By Tom Frary
Continuing a spellbinding week at Royal Ascot for Shadwell, last year's high-class prospect Molatham (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) came good when it mattered as he emerged on top in a rain-hit G3 Jersey S. on Wednesday. Always travelling strongly halfway down the field despite having no cover, the Listed Flying Scotsman S. winner cruised to the front passing two out and after a battle royal with Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) asserted for a half-length success, with daylight back to Symbolize (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in third.
Jockey Jim Crowley, who is riding with rare precision this week, said, “Molatham was very tough. I had been down to ride him work earlier in the year when we were thinking of the 2,000 Guineas. He was working quite lazily at home and today when the rain had come I was a little bit concerned. However, when you look at his pedigree, it showed that he wouldn't mind a bit of cut in the ground and the way he moves suggests that too.”
“Molatham is a horse who does not want to be in front two furlongs out,” he added. “He was going so well and I found myself in front. On the soft ground, it was difficult for me to sit and then expect him to pick up, so I went for home on him. I got headed and that did me a favour. The reason we came back to seven furlongs is that we weren't 100% sure he would get the mile. However, on that run today, you would imagine a mile would not be a problem but I don't think there is a need to step back up at the moment.”
Beaten a neck by the classy Mums Tipple (Ire) (Foostepsinthesand {GB}) when runner-up on debut in Ascot's Crocker Bulteel Maiden over six furlongs on debut in July, Molatham took the valuable Convivial Maiden at York in August before upstaging Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Berlin Tango (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in a renewal of Doncaster's Flying Scotsman that in hindsight takes on extra gravitas. Soundly beaten when fourth as the favourite for the G3 Autumn S. over a mile at Newmarket in October, the chestnut was not short of stamina here as he was made to pull out all the stops by the slow-starting TDN Rising Star and G1 Phoenix S. runner-up Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah).
Trainer Roger Varian was picking up the middle part of an afternoon treble and said, “Molatham is a lovely horse with a great temperament. He has done nothing wrong in his career, really–he was second here in a very good maiden on his debut and the form of his listed win reads very well. We have always thought the world of this horse and he has come to himself in the last few weeks. He might not ever win by four lengths because he is not that sort of horse, but he is tough and straightforward and obviously very talented. He looks like he will get a mile. He is built like a fast horse, so I don't think he will get beyond a mile, but the way he gutsed it out here on this ground over this stiff seven, it looks like he will get a mile.”
Of future targets, he added, “Molatham is obviously one of the top three-year-olds around after that performance and at some point those nice three-year-olds will have to come together, but I will speak with Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Hamdan's team and we'll see how he comes out of this race. Nothing is impossible–he has just won a Jersey and this race has a rich history of producing good horses. He looked a good horse today and we will be excited about him for the rest of the season for sure.”
Molatham's dam Cantal (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is a Cheveley Park Stud-bred daughter of the Niarchos's Canda (Storm Cat) who was bought by David and Patricia Thompson's organisation for $2.4million at the 2005 Keeneland November Sale. Canda went on to provide them with the G3 Horris Hill S.-winning sire Evasive (GB) (Elusive Quality) and the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. scorer Autocratic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who also captured the G3 JRA Cup in Australia racing as Captain Cook.
Canda's price tag owes much to the fact that her dam is the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine East of the Moon (Private Account) and that makes her a half to the dam of the high-class half-siblings Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}). Cantal's daughter Perfection (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) was successful twice at listed level and was second in the G3 Oak Tree S., G3 Chartwell S. and G3 Brownstown S. over this seven-furlong trip. Her 2-year-old filly Puy Mary (GB) is by Intello (Ger), while she also has a yearling colt by Ulysses (Ire).
Thursday, Royal Ascot, Britain
JERSEY S.-G3, £60,000, Royal Ascot, 6-18, 3yo, 7fT, 1:28.94, sf.
1–MOLATHAM (GB), 127, c, 3, by Night of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Cantal (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Canda, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: East of the Moon, by Private Account
1ST GROUP WIN. (160,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Roger Varian; J-Jim Crowley. £35,520. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $127,677. *1/2 to Perfection (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), MSW & MGSP-Eng, GSP-Ire, $160,808. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Monarch of Egypt, 127, c, 3, American Pharoah–Up (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). ($750,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Peter Brant, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. £13,434.
3–Symbolize (Ire), 127, c, 3, Starspangledbanner%20(Aus)#tot">Starspangledbanner (Aus)–French Flirt (GB), by Peintre Celebre. (€32,000 Wlg '17 GOFNOV; 52,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-DC Investments Ltd (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £6,714.
Margins: HF, 3 1/4, HF. Odds: 5.50, 4.00, 40.00.
Also Ran: Ropey Guest (GB), Celestin (Fr), King Leonidas (GB), Final Song (Ire), Lord of The Lodge (Ire), Mystery Power (Ire), Above (Fr), Mister Snowdon (GB), King of Athens, Ventura Lightning (Fr).. Scratched: Fleeting Prince (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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