Coolangatta and Cannonball ‘bloused’ at Ascot in King’s Stand Stakes
Despite the anticipation leading up to the King’s Stand Stakes at the Royal Ascot, the Australian contenders Coolangatta and Cannonball fell disappointingly short of expectations.
The 5-furlong (1,006 metres) sprint, steeped in rich history dating back to 1860, witnessed the local three-year-old, Bradsell, gallop past the finish line in the lead, leaving the Aussies trailing behind.
The race concluded under a cloud of controversy as the first horse past the post, Bradsell, ridden by Hollie Doyle, faced a protest for pushing the favoured Highfield Princess off track.
However, the stewards quickly dismissed the objection, reinstating Bradsell’s victory.
2023 Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (Ascot) – Bradsell J: Holly Doyle T: Archie Watson
Coolangatta, whose horse betting odds with online bookmakers had eased from +300 to +450 before the race, started strong but failed to maintain the pace.
Jockey James McDonald shared that she had been unexpectedly agitated in the stalls and reacted poorly to the challenging ground conditions.
“She was a bit agitated in the stalls which was uncharacteristic for her, James said she reared up,” trainer Ciaron Maher revealed on Twitter.
“Travelled good but he (James McDonald) said the ground was quite testing and she just came off the bridle a fraction earlier than expected.”
He suggested that the ground, coupled with her attitude, may have been the reasons behind her underperformance.
On the other hand, Cannonball, who started at +2500 with thoroughbred betting sites, after easing from +1200, led a group of three on the grandstand side but fell short well before the finish line, ending up last.
His jockey, Brett Prebble, explained that an awkward start and some unfortunate squashing by horses on either side disrupted his rhythm.
“He jumped out in the air and two horses either side of him squashed him and set him alight from the jump,” Prebble said.
Despite showing promise 500 metres out, he soon lost pace.
“He was going good 500 metres out and then 100 metres later he was going to run last and he actually did,” Prebble added.
The King’s Stand Stakes, a Group 1 race since 2008, forms part of the Global Sprint Challenge.
Despite its brief downgrade to Group 2 in 1988, it has regained its prestige and now stands as the fourth leg of this esteemed international race series.
The event itself was born out of necessity in 1860 due to heavy rain at Royal Ascot, leading to the shortening of the Royal Stand Plate race from 2 miles to 5 furlongs.
While the Australians may not have triumphed this time, the King’s Stand Stakes has witnessed numerous Aussie successes.
Choisir (Paul Perry) was triumphant in 2003, followed by ‘The People’s Horse’ Takeover Target (Joe Janiak) in 2006, Miss Andretti (Lee Freedman) in 2007, and the Daniel Morton-trained Scenic Blast in 2009.
After a long period of ‘outs’, the Chris Waller-trained Nature Strip restored the Australian influence on the King’s Stand Stakes winner’s list in 2022.