Mike Cattermole column: Masar, Denman and Andrew Thornton the hot topics this week
Mike Cattermole thinks there's a third realistic option for Masar after his Derby win, while he reflects on the careers of Andrew Thornton and Denman in his latest column.
MASAR’S HISTORIC DERBY
Masar’s Derby win was refreshing in so many ways.
Sure, we would have lauded the Aidan O’Brien/Coolmore operation once again had Saxon Warrior justified favouritism but, for some reason, he didn’t. Indeed his stablemates were all soundly beaten, too, which just goes to show that winning the Derby is no walkover, even for Aidan.
It looked to me as though Saxon Warrior failed to handle the track (as did Young Rascal, especially) and may also have run a bit flat. He certainly failed to fire and this was indeed a rare setback at Epsom for 'the lads'.
And for the powerhouse that is Godolphin, this long overdue first win for the boys in blue in the Blue Riband was so critically important. This was Sheikh Mohammed’s Dubai dream fulfilled, although perhaps a little later than he had anticipated.
The Sheikh would have been forgiven a wry smile, though, because he had claims to have won the great race before of course – twice – but neither Lammtarra nor New Approach had carried the royal blue colours, or indeed the famous maroon and white silks.
Lammtarra was bred by his elder brother, Sheikh Maktoum, and owned by his nephew Sheikh Saeed, but Sheikh Mohammed oversaw his career, which was handled so brilliantly by his handpicked trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, following the tragic death of Alex Scott.
And New Approach had been bought from Jackie and Jim Bolger before the start of his three-year-old season and passed on as a gift to the Sheikh’s wife, Princess Haya. If you don’t agree with me completely about Lammtarra, then he can definitely lay claim to New Approach.
It’s also worth pointing out that, as a result of his influence, his country has made a huge impact on the Derby with several close relatives and friends enjoying success.
His elder brother Sheikh Hamdan struck first with Nashwan in 1989 and followed up with Erhaab five years later.
After Lammtarra, there was Shaamit, owned by Dubaian businessman Khalifa Dasmal, in 1996. Then High-Rise, who carried Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s colours home in 1998. Kris Kin won in 2003 for countryman and business associate Saeed Suhail under the Rabbah Bloodstock banner, which Sheikh Mohammed was responsible for setting up.
That makes eight Derby winners in the past 30 years that have had a close connection to Sheikh Mohammed. That's impressive.
But you can probably appreciate that Masar’s was the most ground-breaking win from his own racing point of view and of course completed the big comeback of the Godolphin team following the ultimately disastrous association with Mahmood Al Zarooni.
And it was an Englishman that the Sheikh had turned to for help after that horribly unfortunate episode.
Charlie Appleby has almost completed five years as a trainer for Godolphin now but had spent most of his professional life there after starting out with Susan Piggott.
The Sheikh obviously saw something in Appleby whose achievements, composure and modesty since his elevation to the top role have been exemplary. Consider the pressure he has been under. You would struggle to find anybody in the game who was not pleased for him on Saturday afternoon.
The other gratifying aspect of Masar’s win was his breeding. The son of New Approach, who stands at the Sheikh’s Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, is a home-bred and a ready-made addition to the stallion ranks when time is called on his racing career.
New Approach has now produced a Guineas winner in Dawn Approach and an Oaks winner in Talent. Masar’s Derby win takes him to another level and could be the start of his sharing more of the limelight with the outstanding Dubawi.
The Sheikh’s appreciation of Galileo, the sire of New Approach, was questioned at one time when the Darley operation boycotted the stallion and his Coolmore stablemates. Thank goodness that is now a thing of the past. The battlefield is levelling off a bit and what competition we can all look forward to.
Meanwhile, what about Masar himself? It is astonishing to think that he was beaten 41 lengths on his reappearance!
Although that heavy defeat was on dirt, I believe it might still have an impact on what he does next. After all, he has been on the go for a bit now and although the Irish Derby has been mentioned, and the Eclipse, would it not be better to give him a short break and then go and take on Cracksman in the King George?
SALOUEN SHOULD HAVE WON
Speaking of Cracksman, how he managed to get up and win the Coronation Cup from Salouen was quite remarkable and I loved Simon Holt’s commentary in describing it.
Perhaps Cracksman’s living up to his name by cracking his head on the stalls played a big part in his otherwise lacklustre performance.
But even so, Silvestre De Sousa, for all of the enterprise he showed on Salouen, may have missed a trick here. I just wonder if the champion jockey might regret not getting across to the stands’ rail. There would have been nowhere for Cracksman to go then other than around him and that would have made all the difference.
It reminded me a lot of the 1978 Derby when Hawaiian Sound and Bill Shoemaker, the American legend riding in his first Derby, led the field with yards to go but, crucially, continued to race just a little off the inside rail.
They looked set for victory but there was still that gap on the inside and Greville Starkey and Shirley Heights seized it, shot through and won narrowly.
What the late, great Shoemaker would have given to have that moment again.
DENMAN – DEATH OF A CHASING LEGEND
Denman was always special. Just to look at him gave you goosebumps. What physical presence he had!
I must admit that I was always a Kauto Star man but that didn’t mean that I failed to appreciate Denman who was probably a match for him on his day and of course thrashed Kauto in the 2008 Gold Cup.
I could never understand some of the criticism that came Sam Thomas’s way after that ride which was aggressive, yes, but may have gone a long way in sealing Kauto’s fate. Kauto was never comfortable and Denman was relentless.
But it was when he came back after his well-chronicled heart issues that sealed Denman’s place in many of our own hearts. He looked done the day he pulled up at Kempton. But just five weeks later, and most unexpectedly, he was back to try and defend his Gold Cup.
He came off second best to Kauto that time, predictably perhaps, but never stopped trying for a moment and you could not help but admire him even more.
And then Paul Nicholls managed to get him back later that year to win his second Hennessy off a rating of 174. Now, that was properly emotional.
It is sometimes forgotten what he tried to achieve in the 2010 Hennessy when he lined up off a whopping mark of 182. He came third but incredibly, was still in there battling away three out before the two younger horses Diamond Harry and Burton Port, receiving 26lb and 25lb respectively, pulled away.
Again, you had to shake your head in respect and wonderment.
The following spring, at the age of 11, he was second in a third Gold Cup.
Denman – 'The Tank' - will never be forgotten.
ANDY THORNTON – TOP MAN
There is not much I can add to the words of praise that have been lavished on Andy Thornton this week and it was wonderful to see him going out on a winner on his final day in the saddle at Uttoxeter.
I first met Andy properly way back in the old Racing Channel days when he came in occasionally to join us in the studio.
It was clear then that he would be able to make a career as a pundit, should he decide one day to go that way. Now that day has finally arrived.
We still see him at ATR and it is great that BBC 5Live use him regularly and sometimes ITV, too.
He won the Gold Cup, eventually got to 1,000 (that seemed to take an age but he was always going to do it!) and is also massively respected by me, and a few others, for something on a smaller scale.
That’s because he remains the only jockey to win on Australia Day - going left-handed! Skippy was massively favoured by going the other way round as he used to hang right-handed a touch, sometimes impossibly so.
How Andy managed to get him to win his maiden hurdle at Worcester in September 2009 – and by 34 lengths – was the work of a magician.
Oddly, he only rode him once more when falling at the first next time out at Kempton. I must confess that I wasn’t involved with the horse in those days or he would have been asked back, rest assured!
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