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| June 21, 2003 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 20,1424 |
Rare double by Russian Rhythm
ASCOT, England, June 20: Russian Rhythm became the first filly to complete the English 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes double since One In A Million in 1979 when she eased home here at Royal Ascot on Friday.
The 4/7 odds-on favourite handed Irishman Kieren Fallon his 100th winner of the year and trainer Michael Stoute his second of the meeting as she repelled the challenge of Soviet Song ridden by Spaniard Oscar Urbina at 9/2 while Mail The Desert was a distant third at 14/1 - a fine training performance by Mick Channon as she hadn’t raced in 292 days.
Fallon - who had earlier picked up a one day suspension for a minor offence - was given excellent help by American Gary Stevens on his stablemate Fantasize as he moved aside on the home turn to let Russian Rhythm through.
Stoute said it had been a troublefree preparation unlike her lead up to May’s 1000 Guineas for which at one point she had been a doubtful starter.
However the son of a former Barbados police chief disagreed with Fallon over whether she would be moved up in distance.
Mark Johnston’s extraordinary week continued as he won the Group Three Queen’s Vase with 7/2 favourite Shanty Star under a great ride by Kevin Darley.
Darley looked to be in all sorts of problems when Richard Quinn on Singleton refused to let him out, but Shanty Star had the last laugh as he reeled in the two length deficit in the final furlong to edge out Singleton by 3/4 length.
Coronation Stakes result
1. Russian Rhythm 7-4 ON favourite (ridden by Kieren Fallon) 2. Soviet Song 9-2 (Oscar Urbina) 3. Mail The Desert 14-1 (Steve Drowne).—Reuters
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