NEWS
Borderlescott scores repeat Nunthorpe win
Posted: Friday, August 21, 2009 2:12 PM
By Jeff Lowe
Borderlescott landed his first group stakes victory in the 2008 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (Eng-G1) and he was up to the challenge again on Friday at York as he scored a repeat victory in the five-furlong sprint worth $347,952.
The seven-year-old gelding rallied up the middle of the straight course to catch front-runner Benbaun and held on to win by a neck under Neil Callan, his jockey for the first time.
Trainer Robin Bastiman replaced jockey Pat Cosgrave following a fourth-place finish in the Audi King George Stakes (Eng-G3) on July 30 at Goodwood. In his previous start, Borderlescott won the Toteswinger City Wall Stakes at Chester after finishing fifth to Scenic Blast in the King’s Stand Stakes (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot.
Borderlescott finished third to Marchand d’Or in the Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (Fr-G1) last October in his only other Group 1 appearance since taking the Nunthorpe at Newmarket last August.
“He comes right this time of year, and I keep telling everybody that,” Bastiman said. “The change of hands probably helped but I’ve got nothing against Pat Cosgrave, who has ridden him well enough. It’s great to have a horse like him and I just wish I had a few more.”
Benbaun finished second, 1 ¼ lengths in front of two-year-old Radiohead in third. Radiohead, a Johannesburg colt, made just his fourth career start in the Nunthorpe off a victory in the Norfolk Stakes (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot.
“I’m really pleased with that,” trainer Brian Meehan said. “It was well worth having a shot. … He wants six furlongs so I’d say he’ll go to the Middle Park Stakes [Eng-G1] now.”
Kingsgate Native, the Nunthorpe winner as a two-year-old in 2007, never was a factor in this year’s edition, finishing sixth as the 5-to-2 favorite.
Borderlescott, who again will target the Prix de l’Abbaye, led the field of 16 home in :57.50 over good to firm turf.
Bred in Great Britain by James Clark, Bordelescott is out of the Touching Wood mare Jeewan.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
