Well Deserved G1 Victory For Art Power
Prolific Group-race scorer Art Power finally earned his maiden Gr.1 success with a brave performance in the British Champions Sprint Stakes over 6f at Ascot. The fast-starting grey blazed a trail down the centre of the track and led the field to the furlong marker, where the strong pre-race favourite Kinross and the departing Frankie Dettori, fresh from success in the first race, loomed ominously in behind. Ralph Beckett’s gelding narrowly claimed the lead inside the final furlong, but Tim Easterby’s charge was not for denying and battled back tenaciously to get back up close to home. The winning margin was just a neck, while Spycatcher was a further two lengths adrift back in third.
Trainer Tim Easterby said: “Art Power has had a few bad luck stories, but he’s been in the first four nearly every time he has run here. You can’t knock that and he always runs to the line.”
Winning rider David Allan added: “As Frankie came to me, I wasn’t too happy. I thought, ‘I’m going to get beat a neck here and be really cheesed off’, but Art Power dug in really well for me the last half furlong and I couldn’t believe he got back up. “Today he bounced out and he’s got the perfect ground for him. He likes it soft to heavy but he doesn’t like it sticky, so it’s just wet enough that he can use his speed.”
The six-year-old has often saved his best form for Irish shores, winning no less than five Group races in the Emerald Isle, including the Gr.2 Greenlands Stakes and the Gr.2 Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh earlier this season.
Art Power was bred by Owenstown Bloodstock and was purchased for €110,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale by SackvilleDonald . He is a half-brother to the Gr.3 Ballyogan Stakes winner Penny Pepper and the Listed Prix Ronde de Nuit winner Morning Frost. They are out of the dual Listed winner and Gr.3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes and Gr.3 Minstrel Stakes-placed Evening Time.
