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Watch Me Is The Queen For Boudot

3 minute read

French raider Watch Me caused a 20/1 shock in the mile £500,000 G1 Coronation Stakes for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot.

Watch Me wins the 2019 G1 Coronation Stakes Picture: Racing and Sports

The three-year-old daughter of Olympic Glory travelled powerfully into contention and swept past the Aidan O'Brien-trained Even-money favourite Hermosa to record a length and a half-success.

Watch Me  is the 12th French-trained winner of the G1 Coronation Stakes and first since Qemah in 2016.

Boudot was registering his second victory at Royal Ascot, having steered Le Brivido to success in the 2017 running of the G3 Jersey Stakes.

Boudot said: "Today's race went perfectly for Watch Me. She was very unlucky in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches.

"I broke well and she settled nicely. I was behind Hermosa travelling very well, very easy, and then she gave me a really nice turn of foot.

"Watch Me did it very easily today. She has a big heart and is very courageous - she's a very good filly.

"It is a big day for me. It is my first Group One at Royal Ascot. I'm a lucky boy and it is very important to have winners like this - it's a good week!"

The 1,000 Guineas and Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Hermosa, sent of Evens favourite, came home a length and a half second to 20/1 the French raider Watch Me in the £500,000 G1 Coronation Cup on the fourth day of Royal Ascot.

Her trainer Aidan O'Brien commented on her run after the race.

O'Brien said: "There are no excuses. We will get her back home and see how she is before we decide on any plans for her, including if we try further in distance. Her half-sister got a mile and a half. We are never confident, though always hopeful about these things." 

Ryan Moore, jockey of the Galileo filly, said: "She ran well - she has had a hard couple of races."

Jubiloso (9/2), owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, put in a fine performance to finish third, beaten two and a half lengths by the winner Watch Me.
Previously unbeaten, it was Jubiloso's first start out of maiden and novice company.

"She probably just lacked a little bit of experience, but we have to very pleased with that and we hope she is going to turn into the filly we hope she will be," said Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager for Prince Khalid. "She is in the Falmouth, but we will have to see how she is."

"She has acquitted herself very pleasingly," added Stoute.

"She gave me a lovely ride, she had her chance and finished off really well," said jockey James McDonald.
A stallion career for Commonwealth Cup winner Advertise

"We thought he has been working well beforehand and we were very happy with him," said Phoenix Thoroughbreds CEO Amer Abdulaziz after Advertise won the Commonwealth Cup (G1). 

"He is a champion, he is a Group 1 winner last year, he is a stallion in the making, he is by a good stallion in Showcasing, as well. You look at his conformation, he is a beautiful horse in the ring. He didn't fail us today.

"He is a second stallion in Europe for Phoenix, we have some stallions in the US. He will definitely be a future stallion for Phoenix. We work together with the Irish stud or the National Stud in the UK. 

"We have not decided yet whether we will stand him or what his plans are, I am sure they will start knocking on our doors!"

Phoenix Thoroughbreds also got the third home in the Commonwealth Cup, this time it was one for the girls -Forever In Dreams finishing third for Phoenix Ladies' Syndicate, bought for £430,000 at the Goffs London Sale on Monday.