Blast From The Past: Rose of Lancaster Stakes

The 2009 Rose of Lancaster Stakes was a strong renewal, with the first three home all going on to record Group 1 wins later in their careers. The winner Jukebox Jury had enjoyed a highly-promising two-year-old campaign, and promised to be an even better three-year-old, as Racehorses recounts:

‘He had enjoyed a good two-year-old campaign, with victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes and second to Crowded House in the Racing Post Trophy the highlights, and he looked sure to improve when he got middle distances at three.’

Although Jukebox Jury hadn’t really given the impression he would have enough speed for the 2000 Guineas, Mark Johnston originally hoped to run him in that race. However, in early-February the colt suffered a wound in a fetlock that would not heal. No sooner had he begun cantering again in mid-March than he suffered a suspected stress fracture of a tibia, so both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby went by without him and he reappeared in the Prix Daphnis over nine furlongs at Longchamp in June, where he was well below his best. He finished a far from disgraced sixth to Sea The Stars in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on his next start, and started to fulfil his juvenile promise when taking advantage of a drop in grade in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes a month later, as Racehorses reports:

‘The opposition in the totepool Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock in early-August, headed by Hardwicke Stakes runner-up Campanologist and Coronation Cup fourth Duncan, was somewhat less demanding, though the Rose of Lancaster field was still strong for a Group 3 event. Jukebox Jury got back on the winning trail, giving every indication that he would improve again tried over further, outpaced initially in the straight before catching Campanologist inside the final furlong and beating him by a length and a quarter. ‘

The strong gallop generally sorted the field out, and it was encouraging that the first four put daylight between themselves and the remainder. That performance marked Mark Johnston’s likable grey down as a very smart performer and, though he didn’t give his running in the Great Voltigeur at York on his next start, less than a fortnight later he won the Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville. His first Group 1 win came in the Preis von Europa at Cologne in September where he recorded his peak Timeform rating of 123, which he matched when finishing second in the Canadian International on his final start at three.

Jukebox Jury’s other Group 1 success came in the Irish St Leger when dead-heating with Duncan, who finished two and a quarter lengths third to him in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes. His final start came when finishing well held in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in 2011, where he suffered a hairline fracture to his near-fore cannonbone. Another setback resulted in his retirement in 2012. He currently stands at Gestut Etzean Stud in Germany for a fee of €5,500, and has sired winners of 39 races to date.

Read Adam Houghton's preview of the Rose of Lancaster Stakes