CACHET MADE ALL in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket to give trainer George Boughey his first Classic success.
Remarkably, it was a second Classic of the weekend for rider James Doyle – just 24 hours on from his maiden one aboard Coroebus in the 2000 Guineas.
Winner of the Nell Gwyn at the Craven meeting, the Highclere-owned daughter of Aclaim was sent off a 16-1 but led from the stalls opening and was never passed, despite the strong late challenge provided by the Ralph Beckett-trained Prosperous Voyage.
Try as she might, the latter could not get there, as Cachet answered every call to prevail by a neck, with Tuesday another length and three-quarters back in third for Aidan O’Brien and Frankie Dettori.
A jubilant Boughey, 30, said: “It was a long final furlong, but it was a peach of a ride from James. She eyed up every blade of grass, she loves it here.
“They were closing late, but there were some very good fillies in behind her. Ralph Beckett’s filly stood out for me and she’s obviously very good, but I’m delighted she held on.
“I couldn’t have imagined I’d be winning a Classic so soon in my career. To get a filly like her is a privilege.
“It’s great to have Highclere on board, they have six with me now and it’s massive to pay them back, it’s very special.
“It was just a question of whether she stayed or not. I hoped she’d stay and she’s very tough. There’s not much of her, but she’s very tough and she’s very straightforward. She’s been a model of consistency all the way through and has gone from strength to strength.”
Looking to what is next for his stable star, Boughey said: “I think she’ll probably go to (Royal) Ascot (Coronation Stakes).
“There’s the Irish Guineas and the French, but I think she’ll just go straight to Ascot.
“I’d love to end up at the Breeders’ Cup again. It’s a long year and she’s already won the Nell Gwyn and the Guineas – the Breeders’ Cup isn’t until November so we’ll have to think about how she gets there.
“She’s a Group One winner over a mile now so she can go anywhere in the world. The fact that she likes fast ground makes her a global filly and that is huge for us and very exciting.
“It sounds bizarre coming out of my mouth to be talking about these races and it is amazing to find one quite so early (in career).
“I dreamed of having a winner at Bath two years ago, never mind winning the Guineas! It’s all come very quick, I’ve built up an amazing team around me, too many to name, but the operation is growing all the time and that makes my job easier. I sleep a lot better now.
“She’s always been very impressive at home and the sky is the limit now. It looked an open race, there were Group One winners in there but she did it well.
“The key was to just let her use her stride, but it became a test of stamina. Some very good fillies were paddling three out. It didn’t surprise me as she’d been training brilliantly and it reminded me of Galileo Gold (2000 Guineas winner when Boughey was assistant to Hugo Palmer), I said to James to just go forward and get in a rhythm and let her enjoy it.”
Highclere’s Harry Herbert said: “We’d won a Irish Classic with Petrushka and obviously the Royal Ascot Racing Club won the Derby with Motivator but to win the 1000 Guineas in the blue silks is very special. She did it the hard way, she’s so tough and honest.
“Jake Warren bought her for 60,000 a year ago at the breeze-ups and she’s won a Classic a year later, it’s amazing.
“This is a lovely group of owners and I have a fantastic team who work for me, they work so hard, so to win a Classic for a group of 20 owners is a dream come true. This shows that it can be done by syndicates.
“This is a lifetime’s ambition for me. We’ve had other Group One winners, but to win a Classic at HQ in the blue silks is incredible.
“George is such an impressive young man, he stood out at Hugo Palmer’s but we couldn’t really send him horses in his first year as it would have been hard to persuade the owners. We sent them in his second year though and he had 87 winners!
“He’s a terrific talent and a very special person, too.”
Doyle said: “I promised I wouldn’t get emotional today but that was incredible, wasn’t it?
“I know this filly from last year, I got to sit on her a couple of times. She was placed in the Fillies’ Mile and George just felt she’d see the mile out a bit stronger as she’s developed physically over the winter.
“That last half a furlong took forever and I was praying for the line, but she’s all guts, she loves this track.
“All credit to George Boughey and his team and it’s great for Highclere to have another high-class filly.”
If he gets back into the Irish setup without others getting injured I’d be very surprised. Saying that if he does merit a recall then he’ll be playing fantastic rugby so for Ireland sake I hope he does.
@Chris Mc: It’s all about him I reckon cause he’s definitely got the talent/ability. As someone else pointed out here he looked in bad shape for a lot of his time at Wasps, if he really focuses on that he could challenge for a place on the squad no problem.
@The Irish Pain: wasps wanted him heavier, to be a different prop than the mobile less effective scrumager cooper wolley
Ireland now have 5 reliable TH props available . Furlong , Porter , Bealham , Ryan and Moore : all under 30 . That’s an incredible turnaround .
@Limón Madrugada: Maybe you could include Archer on that list as he seems to be first choice in Munster.
@Tom Reilly: but reliable for Ireland ?? I’m not convinced , he is capped though for sure ..
Someone on here yesterday said that Leinster made a ‘poor decision’ letting Marty Moore go.
I think the opposite, Marty Moore made a poor decision to leave Leinster.
When he left he was in the Irish 23, primed to replace Ross. He moved to Wasps and ended up not even starting for them. He also looked unfit.
In that time Leinster developed Furlong and Porter, Ireland brought in Bealham and Ryan and a few years later he’s back fighting for 3rd/4th in the Irish pecking order.
A shame because he is some prop on his day. Possibly a better scrummager than any of the above.
@Oval Digest: The word was that Moore was excited to play under Dai Young, a well capped Welsh and Lions prop. Maybe it was the 2 year deal offered by Leinster vs the 3 year Wasps deal (undoubtedly for more money) that was the real reason. Or maybe he saw Tadgh Furlong coming through and thought now’s the time to cash in. Or perhaps he thought Leinster are not gonna be challenging any more. If it was the Young factor that helped him go, the renowned Young had no impact on him other than gaining weight. The move might have been good for his bank balance but it was a disaster for his career. Thus far. Still, a big season and he could play his way in.
@grandslamkbo The word was also that Moore signed a contract without realising that he couldn’t get out of it in an effort to bargain with the IRFU, and then got stuck.
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/leinster-admit-defeat-in-bid-to-retain-marty-moore-s-services-1.2510136
Marty is good on his day when fit, the problem is there just isn’t enough of those days.
He will have to buck up his ideas if he is to have a sniff of being anywhere near the Irish squad.
Yes squad not team
His whole career and how people will view his achievements relies on his application for the next two years
Be interesting to see how Nathan Hughes goes this season, he should be pushing for a place in the English team.
@Ruairi O’Bric: He is a super club player but I’m not sure about his workrate apart from ball carrying. If Billy V stays fits there’s no comparison…
Looked very unfit at Wasps as when he was playing previously for Leinster he had great mobility/work-rate and could force a few turnovers too.
He was overweight when he last played for Leinster and Ireland and things have only gotten worse since, needs to go on a serious shred if he is to make Ireland contention again.