Favored Point Lonsdale Clinches Chesham

ASCOT, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND – Heavily-favored at 1/2 stateside, Point Lonsdale drove to the lead inside the final furlong to clinch Saturday’s Chesham Stakes at Ascot Racecourse.

With Ryan Moore aboard the Aidan O’Brien trainee, Point Lonsdale had clean run but nearly couldn’t pass the pacesetting Reach For The Moon, seeking a 13/1 upset for Her Majesty The Queen who was in attendance to see him and three others bearing her silks. Winner of his debut by 5 1/2 lengths at The Curragh going this same 7-furlong distance 17 days prior, Point Lonsdale campaigns for trainer Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore ownership group, who also campaigned his sire Australia.

“Sorry about that (beating The Queen’s horse), but we are delighted with Point Lonsdale,” O’Brien said. “He obviously had had only 1 run at The Curragh, and he’s still a bit of a baby. Ryan gave him a lovely ride. It’s unusual for an Australia to be that forward, with a pedigree like his, which is a middle-distance pedigree. From Day 1, he always showed an awful lot of speed and was obviously out very early for an Australia. It all was very natural, the way he did everything. He’s a typical Australia in that he’s full of that Galileo (style) – his head goes down and he’s really genuine when you ask him, and he digs very deep.”

Though defeated a 1/2-length late, Reach For The Moon was 3 1/4 lengths well-clear of Great Max, who headed Sweeping for third-place honors. Masekela, Withering, New Science, Out In Yorkshire, Radio Caroline, and Sharp Combo completed the order of finish.

Point Lonsdale returned $3 to win and $2.40 to place. Reach For The Moon brought back $6.20 to place. Great Max paid $3.60 to place.