Dawn Approach wins Ascot thriller

Dubai: On a glorious summer’s afternoon at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, Godolphin’s Dawn Approach delivered a thrilling photo-finish victory in the £350,000 (Dh2.01 million) St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) to atone for his lacklustre performance in the Epsom Derby (G1) earlier this month.

The Jim Bolger-trained colt, ridden with aplomb by regular partner Kevin Manning, was made to pull out all the stops before prizing out a heart-stopping short-head victory over Toronado, the Craven winner, who was ridden by veteran Richard Hughes.

Dawn Approach was making a swift return to action after his Epsom debacle, but was boldly sent-off as the 5-4 favourite to win a race that has an illustrious roll of honour of past winners such as Frankel (2001), Canford Cliffs (1010), Henrythenavigator (2008), Shamardal (2005) and Giant’s Causeway (2000).

More importantly Dawn Approach showed plenty of character and composure to surmount a nightmare trip in the straight, where he incurred a viscious bump by Magician, to run the best race of his burgeoning career.

Godolphin supremo His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, paid tributes to the horse that he co-owns with Bolger, when he told Racing UK: “That proves to me he’s the best miler in the world.”

The Ascot stewards held an inquiry into the interference during the race but allowed the final placings to remain unaltered.

Manning, who deserves much of the credit for his riding of Dawn Approach, said: “It was so disappointing in the Derby. It was a big blow to everybody. I’ve had three weeks to think about it, but I still don’t have the answer.

“Once I got my head in front and Richard [Hughes, on Toronado] was fighting me, he was always holding on.

“He’s a real battler. I wasn’t sure I’d won, but I thought he had.

Bolger revealed that he had received plenty of encouragement from Shaikh Mohammad, who had persuaded him to run Dawn Approach at Royal Ascot.

“You take chances, sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. Shaikh Mohammad was a very willing risk-taker,” he said.

“He’s [Dawn Approach] very tough and hard, he was fortunate to survive the bump and the rest is history. I knew he wouldn’t let me down.”

Shaikh Mohammad added philosophically: “The biggest risk of all is to take no risk.”