Fortune Finds Victory with Lucarno
One of the most anticipated races at the Newmarket Racecourse in the United Kingdom, during July, is the Princess of Wales’s Stakes. Run over a distance of 2 414 meters, this flat racing event for Group 2 horses draws a lot of attention and in the last seven years it has been won by Little Rock (2000), Mutamam (2001), Millenary (2002 and 2003), Bandari (2004), Gamut (2005), Soapy Danger (2006) and Papal Bull (2007). This year the honor went to Lucarno and his jockey, Jimmy Fortune.
Lucarno, a fiery four year old, had a very busy racing schedule last year, and after running the St. Leger in September 2007, John Gosden decided to rest him for the remainder of the season. Now, and in typical Lucarno style, it has taken him a little while to warm up to the task at hand, but he showed his unquestionable talent and ability at the Princess of Wales’ Stakes, by taking the win comfortably, without much of a challenge.
By jumping into the lead after coming out of the starting gates, Jimmy Fortune kept encouraging Lucarno to maintain the lead. After remaining at a comfortable pace throughout most of the race, Fortune asked Lucarno for a last burst of speed closer to the finish line, of which Lucarno seemed to have spades left, and opened up a one and a quarter length gap between them, and last year’s winner Papal Bull before he was able to catch up and challenge the duo for the leading position. Papal Bull followed Lucarno home in second position, with Petara Bay coming in third. One of the favorites for the Princess of Wales’s Stakes, Anna Pavlova, seemed to be having an off day, and finished in a disappointing last position.
And with Lucarno improving so magnificently with every racing event, John Gosden is confident that if he continues delivering such outstanding performances, he could be a formidable contender in the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and in the George VI. No doubt, fans and supporters will eagerly be awaiting his next horse racing event where his achievement in the Princess of Wales’ Stakes will hopefully be repeated.