Brazen Beau’s The Ridler lands Norfolk Stakes
Australia’s remarkable Royal Ascot continued on the third day, this time through the exploits of Darley stallion Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible), who claimed a notable juvenile scalp when his son The Ridler ran out a controversial and shock winner of the Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f)
Brazen Beau, who finished second in the 2015 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) on his career swansong tour of the UK, sired his 19th individual stakes winner with The Ridler, his most notable in the northern hemisphere.
However, the victory was not without its controversy, with 50-1 shot The Ridler surviving a stewards’ inquiry after the horse hung badly left across the track in the straight, colliding with third-placed Crispy Cat (Ardad) and hampering Brave Nation (Sioux Nation), who finished fourth.
But the Richard Fahey-trained juvenile clung on to victory, running out a length and three-quarter winner over 7-4 favourite Walbank (Kodiac).
“We get to keep the race. I might get a little holiday for it,” said jockey Paul Hanagan, who received a ten-day ban for careless riding.
“He just pricked his ears in front and I gave him a little slap and he jinked left a little bit, but he was always clear and doing enough.
“It’s a big place to come to have too much confidence, but I did think 50-1 was a bit unfair. I thought he ran very well at Beverley last month and he was very unlucky. I didn’t come here over confident, but not without a chance.
“I’m going to enjoy the moment and the world’s his oyster. We’ll be getting invites, I’m sure, but for me it’s the way he did it easy. He’s beat a good field.”
Prior to yesterday’s Royal Ascot feature, The Ridler had just a solitary win at Ripon to his name, having finished third at Beverley last time out behind Chateau (Havana Gold), who finished fourth in Wednesday’s Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f).
“I’m pretty delighted. It was grand, I thought he was very unlucky at Beverley. We thought about the Coventry for him because we knew that he’d stay well. But they went flat out there and when he was off the bridle early on they were going too quick. It’s probably a six furlong horse that’s won it,” said trainer Richard Fahey, who won this race a year ago with Perfect Power (Ardad).
“It’s been a lucky race for us, we’ve won it the last couple of years, and let’s hope we win it next year.”
The Ridler was bred by Steve Bradley under his Smardan Thoroughbreds banner. He is out of the Lope De Vega (Shamardal) mare Colorada and from the family of French Group 3 winner Trumbaka (In The Wings).
“It’s fantastic [for Steve Bradley], he’s invested a lot of money, but this one will be really special because he’s bred it, got the mother, he’s got everything. I’m delighted for the whole team and it’s always nice to nick one here for us poor northern trainers.”
Brazen Beau, a two-time Group 1 winner of the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m), both at Flemington, has sired New Zealand Group 1 winner On The Bubbles as well as Group 2 winners Pretty Brazen and Colada.
He sired the third placegetter of the 2019 Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) in Dubai Station.
Brazen Beau covered 99 mares last year at Darley’s Northwood Park Stud in Victoria at a fee of $44,000 (inc GST). He last shuttled to Dalham Hall Stud in the UK in 2019.
The stallion will have Group 1 contenders at Royal Ascot today and tomorrow, with Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) runner Boonie and Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) hope Vadream in action.
Defeated connections’ fury at stewards’ decision
Connections of third-placed finisher Crispy Cat were left seething with the stewards’ decision to let the result stand, adamant their horse would have won had he not suffered interference by wayward winner The Ridler.
“Both our horses got wiped out,” said Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing, not only the owner of Crispy Cat, but also of runner-up and hot favourite Walbank.
“Crispy Cat got completely wiped out. If that’s not a mistake we may as well give up. If you lose fair and square that’s fine, but for an experienced jockey to wipe out four horses in the field, I don’t even know what to say to that.
“[Without the interference] Crispy Cat wins and wins by a margin. I doubt they will change the result, but that’s not the point. The result is not the issue, the issue is an experienced jockey wiped out four horses.”