3 minute read

Art Power showed guts and determination to get back up under the shadows of the post to deny Frankie Dettori with an opening Champions Day double.

Art Power displayed his customary early speed and quickly shot to the head of affairs as the striking grey ploughed something of a lone burrow towards the far side of the track.

Swingalong headed the main group of runners more towards the centre, with the likes of Vadream and Kinross tracking the early pace.

It appeared for all the world as Dettori was going to completely steal the show on his final day riding in Britain when favourite Kinross struck the front but, unlike in the opener, the script was not to be followed as 40/1 chance Art Power battled on tenaciously to get back up close home, denying Kinross, who traded at 1.01 on the exchanges, by a head crossing the line. Spycatcher finished back in third at 11/1.

The Tim Easterby-trained runner was having his fourth outing in the contest, whilst it was a first success at the top-level for the popular grey.

Dave Allan, who was also enjoying his first victory in Group 1 company, told ITV Racing: "I got a bit excited there! I've been around a lot of years and didn't think I was going to get one of these [a domestic Group 1].

He had drifted in the betting, but we had quite a good chance on that ground, he loves soft ground or heavy ground. How brave he was at the finish was unreal. I was on my own a lot of the race so when we did get a bit of company he dug in there."

He added: "As Frankie came to me, I wasn't too happy, I thought I'm going to get beat a neck here and be really cheesed off, but he dug in really well for me the last half furlong and couldn't believe he got back up. I had no company for a lot of the race and when he got a bit of company, he really stuck his neck out and ran through the line. I couldn't pull him up after, I don't know if that was excitement or what, but I couldn't stop him after the race.

He was bouncing today. I think he had a hard race in France, it took a little bit out of him and obviously the start went wrong in the Abbaye, he hit his head on the gates so that was that gone. Today he bounced out and he's got the perfect ground for him. He likes it soft to heavy, but he doesn't like it sticky, so it's just wet enough that he can use his speed on it. It's great for him to get one (a Group 1) as he's had a few goes, he's run some good races but you're thinking is he ever going to win one, but he was awesome today, I couldn't believe how well he travelled."

Tim Easterby added: "He's had a few bad luck stories, but he's been in the first four nearly every time he's run here. You can't knock that. And he's always run to the line."

He added: "We gelded him, because we couldn't get a job for him at stud. He's a wonderful little horse. He took his gelding well, he takes it well whatever you do with him – he's a great horse to train, no fancy gallops or all that bulls***. He's just brilliant.

"I thought David gave him a fantastic ride. He jumped out and travelled. And when he travels, he is hard to beat. He looked great today – he's put weight back on. He lost a load of weight when he ran in France, and he's just come back."

Asked whether he will be out again this season, he said: "I don't know; there's racing in Hong Kong, we might take him over there – we shall see."