The turf
Battling on
Robin Oakley
If you ask me, Craig Evans was lucky to get away with one left jab from John Prescott. I remember once hearing the deputy prime minister discuss his style when faced by an opponent: 'I'm not the fancy rapier type,' he said. 'I'm more of a broadsword man. I prefer to take the head off.' Two Jags' would probably have made a better first opponent in the professional ring for Audley Harrison than Mike Middleton, the hapless American selected as the first victim for Britain's new heavyweight hope. Middleton lasted just two minutes 45 seconds. The best thing about the imported knuckle-fodder was his interview the day before the contest. Wasn't he a bit small to be fighting the massive Harrison, he was asked? He replied with the authentic voice of smalltown America: 'It's not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, it's the size of the fight in the dog.'
I was reminded of that remark twice in the course of Saturday's racing. Determination and the readiness to battle on is such a crucial quality in man or beast. You could not have seen those qualities better exemplified than in Kieren Fallon's riding of Sir Michael Stoute's Medicean. Talking to the BBC team before the 187,000 Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes, Kieren had almost sounded as though he would rather be on James Fanshawe's Warningford, who was better suited on the soft going and on whom the currently unstoppable Pat Eddery had the ride. He proved to be a shrewd assessor of a race as well as the talented rider that he is. Warningford went into the final furlong two lengths up on Medicean and a length up on Swallow Flight, a quirky character who was given an enterprising ride by Frankie Dettori. Having obtained the first run, Eddery drove Warningford for the line for all he was worth in that inimitable bounce-about style of his. As low as a human being could hope to get in the saddle, the fluent Dettori coaxed the last ounce of effort out of Swallow Flight. But suddenly there was the crooked white blaze of Medician's head forcing its way into the picture as Fallon drove his mount up the stands rail. Every corpuscle of Fallon's body was engaged in imparting forward momentum to Medicean, who responded gamely and inched past the others in the last 50 yards to win by a neck.
The Group One race gave us the most thrilling finish so far this season and should you get the chance to see the head-on replay do not miss it: you will not see a better study of the styles of three top jockeys. Both Stoute and Fallon left the impression that Medicean will come on for the run and he must be a contender now for some of this year's top mile events. Among the lesser lights mark down too the name of Black Knight. from Sean Woods's Newmarket stable.
On TV I caught the 2.10 from Thirsk, where the unlucky Fanshawe's Palatial was strongly fancied to take the £10,000 Stanley Racing Stakes. George Duffield had taken an early lead on Black Knight, who was hugging the inside rail. After waiting at the back Joe Fanning brought Palatial, backed down to 13-8 favourite, with a smooth and steady run up the finishing straight. Every 50 yards you thought he was going to go past, every 50 yards Duffield persuaded Black Knight to dig a little deeper and pull out a little more and in the end the pair hung on to win by a neck. Palatial lost nothing in defeat but a gutsy performer like Black Knight is well worth a place in the notebook. And after another race from Thirsk I will be keeping an eye too on apprentice Darren Williams. Milton Bradley's Juwwi was backed down from 10-1 to 11-4 favourite in a field of 21 for the six-furlong sprint handicap. Juwwi rarely gets away fast and he did not on this occasion but Williams neatly threaded him through the pack to pounce in the final strides and win by a head. A 51b-claimer who can keep his cool like that is a rare treasure.
It seems an appropriate moment for the first recap on our Ten to Follow for the year and I fear it is the usual mixed bag. Nayef, Crystal Music and Tobougg have disappointed in their Classic efforts so far. Distant Music ran only fourth first time out, although Barry Hills promises better to come. Katy Nowaltee has managed fourth and second on her two starts. Vision of Night has had only one run on ground which did not suit and Kalanisi and Endless Summer have not yet been seen out, I have been rescued by Henry Candy's Kyllachy, who looked a class sprinter in the making when winning a five-furlong sprint at Sandown and who seems an ideal type for the King's Stand Stakes at Ascot. He came in, I am glad to say, at the nice price of 8-1. Having this week had my wallet lifted at Tottenham Court Tube station, just after visiting the cash machine, I can do with one or two more like that.
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