Dermot Weld’s Fascinating Rock takes Champion Stakes

Dermot Weld saw six months of planning come to fruition after Fascinating Rock finally came of age in top-level company with victory in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Having established himself as a useful Pattern-race performer, the four-year-old lived up to his trainer's high expectations when claiming the Group One prize, in the process lowering the colours of market leader and Irish Derby hero Jack Hobbs.

John Gosden had concerns over a wide draw for the even-money favourite and saw his worst fears played out in front him.

Although smartly away from stall 12, quickly settling into a prominent behind his pacemaker Maverick Wave, it would soon become clear William Buick was forced to use up more than he wanted aboard the son of Halling.

Despite Jack Hobbs looming up with great presence entering the home straight to take control of the mile-and-a-quarter contest, the expected flick of the switch to go on and take the race was simply not there.

With the petrol gauge running on empty, the three-year-old saw his quest for glory dashed approaching the final furlong with a patiently-ridden Fascinating Rock assuming control in the hands of Pat Smullen.

Kept up to his work all the way to the line, the 10-1 shot had enough in hand to see the staying on — and slightly unlucky in running — Found off by a length and a quarter, with Jack Hobbs a further half-length away in third.

Weld said: “This has been the plan for about six months. This was the race I thought would suit him best.

“Usually the ground is on the slow side. He loves it soft and he’s a very good horse in the autumn.

“He ran flat at Windsor (Winter Hill Stakes). He was not as sharp as he should have been, but that was his first run for four months.

“He was very good at Leopardstown when he won by six lengths and I think he’ll make a lovely five-year-old.

“Hopefully he’ll be back here next year to defend his title. I’ll talk to the owner and see what he thinks.”

Looking to next year, Weld said: "He only get beat a neck by Al Kazeem in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, with the King George winner Postponed in third — that was an excellent performance and that would be a logical race to start him off in.

“Ascot has been very lucky for me — I’ve won Gold Cups and St James’s Palace Stakes and Prince of Wales’s Stakes. We don’t have many runners, but this day is also very special.”

A jubilant Smullen, who picked up a two-day whip ban, said: “Our horses fly around here. I think he has been an underestimated horse, the ground and everything else was right for him today.

“They went fast, there was a good ease in the ground and 10 furlongs is his right trip.

“He’s a very good horse and is improving all the time, you can see how big he is — he can only improve.

“I wanted to be closer than I was, but they went so fast so I sat back and decided to take my chances.

“We always thought of him as a Group One horse. He was tactically very aware today, wherever I put him he picked up and just showed today how good a horse he is.”

After conceding the effort of Jack Hobbs came as little surprise given his stalls position, Gosden was still pleased with the performance, insisting the best is yet to come.

The Newmarket trainer said: “Coming to the races in the car, I said to William drawn where we are we are going to have to go, we can’t sit back and you’re going to pay the price at the other end.

“He’s run a gorgeous race. I’m very happy with him. He’s come back nicely, but he just showed his immaturity as I thought he might, a weakness in the last furlong.

“It is something that I expected, but I didn’t want to be negative before the race.

“I’m thrilled with our horse. If you would have told me that he would do what he has done this year I’d have been blown away. It’s all about next year. It was a good run and we’ll have a bigger, stronger horse for next year.”

He went on: “He could run in something like the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown, it’s a good stepping stone for those horses who have won a Group One and I’m not frightened of going straight to a mile and a half with him.”

Having put in a brave performance to fill the runner-up spot, Aidan O’Brien is hoping Found is kept in training next year.

He said: “Ryan (Moore) was delighted with her, she ran a great race. I’m very happy with her.

“Ryan had her nice and relaxed and she came home very well.

“Hopefully she is a filly we can look forward to next year.”