Not content with collecting three sales races this term, the Kennet Valley Syndicate flagbearer Night In Vegas (Lucky Vega) added Saturday’s Qatar Racing British Champions Day Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes to his tally.
Leaving it until the last split-second to get in front, the 5-2 second favourite denied the Gimcrack winner and 9-4 market-leader Arapaho Gold (Bayside Boy) by a nose with a head back to Satellite Of Love (Minzaal) back in third, having looked the winner for so long.
“This horse’s will-to-win is incredible,” jockey Charles Bishop said. “He misses the break half a length, so I had to sit where I landed. I thought they’d got away from me, but he doesn’t like getting beat–his head was as far down as he could get it.”
The 60,000gns Tattersalls October Book 3 purchase Night In Vegas, nicknamed “Elvis” by all at the Eve Johnson Houghton stable, had already bagged the £200,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes and £200,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes at Newmarket and Doncaster’s Weatherbys £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes. He was also third in the Richmond at Goodwood and fifth in the Coventry here.
“It should be a Group race, it is as good as one,” the trainer said. “I honestly thought we were beat. I think they set off very fast and he just got behind a wall of horses that weren’t as good as him, but luckily he is like a little motorbike that can zip in and out.”
She added, “He has run eight times. He has won six, been third in the Richmond and fifth in the Coventry. As you can see he hasn’t got the greatest feet and we probably didn’t have him in the greatest condition in the middle of the summer when the ground was so firm. That really told on him and I don’t think that was his best form, but he is just improving.”
“He’s our Elvis and I hoped he still had a song to sing,” she added. “He has been incredible. He has been a wonder horse to train. He is going to have a nice holiday and we’ll dream of all sorts of things.”
Written for Thoroughbred Daily News
