Newmarket: Parish Hall upsets Dewhurst Stakes at 20-1
Parish Hall, who had been second in two group stakes in Ireland during the summer, pulled a 20-1 upset in Saturday’s Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, England, beating favored Power by a half-length.
Ridden by Kevin Manning, Parish Hall earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 with the victory, his second in five starts. Parish Hall, a colt by Teofilo, races for trainer Jim Bolger, who said after the race that he considers the winner a prospect for the 2012 English Derby.
Parish Hall was always near the front in the seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds and led for the final furlong to edge Power, the 15-8 favorite. Most Improved, a 6-1 shot, finished third in the field of nine.
Aidan O’Brien trains Power as well as Crusade, who won Saturday’s Group 1 Middle Park Stakes for 2-year-olds over six furlongs at Newmarket in a 25-1 upset.
Crusade, ridden by Seamie Heffernan, was always near the front and prevailed by three-quarters of a length over Lilbourne Lad. Reply finished third in the field of 16.
Crusade, a Kentucky-bred colt by Mr Greeley, races for Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier and has won two of four starts.
Earlier on the program, Strong Suit won the Group 2 Challenge Stakes over seven furlongs, a prep for the BC Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5. Trained by Richard Hannon, Strong Suit won his third graded stakes in his last four starts in the Challenge Stakes.