Ascot, but in the past he wouldn't concentrate and the jockey couldn't ride a race. The other day behind Rohaan, David (Probert) said something came upsides him two out and set him alight so he ended up going for home too soon. Today we had the confidence to ride a proper race on him.

"This time last year he looked like he was going to be a very good horse, he's definitely needed a bit of headgear on. If he can keep his concentration he'll be a serious horse next year. He's a great big frame of a horse and if he fills out a little more he could be exciting.

"I thought he'd nearly win today."

When asked if he had backed him each-way, Candy replied: "I don't bet anymore."