23 July 2022

Jumbly grabs Valiant victory in exciting Ascot finish

23 July 2022

Jumbly finished with a flourish to record the narrowest of wins in a thrilling climax to the Longines Valiant Stakes at Ascot.

A field of nine fillies went to post for the Group Three contest and it was German raider Novemba, who finished a creditable fourth in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the Royal meeting last month, who cut out much of the running over the round mile.

However, she was first claimed by the tough-as-teak Oscula in the home straight before Hollie Doyle delivered 100-30 chance Jumbly with her challenge inside the final furlong.

The Harry and Roger Charlton-trained three-year-old, who had finished eighth in the French 1000 Guineas and sixth in a Group Two in Germany on her last two starts, joined Oscula in the shadow of the post and the judge’s photo confirmed she had won the day by a nose.

Jumbly was following in the hoofprints of her dam Thistle Bird, who won the race back in 2012.

“I thought she was going to get there and then the nod wasn’t in favour of her. Everyone else thought we had won half a length, but I wasn’t convinced,” said Harry Charlton.

“We always knew she was a genuine filly. She obviously ran well in the Fred Darling and then you go to the French Guineas and you were kind of boxed in and there was a scrimmage. She was only beaten two lengths, but we came away a bit disappointed, thinking she should have been a bit closer.

“Then we went to Dusseldorf and I walked around that track at 11am and thought, ‘this isn’t going to go well, being drawn in stall 12’. It was unique. Once she was in behind, all the German commentators said you have no chance if you don’t get in the first two (early on), but how do you do that from stall 12?

Jumbly (right) delivers her challenge at Ascot (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

“So, we wrote that off and you take it on trust that she can still deliver – and she did, which was good to see.”

Considering future plans, he added: “There are a batch of races at the end of races at the end of August – poor race-planning – there are two at Goodwood on the same weekend, there is the Celebration Mile and the Supreme, the City of York (worth £400,000) and the Hungerford, which is worth less.

“They are all in the space of a week. I’m not saying she will necessarily win one, but there is some good black type to pick up.”

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