Raven’s Pass Victorious
Everyone knew that the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes was going to be an exciting event. The contender field was filled with magnificent horses, with three names standing out – Henrythenavigator, Raven’s Pass and Tamayuz. While everyone thought that the entire race would come down to Tamayuz and Henrythenavigator, many also kept in mind the fact that Raven’s Pass has previously lost out three times to Henrythenavigator and would be looking to find a victory over his season rival.
Ascot Racecourse has been home to the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in the United Kingdom since its inception in 1955. It is a 1 609 meter flat horse racing event for three year old racehorses and older, and received its Group 1 status in 1987. Previous winners of this wonderful racing event, one of the highlights of the Ascot Festival, include Maroof, Observatory, Rose Bowl, Romulus, George Washington and Desert Prince. This year, however, Raven’s Pass was more determined than ever to be the 2008 victor and to outrun the magnificent Henrythenavigator.
Raven’s Pass is trained by John Gosden and has enjoyed a really successful season. After comfortably winning the Celebration Mile, he set his sights on the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. By the time he walked into the starting gates, he was fit, confident and ready for action. The battle for victory during the final stretch saw Raven’s Pass leading the field, with Henrythenavigator chasing him down. But Raven’s Pass was able to dig deep to hold onto his leading position, not allowing himself to fall back nor giving Henrythenavigator the opportunity to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Trainer, Aiden O’Brian, showed no signs of disappointment in his horse, and was very satisfied with his second place finish. Winning jockey, Jimmy Fortune, was beaming with pride as media and fans thronged around him for comments. He told the press that he had changed tactics a little with this event, which paid off in their favor. Fortune was quoted saying: “Earlier on in the year he was a bit hot and we needed to get him relaxed. I probably got it wrong in the Sussex. I should have kicked a little earlier but we always thought he would pull up when he got there. I was trying to sit and sit today, but I sensed Johnny on my quarters and I knew it was time to kick then. He really stuck his neck out.”
