Deacon Blues storms home in Sprint

Deacon Blues and jockey Johnny Murtagh return in triumph after the QIPCO British Champions Sprint.  Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Progressive sprinter Deacon Blues blitzed his rivals with a stunning success in the QIPCO British Champions Series Sprint. 

The Compton Place four-year-old has progressed with each run this season and was notching a fifth consecutive triumph for trainer James Fanshawe as he quickened clear of a high-class field of sprinters to win the six-furlong contest by a length and a half from Wizz Kid.  

Winning jockey Johnny Murtagh was thrilled with the performance of Deacon Blues on whom he had won the Wokingham Handicap over the course and distance at Royal Ascot here in June. Since that triumph, Murtagh and weighing room colleague Frankie Dettori had shared riding duties, with the Irishman notching a Group Three win at the Curragh in August and Dettori partnering the burgeoning star to Group Three wins at Newbury in July and September.

Murtagh, who was thrilled to regain the mount today, said: “I’ve had a great bit of luck with James over the years, he’s a great trainer. He doesn’t know how good he is really but when he gets them here for the big days, they usually win. He’s a lovely man, he’s got a great family and he has looked after me very well. I’m very grateful to him for putting me back up on this horse.

“From the day I won on Deacon Blues at the Curragh I thought he was a true Group One horse. He won by seven lengths and never came out of second gear – I felt there was a lot more for him to give. James said he came out of the race really well, and that’s the sign of a great horse.

“James said to me ‘I think Mark Prescott’s will go to the rail’ so I said I would just follow that one because it should get me to the two (furlong) marker. I eased my horse out and he got there a bit soon, but his momentum was up and he won very easily.”

For the full result, CLICK HERE