Shadwell runner Anmaat overcame trouble in running to cause a 40/1 upset in the Gr1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
In what proved to be an eventful edition of the day’s showpiece event, Anmaat, like eventual runner-up Calandagan, was unable to get a clear run as the field bunched early in the home straight.
However, Jim Crowley managed to extricate the six-year-old with time to spare, at which point his mount stormed home to collar 6/4F Calandagan in the final strides. The winning margin was half a length, with Royal Rhyme (25/1) just under two lengths further back in third.
Jim Crowley is beaming as Anmaat causes the knockout (Pic – Megan Coggin)
Anmaat, who landed last year’s Gr1 Prix d’Ispahan on his only other appearance at the highest level, disappointed on his latest start when fifth in the Gr2 Prix Dollar.
Winning trainer Owen Burrows, enjoying his first winner at the meeting, said: “We’ve always thought a lot of this horse. I know it sounds easy afterwards, but last year after he won his Group One in France, I did really fancy him for the Eclipse – but he had a very complex foot injury, which took a long time to come right. Credit to the team back at Shadwell, and obviously Sheikha Hissa’s patience with him as well.
“It just went wrong in France two weeks ago. It was a muddling old race and I think Jim will admit it probably wasn’t his finest hour but the horse came back fine.
“I had to convince Sheikha Hissa to come today but credit to her, I spoke to her on Monday morning and sent her a video of an easy piece of work he did last Saturday. She was happy with it and so was I.
“I was never too fussed on ground conditions, as he won on very soft ground in France last year. How he’s done it has surprised me. I put my binoculars down halfway up the straight, as I thought he had no chance from where he got pushed back to. To pick up in this ground like that, I thought it was a heck of a performance.”
Crowley said: “We had a nice draw and I wanted to go and sit third or fourth, one off the rail, and give myself an option. But I could see early on that Los Angeles wasn’t taking Ryan [Moore] at all and, when we turned into the straight, I had horses on my outside keeping me in.
“I was going well, but then we had to try and work our way through and we got completely stopped. There was no option at the time, we were just stuck. I won’t tell you what I was thinking. But when he got the gap, it was extraordinary the way the horse picked up and, believe me, it was no fluke.
“I thought he’d win the Eclipse last year against Paddington. I was convinced he would win and he went wrong the day before. It looked like he would never race again and everyone has done a wonderful job to get him back.
“He won on his reappearance at Haydock – he scraped home but he was probably only 70% ready. Then we decided to go to France to have a nice, easy win and then go here. I held him up off a slow pace, but he just didn’t pick up that day, and he’s gone under everybody’s radar here. It was touch and go whether he ran in this race off the back of France and it was a brave call; we were coming here to finish third and fourth so to go and do what he did is great.
“This year has been a bit slow. I am used to having these big winners all the time and this is my first Group One this year. To do it on a horse that has come back from injury, and Owen has done this with Hukum as well; it’s a great comeback. Anmaat will be around next year all being well and he can show everyone again how good he is.”
Calandagan’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said: “Second again – I am so upset! We had a very difficult draw and, in that ground this horse makes too much effort. But we had a very good race; he quickened clear and I thought the race was for us. Then I got caught on the line, so that’s it. Another second! He made too much effort in that ground, especially over 10 furlongs. We have to ask him to follow the pace. Yes, he will stay in training next year.”
Marie Velon, who took fourth on Iresine, said: “That was very good – he liked the ground. I followed Calandagan as much as I could, and he finished very well.”
William Haggas said of Economics (6th): “Disappointing obviously. Tom [Marquand] felt the ground was a bit soft for him, but I said I wouldn’t use that as an excuse so I’m not going to. He’s fine. There’s a little blood in his nose, so we’ll sort that out.”
QIPCO Champion Stakes (Group 1)
1 Anmaat (Shadwell Estate Company Ltd) Owen Burrows 6-9-07 Jim Crowley 40/1
2 Calandagan (HH Aga Khan) Francis-Henri Graffard FR 3-9-03 Stephane Pasquier 6/4F
3 Royal Rhyme (Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum) Karl Burke 4-9-07 Clifford Lee 25/1
11 ran
Owen Burrows – 1st QIPCO British Champions Day winner
Jim Crowley – 5th QIPCO British Champions Day winner
