Calandagan's potential thwarted by soft ground and a tricky draw, while Economics faces challenges after Royal Ascot clash. Both horses look to regroup and recover.
Francis-Henri Graffard was left contemplating what might have been after Calandagan narrowly missed out on adding another win to his Royal Ascot achievement in the Qipco Champion Stakes. The French contender excelled on the summer ground at the Berkshire track, delivering a standout performance in the King Edward VII Stakes and then showing formidable effort despite finishing second to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York.
He was made the 6-4 favorite for this thrilling face-off against Economics, the Irish Champion Stakes winner, but dealt with the challenges of soft ground and a difficult draw. Stephane Pasquier skillfully maneuvered his way to the front with just half a furlong remaining. However, the connections were disappointed as, just when it seemed victory was secured, Jim Crowley on Owen Burrows' 40-1 longshot Anmaat snatched the win in the final moments.
Calandagan's trainer was proud of the horse's performance, but regretted not only the difficult run during the race but also the challenging conditions on British Champions Day. Graffard commented: 'It was a very good effort, and he stumbled a few times on that ground. As Stephane mentioned, he had to keep urging him to continue running on that surface, which didn't suit him very well.'
Second again – I am so upset. We had a very difficult draw, and in that ground, this horse exerts too much effort. But we had a very good race, he quickened clear, and I thought the race was ours. Then he got caught on the line, so that's it. We didn't see the winner coming, and he encountered some trouble in running. He probably prefers a mile and a half and being in his own bubble where he can quicken very strongly. Today it was out of his pace, and he then had trouble when starting to come with a run and made his effort, it's tough.
He's a very good horse and this year he has consistently finished either first or second. I believe he's very talented. We will give him a nice break during the winter, and hopefully, we'll see him again next year. He certainly deserves a good rest now.
For William Haggas, it's back to the drawing board with Economics after the 2-1 second favorite was unable to replicate his success in the Irish Champion Stakes. Before the race, Haggas acknowledged that the challenging conditions were both unfamiliar and concerning, but he refused to blame the ground for the outcome. The veterinary officer reported that the colt, who finished sixth, had bled from the nose during the race.
Haggas said: 'He was a bit disappointing obviously. Tom (Marquand, jockey) felt the ground was a bit soft for him, but I said I wasn't going to use that as an excuse, so I'm not going to. He seems fine. There was a little bit of blood in his nose, so we will sort that out and regroup.' Marquand agreed that his mount was unsuited by the underfoot conditions but hopes this is just a minor setback in the horse's career.
He said: 'It was clearly not the outcome we wanted, but when you have to deal with an unknown factor like the ground, it can be challenging. He has performed very well on good to firm ground, but today things didn't go our way. The blood in the nose is obviously a concern, but William and (his wife) Maureen are the ones who see the horse every day, while I only ride him during the races.
They know him better than anyone, and if there is a problem, they will address it. Hopefully, it is nothing serious that will prevent him from being the best horse he can be. He continued: As a jockey, you want Group One horses to remain with you, and he is a top horse. He demonstrated that in the Irish Champion, and I hope he stays around.
