After an auspicious debut to his 2009 season, Drill Sergeant scored at 14-1 in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes on the final card of racing at the Royal Ascot meet. Under Joe Fanning, Drill Sergeant has steadily improved after appearing listless in three starts at the Dubai International Racing Carnival.
With three starts in Dubai over 2000, 2400, and 3200 meters, Drill Sergeant record 15th, 12th, and 10th place finishes respectively, finishing well behind strong winners Presvis, Friston Forest, and Veracity. The tide began turning for this gelding by Rock of Gibraltar when he finished last…of three…in the Stanjames.com Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Newmarket. Bronze Cannon defeated Drill Sergeant by six lengths that day and he came back to land the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) earlier in the card on Saturday.
J J The Jet Plane finished best of the Carnival graduates when fourth in the Golden Jubilee (G1) as the 5-2 favorite. The winner of the Al Quoz Sprint (G3), J J The Jet Plane took up the running soon after the start and stayed on even when the closers kicked in with 20-1 outsider Art Connoisseur scoring the upset over American hope Cannonball. Diabolical finished sixth.
Asset, a winner in the Oxford Handicap at Nad Al Sheba this winter, was a narrowly-defeated second in the Wokingham Stakes on closing day, as well.