Charlie Appleby’s Pinatubo had swept all before him during a spectacular juvenile campaign, becoming the highest-rated two-year-old of the current century. It was therefore no surprise to see the Godolphin runner sent off as the red-hot favourite to land the opening Classic of the season on his first start at three. Also going for the Boys in Blue were Military March, who was a perfect two from two at Newmarket, and Al Suhail, who had finished a close second to Military March in the Autumn Stakes at this track.
As is so often the case in these big races, Aidan O’Brien was the most strongly represented trainer in terms of numbers, with four of the 15 runner field hailing from his Ballydoyle operation. Arizona had proven no match for Pinatubo in two previous outings, but was nevertheless the choice of Ryan Moore, whilst Frankie Dettori took the ride on the well-backed, Wichita, who had similarly been put in his place by the jolly in the previous season’s Dewhurst Stakes. Andrew Balding’s Kameko was the clear standout from the remaining runners, having landed the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy on his final start at two.
Result
- 1st – Kameko 10/1, Jockey: Oisin Murphy, Trainer: Andrew Balding
- 2nd – Wichita 15/2, Jockey: Frankie Dettori, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- 3rd – Pinatubo 5/6F, Jockey: William Buick, Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Prize Money Breakdown
- 1st – £141,775
- 2nd – £53,750
- 3rd – £26,900
- 4th – £13,400
- 5th – £6,725
- 6th – £3,375
Tote and Forecast Payouts
- Tote Win – £12.20
- Tote Places – 1st – £2.80, 2nd – £2.40, 3rd – £1.10
- Exacta – £93.90
- Computer Straight Forecast (CSF) – £73.24
- Trifecta – £323.20
- Tricast – £132.54
Recap
The relatively unfancied trio of Juan Elcano, Persuasion, and Star Cat were the quickest out of the stalls, with Persuasion being the one to push on and make the early running under Kieran Shoemark. The Aidan O’Brien duo of Arizona and Wichita settled just off the pace, with Pinatubo and Kameko amongst those waited with towards the back of the pack.
3f from home, Wichita and Juan Elcano had shaken off the other pacesetters, but were now being joined by Pinatubo coming with a run between runners. The market leader held every chance, but could never quite master the tough Wichita. For a moment, the mount of Frankie Dettori looked like prevailing, only for relative outsider Kameko to come with a storming late run on the outside, having been switched into the clear by Oisin Murphy. It was tight as the line approached, but Kameko ultimately got up close home to win by a neck and keep the prize on home soil.
This was a second Classic success for Andrew Balding, who had previously won the Oaks with Casual Look in 2003. For Oisin Murphy, this win represented a breakthrough first Classic-winning ride.
Runners
- 1. Al Suhail – SP: 14/1, Trainer: Charlie Appleby, Jockey: James Doyle
- 2. Arizona – SP: 9/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Ryan Moore
- 3. Cepheus – SP: 150/1, Trainer: Brian Meehan, Jockey: Jim Crowley
- 4. Juan Elcano – SP: 66/1, Trainer: Kevin Ryan, Jockey: Andrea Atzeni
- 5. Kameko – SP: 10/1, Trainer: Andrew Balding, Jockey: Oisin Murphy
- 6. Kenzai Warrior – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Roger Teal, Jockey: Jason Watson
- 7. Kinross – SP: 20/1, Trainer: Ralph Beckett, Jockey: Harry Bentley
- 8. Military March – SP: 20/1, Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor, Jockey: Hector Crouch
- 9. Mums Tipple – SP: 22/1, Trainer: Richard Hannon, Jockey: Sean Levey
- 10. New World Tapestry – SP: 250/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Adam Kirby
- 11. Persuasion – SP: 250/1, Trainer: Charles Hills, Jockey: Kieran Shoemark
- 12. Pinatubo – SP: 5/6F, Trainer: Charlie Appleby, Jockey: William Buick
- 13. Royal Dornoch – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Tom Marquand
- 14. Starcat – SP: 80/1, Trainer: Hughie Morrison, Jockey: P J McDonald
- 15. Wichita – SP: 15/2, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Non-Runners
All Ran