Favourite Chaldean suffers dramatic early exit as Isaac Shelby steals the show at Newbury
- Planet Sport writer
- 22 April 2023
Andrew Balding described Chaldean's early exit from the race as 'one of those unfortunate things'.
Isaac Shelby ran out an impressive winner of the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury, in which hot favourite Chaldean dramatically unshipped Frankie Dettori on coming out of the stalls.
The Group Three trial was supposed to be the ideal stepping-stone for Chaldean - who won the Dewhurst for Andrew Balding and Dettori last season - en route to the Qipco 2000 Guineas.
However, his race was over before it began, with Chaldean jinking to his left as the stalls opened, as Streets Of Gold went the other way, and Dettori coming off to his right.
Isaac Shelby, trained by Brian Meehan, won the Superlative Stakes last season before finishing last of seven in the Dewhurst, and was soon in an early advantage under Sean Levey with only the loose Chaldean for company.
On testing ground nothing came close to throwing down a challenge, as Isaac Shelby (15-2) beat Charyn by three lengths with Theoryofeverything claiming third.
Of Chaldean's exit, Balding said: "It was one of those unfortunate things, isn't it? We are just thankful it was a trial and the horse seems to have come back fine and Frankie is fine. It is real bad luck.
"We've got two weeks to the Guineas. It is what it is and the Guineas was always the main aim, and that's where we're going.
"He was fit and well and ready to run a big race. As long as everything is all right, happily he pulled up pretty quick - had he gone and done another circuit of the track, it would have been a big problem, but he's had a decent workout and probably enjoyed it."
Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon added: "The main thing is the horse is OK and the jockey is OK.
"I think it was one of those freak things, Frankie said the horse beside him just came over and caught his leg and ripped it out of the stirrup. The horse was a little slow (from the stalls) and the horse on his outside came across and literally caught his leg.
"No harm done and the horse has had a day out. That was the whole aim of today, to get him out. We continue on as normal and as long as Andrew is happy with the horse in the next few days he'll still go to Newmarket.
"We were considering this morning whether to actually run or not, or come for a racecourse gallop. There was a little uncertainty with the way the ground is, probably it's no bad thing he's had his day out, he's had a gallop and he hasn't had a hard time.
"He's in great form, the horse looked great when he came back and Frankie is fine."
While Chaldean is still on course for Newmarket, a trip to France is the target for the winner.
Meehan: "He is smart. I've always thought so. Things went wrong at Newmarket in the Dewhurst. He came back lame but luckily it wasn't serious.
"We got him right within a couple of weeks and touch wood he's been 100 per cent since.
"We are here today and he's fine. He's in the French Guineas, which was always the plan.
"I was spooked by Newmarket and the Dewhurst. I don't want to go back there until he's a little older or a little more mature. I don't want to go back there again, because he was lame and he didn't go to the Craven.
"It will be French Guineas and then take it from there. I was so disappointed in the Dewhurst, because he was not the finished article. There was so much more to come.
"Mentally he's always been a calm horse, but Newmarket was only his second run.
"He has won a Group Two on good to firm. He seems to go on everything.
"I think it was quite holding ground and difficult. Chaldean was very unfortunate, Nobody wants to see that happen to anyone.
"It is a shame for Andrew and Juddmonte and so on."
