Jessica Harrington has done it all but latest triumph especially sweet
Trainer Jessica Harrington after winning The Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Group 1) with Hotazhell Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
On a Saturday where one woman was making history in Doncaster, another stole the show at Leopardstown as Hotazhell ran out a shock 50-1 winner of the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, the headline act on day one of the Irish Champions Festival.
While Jessica Harrington playfully bristled when it was put to her post-race that she has now won every big prize there is to win, the Gold Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle, Classic-winning and multiple Group 1-winning trainer admitted this latest triumph, coming less than two hours after Saffie Osbourne became the first woman to win a British Classic when riding the Joseph O’Brien-trained Highwayman to victory in the St Leger, was especially sweet.
“It would have to be right up at the top,” she replied when asked where this achievement ranked among her many in a glittering career over jumps and on the Flat.
“It’s fantastic to get this on the CV.”
Billed as a rematch of the Juddmonte International Stakes, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Constitution River was sent off the 11-8 favourite to turn the tables on York one-two Item and Almaqam.
With Lambourn dictating matters from the front, all appeared to be going to the Ballydoyle plan but, having got to the front a furlong out, Constitution River couldn’t fend off Hotazhell and fellow outsider Wimbledon Hawkeye and faded to finish third.
Just a nose separated Hotazhell and Wimbledon Hawkeye at the line, the winner drifting dramatically left to cause a chain reaction that in turn hampered A Boy Named Susie, Hawk Mountain, and Lambourn resulting in winning jockey Shane Foley getting slapped with an 11-day careless riding ban.
“What a woman Jessie is,” Foley said of 79-year-old Harrington. “We have been having a quiet season for our standards – things just haven't been going our way and I actually thought I was done again here, being honest.
“It’s hard, you are working every day, when things are really flying, and then they quieten down. Jessie still instils the confidence, doesn't tell you what to do, leaves it to you, and I'm so glad I can repay her with a Group 1 Champion Stakes.
“I've been with her a long time and she keeps pulling you out of the fire. She has stood by me when I had no job and gave me her job, and we have had some really, really good winners together. She's a phenomenal woman.”
While largely dismissed in the market, Hotazhell came here on the back of a similarly narrow Group 1 success in Germany, a race in which Wimbledon Hawkeye finished a close third.
For that reason, Harrington felt the price was an insult to her horse.
“I didn’t think he deserved to be 50-1, he had won a Group 1 in Germany last time and came here in good form,” she said. “If you look up all his form last year on ground that was always too quick for him, he kept on trying. He got his conditions today and he went and did it.”
Questioned on if she still gets the same kick out of winners, the veteran trainer replied: “Jeepers yes. They’re hard to come by so when you get them enjoy them. Though it’s very bad for the nerves when he only wins by a nose!” Seeing Hotazhell vindicate the faith she has always had in him made this an especially sweet success.
“We’ve always thought the world of him, last year was just one of those years, he should have won in America, he got a bad run around in the race, things just didn’t go right for him. And even at the beginning of this year, he took a while to get going. He’s in the British Champions Stakes and that’s probably where he’ll go.”
A trip to Ascot will put Hotazhell on aother collision course with Constitution River, a horse who “hit a wall” late on according to Aidan O’Brien.
He said: “It’s only been three weeks since he had a hard race at York. He hit a wall with about a furlong to race and didn’t finish out even if he wasn’t beaten very far. We have five weeks before the Champion Stakes at Ascot and we will freshen him up for that.”
Earlier on the card, Darkness Falls proved a fitting winner of the inaugural running of the Group 1 HKJC World Pool Golden Fleece Stakes Third here on debut, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Camelot colt bolted up at the Curragh a fortnight ago and was sent off the even-money to take the step up in class and trip in his stride.
He did so in style in the hands of Ryan Moore, getting the better of Jesus Green by four and a half lengths to put down an early marker for next year’s Derby.
“I’ll be hard for a classier Derby horse to come out,” O’Brien said of the Camelot colt. “The way he did it the last day and the way he did it today, it was a proper gallop, there was nowhere to hide out there and Ryan eased out with him and quickened up really well. He’s very exciting.”
In the other Group 1 on the card, Blue Bolt continued her flawless four-year-campaign with imperious display in the Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes.
The Andrew Balding-trained Blue Point filly made the journey to Ireland on the back of top-level successes at Newmarket and, more recently, Deauville and had little trouble completing the hat-trick under Colin Keane.
