Murphy and Carroll break Group 1 duck. (Megan Coggin)
Royal Ascot Release
ASCOT, Berkshire, England—Unconsidered 33/1 outsider Cercene caused a shock in the G1 Coronation Stakes as she dug deep to repel the challenge of French-trained favourite Zarigana.
In what was a first Group 1 success for both trainer Joseph Murphy and jockey Gary Carroll, Cercene tracked a strong pace before finding generously to win by a half-length. Zarigana (6/4F) looked a danger before her run petered out, with January (8/1) a length further back in third.
Third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on her penultimate start, Cercene becomes the longest-priced winner of the Coronation Stakes. She is also a second Royal Ascot winner for her dam Tschierschen, who produced 2021 Britannia Stakes scorer Perotto.
Murphy said: “This is 50 years of work by the family, going from a small yard, switching from National Hunt to Flat, and buying horses and believing that they are going to be good. It is a lifetime’s ambition to have a Group One winner.
“Cercene is by Australia – a sire I love – and her half-brother won the Britannia, so the pedigree was there. If she was an inch bigger, I wouldn’t have her.
“Cercene travelled well and Gary gave her a great ride. We were thinking that being by Australia that she would stay well. She was headed and came back again. She waited for something to head her, but she is very tough and a dream to train.
“When you look back at the [Irish] Guineas, in the last furlong, she passed three horses. I remember her very first run in Gowran, she was last then she flew turning in and was third – another 20 yards and she would have won.
“I have been training for 50 years. Fifty years waiting for a Group One winner, but we have been second and third in Group Ones. So we’ve been knocking on the door, but didn’t open it – today, we opened it.”
Carroll said: “This is unbelievable. I have been riding a long time now and been placed in plenty of Group One races. This is my first one and, if I was ever to ride a Group One winner, I wanted it to be for Joe Murphy. I have been riding for him since I was a 7lb claimer and he has been very good to me. I am delighted I can repay him.
“Cercene ran a blinder at the Curragh, where the slow pace didn’t suit. We went a bit better gallop there today. She got to the front a furlong and a half out and she waited. Then the French horse came and headed me. To be fair to this one, she is not big, but she is very tough and stuck her head out for me.
“This is hugely satisfying. Group One races are so hard to come by, and good horses are very hard to come by. To do this at Royal Ascot is magic.”
Zarigana’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said: “I need to buy a pair of blinkers, probably! It was very interesting what the jockey said. He said she travelled really nicely, like easily on the bridle, but as soon as she hit the front, she completely changed in her attitude and threw her head up. It is very frustrating, but we try our best with her. She is a very talented filly and didn’t disgrace herself.
“You always think you can win easily, and she has the ability to win easily, but we didn’t get the job done today. I am lucky she is owned by a fantastic breeding operation – and she has earned her place there. We don’t need to put a pair of yellow blinkers on her. She will produce fantastic stock that will come here and beat everybody. It is very hard to be competitive here, and to win is even harder. You come with very talented horses, but today I think we can’t complain. We have had two fillies placed in Group One races and they earned their places at stud, so for the operation it is very positive.”
Princess Zahra Aga Khan said: “Zarigana has already earned her place at stud. She is a lot like her grandmother [Zarkava] – slightly nuts! The important thing is that both fillies today have come home safe and well – that is what really matters. They are two very important fillies.”Aidan O’Brien said of January: “She ran OK. The race was little bit messy early, but Ryan said she ran well. We think she will come forward a little bit. Maybe one of the fillies’ races at Newmarket next, something like that.”
