QIPCO Champion Stakes report: Sealiway springs surprise
Sealiway, a 66/1 ante-post selection for Matt Brocklebank in his Value Bet column, landed the QIPCO Champion Stakes.
Sent off a 12/1 chance the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe fifth tracked leader Adayar into the home straight.
With the Derby winner soon weakening he found himself in front two furlongs out with his main challenger, Dubai Honour, starting his charge for glory from the rear of the field.
For a stride or three he looked set to go past the French winner but Mickael Barzalona conjured another effort from his partner who dug deep to score by a length.
Mac Swiney ran well in third with Mishriff never landing a blow in fourth.
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Barzalona – who won the Derby in 2011 with Pour Moi – said: “It’s great to be back in the big time and be with this horse since the beginning. He deserved to prove his talent like he did today.
“I didn’t sit on him on Arc day but the team were very confident, they said he was in good form and that he had improved a lot since the Arc run so although it was a tough race they were pretty confident. I thought I was always going to hold Dubai Honour when he didn’t pass me straight away.
“We had a good draw, he broke well, settled well and we had a good position – it was good. Sealiway showed plenty of stamina in the Arc, but today he showed plenty of speed. He is an excellent horse."
Cedric Rossi, winning trainer, said via a translator: “He recovered really well from the Arc because that was a mid-seasonal reappearance and we came here with the thoughts of winning it.
“The Arc did him the world of good and he was ready for this race. All they needed to do was to keep him ticking over.
“Ascot is very beautiful. We are very proud. It’s a beautiful racecourse, it’s a beautiful day, beautiful racing, so very proud.”
The translator added it is Rossi’s “second big moment in two weeks”, following Rougir’s G1 win in the Prix de l’Opera.
William Haggas said of Dubai Honour, who had won the Prix Dollar on Arc weekend: “He was a little bit unfortunate because he’s a hold-up horse drawn in stall 10 and Adayar missed the break and just as James (Doyle) was trying to get him in, Adayar went hurtling past him and set him alight a bit.
“No excuse, we were quite far back but that’s the way he needs to be ridden. He came with what looked like a winning run, but the other horse outstayed him.
“He’s another that has made great progress. I was thinking that the Hong Kong Cup might suit him, he would enjoy that long straight and he seems to run well right-handed. I don’t know about Australia for him yet.”
Dubai Honour’s rider James Doyle said: “Fantastic, great run. We had a bad draw, so we had to sit and suffer, but they went a nice pace and it set up for him to close, the winner just found more.”
Charlie Appleby said of Adayar: “Will [Buick] said it was the ground. Adayar was always doing enough. He was always just doing too much really and it paid up the straight.
“Will just said his exertions paid towards the end. At the end of the day we made the decision to come here and maybe it was a tougher race than we thought in the Arc.
“We’ll put him away for the winter and we’ve got a nice horse for next year. We know we can step him back up to 12 furlongs too.
“We know how to set our stall out next year. Today there was not going to be any natural pace and he was just over-racing and it paid towards the end.”
Mishriff’s rider David Egan also felt underfoot conditions were to blame, saying: “He is a better horse on better ground.”
