IT'S JUNGLE STYLE - WITH FISH AND CHIPS - FOR WINNING TRAINER SPENCER
Richard Spencer's fledgling training career took another big step forward today when Rumble Inthejungle won the £75,000 G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes over five furlongs.
Last year Spencer trained the winner of a top two-year-old race at Royal Ascot, when Rajasinghe landed the G2 Coventry Stakes, but a win at the Qatar Goodwood Festival confirmed he is no one-hit wonder. With the backing of Phil Cunningham, the head of Rebel Racing which owns the yard at which Spencer is based in Newmarket, the young trainer's career is on an upward curve.
Rumble Inthejungle is a son of Bungleinthejungle, who won the Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes in 2012. Ridden by Tom Queally, the son and heir was sent off at 5/1 and scored by two and a half lengths and a neck from Life Of Riley (16/1) and Royal Ascot winner Soldier's Call (6/4f).
Spencer said of the winner, who was fourth in the G2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot on his previous start: "I felt if I could have got another run into him before Ascot he would have won there, but he went a bit weak on us when we wanted to do crucial bits of work. He's only a baby still and he's grown a lot since Ascot.
"I was very confident coming here today and couldn't believe how people were putting the horse down. He was a good fourth at Royal Ascot and was the only horse who could lay up with [US challenger] Shang Shang Shang, and do it comfortably, and there was no Shang Shang Shang in this race.
"I was thinking they would have to go some to get past him, and he has a future, because he will stay six furlongs. Tom [Queally, the horse's jockey] struggled to pull him up at Ascot and he did the same today - it's just as well there are crash barriers [around the bend after the Goodwood straight].
"He's going to be a nicer three-year-old, but we'll have a big party tonight. There's a chip shop in Newmarket called Rumbles, and I regularly visit it, so I'm hoping they backed the horse and I can have free fish and chips tonight - we told them he was running.
"I've been looking forward to this for two or three weeks. He worked amazingly at the weekend under Tom. I won't say where we are going and what we will be doing, but he will go to the big stage.
"Phil, myself and agent Bobby O'Ryan bought him at Doncaster Sales [for £70,000]. Phil was so keen to get the horse he named him the night before. He wasn't going to let anyone else have him."
RUMBLE INTHEJUNGLE LANDS KNOCKOUT BLOW FOR QUEALLY
Tom Queally tasted success aboard the mighty Frankel in today's feature race, the Qatar Sussex Stakes in 2011 and 2012 and returned to the winner's enclosure at Goodwood this afternoon aboard the Richard Spencer-trained Rumble Inthejungle in the G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes.
The 5/1 shot travelled powerfully throughout the five-furlong contest and displayed a potent turn of foot to score in impressive fashion by two and a half-lengths.
Rumble Inthejungle finished fourth in the Norfolk Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot and Queally was effusive in his praise of the two-year-old. His sire Bungle Inthejungle, won the Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes in 2012 for Mick Channon.
Queally said: "Rumble Inthejungle was excellent there. He has always been pretty good. He won first time and showed he was very forward. He did it really well today and has clearly stepped up his act since Ascot. He has always shown that he was pretty good and it was no exception today. We toyed with the idea of running him in the six-furlong race but this looked slightly easier and he is not short of gears. He is so straightforward, a child could ride him.
"I had no plan really. That is the beauty of riding for Richard [Spencer, trainer] and Phil [Cunningham, owner] - they don't tie you down. They realised I put in a lot of work and know the horses quite well, and because of that you then ride with a great deal of confidence and tend to do things right. Rumble Inthejungle has so much speed and he has always shown us a lot of promise from day one.
"I couldn't pull him up today. He did show a lot of speed today, but you would think in time, he will get six furlongs - he is clearly a colt with a lot of class. He has scope and, with the feel he gives you, there is no reason to think that he can't keep on improving into his three-year-old campaign.
"Richard is clearly well able to train and hopefully he will reap the rewards with this lad and more. Richard is doing an amazing job and his horses are winning at every level and they are not expensive types. Phil and his associates and friends are behind the initiative [Rebel Racing]. It is sort of business venture. They are all having fun and it's working, and I have very pleased to be a part of it. Long may it continue."
Phil Cunningham, founder of the Rebel Racing syndicate said: "Tom Queally is a brilliant horseman. He gets on fantastically with the staff and gave Bungle Inthejungle a great ride."
Paddy Power make Rumble Inthejungle a 20/1 shot for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in 2019.
3.00pm Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes (Group 3)
1 Rumble Inthejungle (Rebel Racing Premier) Richard Spencer 2-9-01 Tom Queally 5/1
2 Life Of Riley (Ontoawinner, Strecker, Burke) Karl Burke 2-9-01 Ben Curtis 16/1
3 Soldier's Call (Clipper Logistics) Archie Watson 2-9-01 Danny Tudhope 6/4 fav
11 ran
Time: 58.22s
Distances: 2½, nk
Tote Win: £5.70 Places: £1.70, £4.50, £1.10 Exacta: £75.60
Richard Spencer - 1 Goodwood winner (1 at Qatar Goodwood Festival)
Tom Queally - 37 Goodwood winners (16 at Qatar Goodwood Festival)
LIFE OF RILEY DELIGHTS BURKE
This year's renewal of the £75,000 G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes over five furlongs for two-year-olds, went to Rumble inthejungle (5/1), with a photo-finish deciding a three-way spilt for the minor places.
After some deliberation, the Judge announced Life Of Riley (16/1) as second, with the 6/4 favourite Soldier's Call filling third spot.
Karl Burke, trainer of the second, Life of Riley, said: "We are delighted with the run. He looks now like he is crying out for a little bit further. So I would say a step up to six furlongs is next. He half showed that in his last run at Sandown.
"He has a high cruising speed but then just doesn't quicken - he just grinds it out.
"He didn't have the clearest of runs and we wouldn't have beaten the winner, but we might have been half a length closer with a clear run.
"We have no complaints; he is a cracking little horse and has a good future.
"I don't know where we will go next, I haven't got him in the Gimcrack (York, August 24) but it might be a blessing as it comes up quick. Showcasing's offspring seem to appreciate a little bit of juice in the ground.
"We will go back and plan a nice autumn campaign. It wouldn't surprise me if we entered him in the Middle Park Stakes. He is entitled to go there."
Ben Curtis, rider of the Showcasing colt, added: "He came with a good late run. He got a bit outpaced in the middle of the race, but once he found his feet he came home well. A step up to six might be next. He has improved with every run to be fair."
Archie Watson, trainer of the third, Soldier's Call, said: "I think it was a little unfortunate. He jumped a bit slow and Danny (Tudhope - jockey) lost his iron, then the horse got a bump coming out of the gate and so ended up racing a little wide from the pace.
"But no excuses in the latter part of the race, he had every chance. We'll be back another day; when things go right and he gets a clean jump."
Danny Tudhope added: "He had a bad start, got heavily bumped and missed the break. It wasn't ideal for him really because he likes to get on with things."
