Blast From The Past: 2004 Sun Chariot Stakes

There wasn't a three-year-old filly in Europe to touch Attraction at a mile in 2004, completing the unique treble of the 1000 Guineas, Irish 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes. She controversially missed the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot due to the Ascot executive deciding to water in advance, so instead was rerouted to the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket in early-October.

The 2004 running of the Sun Chariot Stakes was the first since the race had been upgraded to Group 1 status and, in truth, as had been the case in several of the fillies-only only races after they were restructured at that time, it had little strength in depth. However, it did provide an interesting clash between one of the best older milers in Chic and Attraction, who fought out a tight finish.

 ‘Rerouted to Newmarket in early-October, Attraction tackled the upgraded Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes, gaining a first victory over fillies outside her own age group and her fourth Group 1 of the season, more than any other performer in Europe. The going was good, good to soft in a few places, and connections gave the final go-ahead for Attraction to run only on the day of the race after the trainer and jockey had walked the course’

As the extract above from Racehorses 2004 states, Mark Johnston decided on the day whether Attraction would take her chance, as she had run no sort of race the only other time she had encountered ground with soft in the description in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville earlier that year.

Still looking in good condition, Attraction started third favourite behind two of the season's leading older milers, the Hungerford and Celebration Mile winner Chic, and Nebraska Tornado, a close third when a short-priced favourite for the Prix d'Astarte at Deauville on her only start since finishing fourth in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. Also in a five-strong line-up was Majestic Desert, in the frame in the Brownstown Stakes at Leopardstown, the Prix d'Astarte and the Prix Jacques le Marois since the Coronation Stakes. Attraction made the running as usual and, after seeing off Nebraska Tornado (the first to try to challenge over two furlongs out), Attraction rallied up the hill to hold off Chic by a neck, despite changing her legs a number of occasions as she had to call on all her reserves of determination in the last 100 yards. It was a memorable finish, Attraction emerging with particular credit as Chic, who did nothing wrong herself, looked the likely winner when drawing upsides entering the final furlong. Nebraska Tornado was a length and a half behind Chic in third with a further five back to a below-par Majestic Desert in fourth.

Despite it being her final start of a long and tough season, Attraction’s success in the Sun Chariot Stakes was her best winning performance of the year, running to a Timeform rating of 125 (she ran to the same level when beaten half a length by four-year-old Soviet Song in the Matron Stakes), paying the utmost compliment to her class, but even more her constitution.