There was so much focus on The Queen's Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the build-up to Thursday's G3 Hampton Court S., it had almost assumed the air of a foregone conclusion but in the final analysis the Royal runner was second-best to the G3 Craven S. runner-up Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}). With Frankie's day about to get even worse, Adam Kirby set off in front on Mary Slack's 7-1 second favourite and refused to let the Gosden runner past when it came down to a straight fight in the final two furlongs. At the line, there was a 1 3/4-length margin back to the 2-5 favourite, who looked not to see out the 10-furlong trip, with Kingmax (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) a length behind in third.
Claymore, who had impressed with an emphatic debut win over seven at Newmarket in October in which My Prospero (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) was third, had returned with a second to Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the Craven which continues to grow in stature with each passing week. The third Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) is now a well-known name following his Derby second, Kingmax was in fourth, the fifth-placed Star of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) took the Listed Dee S. and the one who was last of the six was Zechariah (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) who went so close in Wednesday's G2 Queen's Vase here. For all the promise of his performance in that Newmarket contest, it seemed to be undone by Claymore's rank display from a coffin-box draw in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp May 15 so it was a relief that he was able to pull it all together again.
Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam is now on two winners for the week, which in terms of string size is nothing short of a remarkable tally. She said, “Claymore is in his comfort zone when he is up there bowling along in front. He has got a huge stride. Stepping up to 10 furlongs has helped him. It is lovely that Mary Slack has come over from South Africa for today and he will be able to stand at one of her studs. There is no plan at the moment. Wherever Mary wants to go, I'll send him.” The owner added, “We thought he would run well in the French Guineas, but he was hopeless from a terrible draw. This was the return. I have never been to these heights before.”
John Gosden suggested that a drop in trip could be next for Reach For the Moon. “The mother was very, very fast, so perhaps we've run him beyond his trip,” he commented. “I'm not sure he quite stayed it out, but we'll see–it could well be a possibility. He's never run over that trip before. He ran a great race first time back in the Heron Stakes and My Prospero franked the form in the St James's Palace, so we may well be dealing with a horse who only stays a stiff mile. I don't know.”
Claymore is out of the unraced Brit Wit (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who is a daughter of the Listed Harvest S. winner and G2 Park Hill S.-placed Brisk Breeze (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). The third dam Bela-M (Ire) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}) took the Listed Nereide-Rennen and was third in the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air. The dam's unraced 2-year-old filly Uniqa (Fr) (Cloth of Stars {Ire}) is followed by a yearling filly by Amaron (GB) named Baroness von Aesch (Ger) and a filly foal by Areion (Ger).
Thursday, Ascot, Britain
HAMPTON COURT S.-G3, £100,000, Ascot, 6-16, 3yo, 9f 212yT, 2:07.45, g/f.
1–CLAYMORE (FR), 128, c, 3, by New Bay (GB)
1st Dam: Brit Wit (GB), by High Chaparral (Ire)
2nd Dam: Brisk Breeze (Ger), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Bela-M (Ire), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€5,000 Ylg '20 ARQDOY; £10,000 2yo '21 TATGOR). O-Mrs Mary Slack; B-Guenther Schmidt (FR); T-Jane Chapple-Hyam; J-Adam Kirby. £59,200. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $101,110. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Reach For The Moon (GB), 128, c, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Golden Stream (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. O/B-The Queen (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £22,390.
3–Kingmax (Ire), 128, c, 3, Kingman (GB)–Baino Hope (Fr), by Jeremy. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£120,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-David Loughnane. £11,190.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1, 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 0.40, 16.00.
Also Ran: Cresta (Fr), Maksud (GB), Howth (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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