Coen gains the plaudits as Murtagh bags another Derby Festival winner Zodiac Bear continued Johnny Murtagh’s record of a winner each day at the three-day Derby Festival meeting when making virtually all in the Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes. Ben Coen quickened the pace entering the straight in this mile Listed event, and the 4/1 chance kept on well inside the final furlong to hold off Alcantor by half a length. Cowardofthecounty finished a further length and a quarter back in third. Murtagh said, “Things are going well, we’ve had a great couple of days, and it’s always great to have a winner here on Derby Day at the Curragh. “Fair play to Ben and the horse. He’s very consistent, he had a few little niggly problems but thankfully he came back. His last run was good. I’m glad Ben got a winner. He was looking at all the other guys having a winner in the yard so it’s great he got one today. “I was feeling a bit pumped, it’s more relief than anything else because you know how hard it is to get here and how hard it is to get the horses here. Then everything has to go well in the race. “It wasn’t the plan to make the running today but that’s what good jockeys do, take the initiative and ride them what way they think is best. That’s what Ben did today. “The second looked like he was coming but this lad has a big engine, is a big galloper, and he had improved since his last run. I’m delighted to get a win.” Coen said, “He’s usually a hold up horse. He jumped so well and I rode it as I found it. He relaxed in front and I felt like I always had everything covered. “When you really do want him, he has a change of gear. He was stepping up to a mile today, so when I was getting it easy in front I wasn’t complaining. “He’s a gorgeous horse. He had a little mishap last year, but Johnny and the team have done a great job to get him back.” Quotes by Gary Carson
