Nicholas T provides Amie Waugh with Queen Mother’s Cup success

Jockey wins weight in champagne as celebration aid.

Nick Robson
Saturday 12 June 2021 17:46 BST
Amie Waugh returns on Nicholas T
Amie Waugh returns on Nicholas T

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Jim Goldie’s veteran Nicholas T provided jockey Amie Waugh with the most prestigious winner of her career to date when getting up in the Queen Mother’s Cup at York

One of the most notable races on the calendar restricted to lady amateur riders, perhaps of particular interest for some of the winning jockeys down the years is the fact that you also win your weight in champagne.

Nicholas T was sent off at 100-30, and when a gap appeared between Sameem and Arctic Fox the nine-year-old quickened up to win by a length.

“It’s great to just get a ride in a race like this, never mind win it,” said Waugh.

“To be fair, he was very straightforward. We went a nice gallop, and that made it easier for me. He travelled nicely – and coming up the straight, I didn’t know which way to go, but luckily we got a gap.

“We could have gone either way really, but the gap made it straightforward.

“Once he got to the front, if anyone had come at him he stuck his head out and tried again – so he made it easy.

“This is definitely my best winner by far – and to get the champagne is nice. I might be complaining about it on Monday morning, anyway!”

Jim Crowley has the thrill of riding Battaash to look forward to at Royal Ascot next week, and warmed up with a winner for the same connections as Baashir came home just in front in the JCB Handicap.

The 9-2 favourite, trained by Charlie Hills and owned by Shadwell, edged out the Paul Hanagan-ridden National League by a head.

Crowley said: “He wasn’t doing a stroke in front – he got here easily enough, but when the other horse came I thought we were in trouble. Fair play, he got back up.

“He’s got low mileage but plenty of ability. A couple of times things haven’t quite gone right for him, but he got the job done today.”

Tom Marquand will head to Ascot in fine form. A winner on Thursday was followed by a double on Friday – and he was in double form at York, too.

Having already taken the feature Grand Cup on William Haggas’ Roberto Escobarr, he teamed up with Richard Hannon on Bosh (5-2) to win the Reg Griffin Appreciation ebfstallions.com Maiden Stakes in a photo from Kevin Ryan’s newcomer Gis A Sub.

Roger Fell’s La Trinadad (4-1) landed some hefty bets when winning the Ice Co Supporting Macmillan Handicap by a head from Delgrey Bay – kickstarting a double in the last two races for jockey Jason Hart.

Fell said of his winner: “He’s a nice horse, and this was a drop in class today.

“Everyone keeps telling me he’s a Cambridgeshire horse. He’s got an engine.

“He was actually the slowest breezer at Doncaster when we bought him. He’s one of those horses who is a machine one day and not so good the next. He’s got a big handicap in him, bigger than today.”

Hart completed his double when John Quinn’s in-form sprinter Mr Wagyu made it a hat-trick in the space of  10 days, by two and a quarter lengths at 13-2 in the closing Sky Bet Handicap.

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