Baaeed makes it six wins out of six with victory in Group One QEII Stakes at Ascot, beating Queen Anne Stakes winner Palace Pier; Jim Crowley enjoys Champions Day treble after victory on Eshaada in Fillies & Mares Stakes and Aldaary in Balmoral Handicap
Saturday 16 October 2021 17:09, UK
Baaeed beat Palace Pier in a thrilling Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot to maintain his unbeaten record.
Billed as one of the most exciting head-to-heads of the season, Shadwell's exciting three-year-old under Jim Crowley took it up to Frankie Dettori on John Gosden's Queen Anne Stakes winner and had to come wide as they turned for home.
The William Haggas-trained 2/1 chance stuck on strongly to hold off the ever-present challenge of Palace Pier.
Having claimed his first Group One success in the Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp last month, Baaeed returned to home soil to make it six wins out of six in his career.
Popular mare Lady Bowthorpe produced a valiant performance to finish third at 40/1 for Kieran Shoemark and William Jarvis.
Reflecting on Baaeed's victory, Crowley - who enjoyed a Champions Day treble after winning on Eshaada in the Fillies & Mares Stakes and landed the Balmoral Handicap on Aldaary - said: "He just keeps on getting better.
"The ground was just a bit slow for him, I think on quicker ground he'd have picked up a bit better, he was a little bit laboured.
"He's come a long way in a short space of time and he's a proper champion."
Haggas said: "Could you believe we'd be standing here at the start of the season? What a silly question. He's done it.
"I think Jim's words were he coped with the ground, rather than loved it, and he's beaten the best miler in Europe so what can you say? I'm thrilled to bits. I'm shaking.
"I watched it while I was walking around a bit trying to get up my 10,000 steps a day and I've succeeded in that. That was great."
