Post-Race Analysis:
Lexington, Kentucky - April 16, 2004: Hirapour (Ire) won the 7th
running of the $150,000 Grade I Royal Chase at Keeneland race track,
defeating Preemptive Strike by 1 3/4 lengths after a thrilling stretch
duel. It was another seven lengths back to Dancewel, who edged high
weight Lord Zada for third. The final time for the 2 1/2 mile race
run over 13 fences was 4:41.48, more than 7 seconds slower than
the track record of 4:34.40 established by Pompeyo (Chi) in 2001.
Preemptive Strike was a bit rank at the start and assumed the lead
for the first two circuits of the course. Dancewel tracked him in
second followed by Indispensable, Lord Zada, Mulahen (GB) and Hirapour.
The real running began when the field straightened away down the
backside the last time as Hirapour ranged up on the far outside
with Dancewel, who was almost even with Preemptive Strike by this
point, just inside of him. Those three were joined by Indispensable
at the last fence on the backstretch, jumping it four-abreast. Despite
getting pushed wide, Hirapour edged into the lead as they rounded
the final turn. Preemptive Strike was not done however, and he battled
back gamely along the rail as the field turned for home. Hirapour
held a slight advantage at the first of two fences at the top of
the stretch, but Preemptive Strike stood way off at the last fence
and once again grabbed the lead upon landing. Those two then slugged
it out on the run-in to the cheers of the 20,010 fans in attendance,
with Hirapour pulling away in the final strides to register the
victory.
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Hirapour and Clayton Chipperfield winning
the Grade I Royal Chase. Bill Straus photo.
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"We had a perfect trip," said wining jockey Clayton Chipperfield,
who hails from New Zealand, after the race. "We got a little
squeezed in the first turn, but after that it was great. He's a
great jumper and the more company he has, the better he jumps. He
jumped the last two fences perfectly. When I asked him for run after
the last, he gave me all he's got."
“I started out two-wide on the back, but wound up four-wide and
didn’t really want to be,” said Chipperfield, who celebrated his
first Grade I win in the U.S.by doing a backflip off of Hirapour
in the winner's circle. “I didn’t want to stop his momentum so I
had to keep going with him. He kept trying, that’s what allowed
him to win.”
The Royal Chase was the first unrestricted Grade I victory for
Eldon Farm Racing Stable's Hirapour. Bred by His Highness the Aga
Khan in Ireland, the 8-year-old son Kahyasi (Ire) (by Ile de Bourbon)
had ripped off five steeplechase victories in a row last year in
England before being imported to the United States, where he won
the Grade I Champion Hurdle restricted to novices. Hirapour had
his six-race winning streak snapped earlier this year when he finished
second to Preemptive Strike in the Carolina Cup on March 27th. He
is trained by Doug Fout, who entered the race on a 1-for-18 skid.
“He’s as tough a horse as I’ve ever ridden or trained,” Fout told
the National Steeplechase Association after the race. “He just gives
you 100 percent every time. He’s just so honest; it’s unbelievable
how much he tries.”
Shades of Affirmed and Alydar? Hirapour and Preemptive Strike have
finished 1-2 in all three of their meetings, with Hirapour holding
a one-race advantage.
Preemptive Strike was extremely game in defeat, battling back after
the last fence to regain the lead he had held for much of the race,
only to relinquish it once again in deep stretch. Owned by Polaris
Stable and trained by former Michael Dickinson assistant Paul Rowland,
Preemptive Strike had been undefeated in two starts this year before
the Royal Chase. A Maryland-bred son of Roanoke (by Pleasant Colony),
the 6-year-old won the Little Everglades Stakes in early March and
backed that up with a victory in the $50,000 Grade III Carolina
First Carolina Cup on March 27th. He was ridden by apprentice Robbie
Walsh.
"We were running well throughout the race and we took the second
to last fence great," said Walsh after the race. "But
Preemptive Strike hit the last fence a little awkward and that probably
cost me the length or two that I lost by."
Dancewel ran second early on while four wide and remained a factor
to the upper stretch before coming up empty. Owned by Arcadia Stables
and trained by Jack Fisher, the 7-year-old son of Green Dancer (By
Nijinsky) has not won a race for over a year and was making his
stakes debut. He is trained by this year's leading steeplechase
trainer, Jack Fisher, who won the steeplechase training championship
last year.
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11-year-old Lord Zada, shown above with
jockey J.W. Delozier, could not handle his highweight impost
of 158 pounds in the Grade I Royal Chase, finishing fourth.
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11-year-old Lord Zada gave away substantial weight to all the other
horses in the Royal Chase, including 10 pounds to the winner. Owned
by Augustin Stable and trained by Sanna Hendriks, the son of Lord
Avie (by Lord Gaylord) made two starts last year, winning the Grade
III Appleton on a disqualification before finishing second to McDynamo
by four lengths in the Grade I Colonial Cup. Former champion steeplechase
jockey Gus Brown was aboard for the ride.
Indispensable raced in third place early and made a brief bid down
the backstretch the last time before weakening. Owned by Mrs. F.
Eugene Dixon, Jr., the 10-year-old son of Mane Minister (by Deputy
Minister) finish third in an ungraded stakes race at Aiken this
spring, his only other start this year.
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Mulahen (GB), shown above leading Pelagos
(Fr) over the final fence of last year's Breeders' Cup Steeplechase,
has failed to hit the board in his last three Grade I efforts.
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Mulahen raced in contention until the far turn despite jumping
poorly at times, and then gave way. Owned by Mrs. S.K. Johnston,
Jr., the 9-year-old son of Robellino (by Roberto) has failed to
hit the board his last three Grade I efforts.
Jonathan Sheppard's Miles Ahead and Ken Ramsey's Man From Artemus
were never a factor in their stakes debuts.
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This year's leading steeplechase trainer
Jack Fisher, shown above with Indispensable, sent out Dancewel
to finish third at 26-1 in the Grade I Royal Chase.
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Since its inception in 1998, the Royal Chase has been won by steeplechase
Eclipse Award winners Lonesome Glory, Flat Top, Pompeyo and McDynamo.
Flat Top and McDynamo further connected steeplechasing to flat racing
as both were sold at Keeneland as yearlings.
Click here for Daily Racing Form past
performance charts for the Royal Chase (in PDF format).
Past performance charts are provided by the Daily
Racing Form.
Click here
to play the Steeplestakes.com Spring 2004 Handicapping Contest.
A complete list of entries for the Royal Chase is set forth below.
Results:
|
FP
|
Horse
|
lbs
|
Jockey
|
Trainer
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Hirapour |
148 |
Chipperfield |
Doug Fout |
Eldon Farm Racing Stable |
|
2
|
Preemptive Strike |
150 |
Walsh |
Paul Rowland |
Polaris Stable |
|
3
|
Dancewel |
142 |
Aizpuru |
Jack Fisher |
Arcadia Stable |
|
4
|
Lord Zada |
158 |
Brown |
Sanna Hendriks |
Augustin Stable |
|
5
|
Indispensable |
146 |
Young |
Jack Fisher |
Mrs. F.E. Dixon, Jr. |
|
6
|
Mulahen (GB) |
144 |
Massey |
Kathy Neilson |
Mrs. S.K. Johnston, Jr. |
|
7
|
Miles Ahead |
138 |
Hodsdon |
Jonathan Sheppard |
Jonathan Sheppard |
|
8
|
Man From Artemus |
138 |
Murphy |
Thomas H. Voss |
Kenneth Ramsey |
| Winner: |
Hirapour (IRE) - Bay Gelding, April 28, 1996
Bred by His Highness the Aga Khans Studs S. C. in IRE |
| Pedigree: |
Kahyasi - Himaya (IRE) , by Mouktar |
| Pgm |
Horse |
Win |
Place |
Show |
Total WPS
Pool: $214,936 |
| 1 |
Hirapour (IRE) |
4.40 |
2.60 |
2.60 |
|
| 3 |
Preemptive Strike |
|
3.20 |
2.60 |
|
| 5 |
Dancewel |
|
|
5.40 |
|
| Wager Type |
Winning Numbers |
Payoff |
Pool |
Carryover |
| $2 Pick 3 |
6-2-1 (3 correct)
|
298.00 |
25,210 |
|
| $2 Exacta |
1-3 |
13.40 |
146,526 |
|
| $2 Quinella |
1-3 |
8.00 |
6,916 |
|
| $2 Superfecta |
1-3-5-2 |
422.20 |
39,632 |
|
| $2 Trifecta |
1-3-5 |
178.80 |
129,686 |
|
| Pgm |
Comment |
| 1 |
Hirapour (IRE): inside early, rallied 5w,led,headed
1/8p,drew clear late,driving |
| 3 |
Preemptive Strike: galloped along on pace,lost
edge,dug in gamely, good try |
| 5 |
Dancewel: chased winner, 3-4w, weakened in
drive |
| 2 |
Lord Zada: never far back, forwardly to lane,
faltered |
| 7 |
Indispensable: tired on final turn |
| 8 |
Mulahen (GB): in contention to far turn, tired |
| 4 |
Miles Ahead: never prominent, outrun |
| 6 |
Man From Artemus: left the post slowly, failed
to menace |
| Footnotes
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HIRAPOUR (IRE) raced in behind
the leaders early, eased out five wide with six furlongs remaining,
commenced a sweeping run to reach the front three-eighths
from home, settled into the lane with a clear advantage, was
headed briefly from the inside by PREEMPTIVE STRIKE at mid-stretch,
then dug in to again move clear under pressure. PREEMPTIVE
STRIKE galloped to the lead, controlled the pace until the
final turn, lost the advantage to the winner, came back to
head HIRAPOUR (IRE) with a furlong remaining, then wasn't
good enough. DANCEWEL chased front-running PREEMPTIVE STRIKE
from early on while four wide, remained a factor to the upper
stretch and was empty LORD ZADA, within easy striking distance
to the stretch, was unable to offer a further response. INDISPENSABLE
weakened entering the far turn. as did MULAHEN (GB). MILES
AHEAD never was prominent. MAN FROM ARTEMUS, away slowly,
wasn't a factor.
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Pedigree of Winner:
to follow.....
Pedigrees compliments of Thoroughbred
Pedigree Query
Previous Winners:
| YEAR |
FIRST (Age) |
JOCKEY |
lbs. |
SECOND (Age) |
lbs. |
THIRD (Age) |
lbs. |
| 2003 |
McDynamo (6) |
Thornton |
158 |
Shamrock Isle (8) |
158 |
Praise The Prince |
158 |
| 2002 |
It's A Giggle (7) |
B. Miller |
158 |
Al Skywalker |
158 |
Flat Top |
158 |
| 2001 |
Pompeyo (Chi) (7) |
Brown |
154 |
All Gong (GB) (7) |
154 |
Rand (NZ) (7) |
154 |
| 2000 |
Flat Top (6) |
B. Miller |
154 |
Campanile (6) |
154 |
Pinkie Swear (6) |
154 |
| 1999 |
Lonesome Glory |
B. Miller |
154 |
Dalton River (11) |
154 |
Master McGrath (12) |
154 |
| 1998 |
Clearance Code (6) |
Petty |
154 |
Master McGrath (11) |
154 |
Cofidente (9) |
154 |
Post-Race Analysis | Results
| Pedigree of Winner | Previous
Winners
