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Posts Tagged ‘Ascot’

Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to seeing Rip Van Winkle in action in Juddmonte International Stakes at York.

Last year’s Sussex Stakes winner just failed in his bid to land back-to-back renewals of the one-mile feature at Glorious Goodwood when Canford Cliffs pounced late last month.

That was only his second start of the campaign after making his reappearance at Royal Ascot, also over a mile in the Queen Anne. He now steps back up to 10 furlongs, a distance he arguably put up a career-best effort over when second to Sea The Stars in the Eclipse last season.

“We were delighted with him in the Sussex. Obviously he started off at Ascot where he just got tired in the last half a furlong,” said O’Brien.

“We were happy with that and we’re looking forward to him having a second run. We thought he’d progress after his first run and we expect him to progress again.

“Everything has been good with him this year. We started him later this year but he went very well over the winter and so far everything has been good.

“The horse has always shown loads of speed, as he did again at Goodwood, but we felt as the year went on he would progress. He won’t mind dropping back to a mile if he ever needs to, but he’s a big cruiser and quickens very well.

“The only time he ran over a mile and a quarter last year was in the Eclipse where he ran very well. He’s very versatile. We thought he’d progressed after Ascot and we think he’s progressed since Goodwood, we are looking forward to seeing him run.”

Michael Bell’s star filly Sariska remains firmly on course to take her chance in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on August 19.

Last year’s dual Oaks winner had Midday behind when making a winning reappearance on the Knavesmire in May and was far from disgraced when chasing home Fame And Glory in Epsom’s Coronation Cup.

Bell said: “Sariska is in very good form and we are priming her for the Yorkshire Oaks. She seems in great health and if she remains that way, and the ground is suitable, then she will run.”

He added: “I feel that she is a fresher filly going into the race than she was last year as she has had a light campaign because her main targets after York are the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup.”

On the same afternoon, Bell is hoping to saddle talented two-year-old Margot Did in the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes.

After placed efforts in the Albany Stakes and Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, her trainer hopes she can secure a first Pattern-race success.

“She is a nice filly and has been very consistent. She really deserves to win one of these races,” Bell added.

“Last time at Ascot she possibly hit the front too soon and just got caught late on. I think that the sharper six furlongs at York should suit better and she should have a big chance.”

Derby hero Workforce will have to show connections he is back in peak condition before they allow him to return to the racecourse.

The King’s Best colt looked destined for greatness following his seven-length Epsom triumph but he was well beaten in fifth as stablemate Harbinger ran away with the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Nothing significant has come to light following that lifeless display and connections will give him all the time he needs to find his feet once again.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, told At The Races: “There is no question he was a very impressive winner of the Derby. He won by seven lengths and you can never take that away from him. It was an outstanding performance which ever way you look at it.

“We’re pretty sure he didn’t give his true running at Ascot. He has been checked out thoroughly with a fine tooth comb and nothing significant has been revealed, so we are just going to have to let him tell us when he’s ready to go back to the races.

“We’re not going to put a programme on him, and realistically the one remaining race for him in Europe is the Arc. But we want to know he is back on song and giving everyone the vibes we’re looking for.

“We want to be convinced he’s going to do himself justice. All the signs were that he would at Ascot, but he didn’t. Perhaps he just needed a bit more time and perhaps he had a much harder race at Epsom than we thought.

“People need to remember that Ascot was only his fourth race. He’s a big, scopey horse and he may just need a bit more time to strengthen up.”

Not many Derby winners stay in training beyond their Classic campaign, but Grimthorpe is not ruling out the possibility of Workforce running as four-year-old.

He went on: “If he improves as much as Harbinger did between three and four, then we’re going to have something quite special. It’s certainly a possibility that he could stay in training, but we haven’t really got there yet. That will be Prince Khalid’s decision.”

Harbinger put up a devastating performance to run right away with the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Olivier Peslier looked to be going best as he sat in fourth place as they turned into the straight in the Group One contest, and the response was electrifying when he asked for an effort.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt (4-1) brushed Derby winners Cape Blanco and Workforce aside as he powered an amazing 11 lengths clear, with Cape Blanco finishing second and Youmzain third.

Dar Re Mi has been ruled out of Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot after suffering a bruised foot.

John Gosden’s three-time Group One winner was due to tackle Derby hero Workforce as well as the talented Harbinger in the Betfair-sponsored contest but has been declared a non-runner.

Gosden’s racing secretary Peter Shoemark said: “She has bruised her foot and unfortunately that means she will be unable to run. It’s just unfortunate that it has come so close to the race but she will be absolutely fine. It’s not ideal but we’ll look forward now and the Yorkshire Oaks could be her next objective.”

Mawatheeq has been ruled out of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.

The five-year-old has endured an interrupted campaign having been forced to miss the Dubai World Cup through injury and he was well beaten on his sole appearance of 2010 in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He was withdrawn at the start of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown after failing to enter the stalls and trainer Marcus Tregoning does not feel his charge is ready to compete in Ascot’s Betfair-sponsored summer showpiece.

“We were going to work him somewhere this weekend but we decided against it and that means he will miss the King George,” said Tregoning.

“We’ve just decided to give him a bit more time as we don’t feel he’s going to be ready for Ascot.

“We haven’t decided where we’re going with him yet but we just feel he wants a bit more time after the injury problem he had in the spring.”

Royal Ascot heroine Hibaayeb is reported to be in the form of her life as she bids to give the Godolphin team their first taste of success in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Sunday.

The daughter of Singspiel was an impressive winner of the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and Saeed bin Suroor has been thrilled with her subsequent progress, though he does not want conditions at the Curragh to become too testing.

“She ran a huge race last time and came out of the race really well. Her condition is very good and she looks better than ever at the moment,” said bin Suroor.

“It’s a very tough race, but the filly is really happy and working very well. Good ground would be fine for her, so I hope it is not too soft.”

The Godolphin team are double-handed in the race, with the Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained Miss Jean Brodie taking a big jump in class following success in a Doncaster maiden.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Eldalil chased Hibaayeb home at Royal Ascot and Angus Gold, racing manager for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, is hopeful of further improvement.

He said: “We hope she has improved since Ascot and she will need to as she is jumping up a grade. They say the ground is going to be good or possibly a little bit easier and I just hope it doesn’t go too soft.

“She’s taking on the top mile-and-a-half fillies around so I can’t say she’ll win it, but I thought if she’d broken better at Ascot, then she’d have finished an awful lot closer to the winner.

“She proved that day that she stayed the trip, so hopefully she’ll run a decent race on Sunday.”

An announcement on who rides Harbinger in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes could be made this week.

Speculation has been rife on who will team up with the in-form Sir Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old in the Betfair-sponsored showpiece at Ascot on July 24.

Frankie Dettori and Paul Hanagan are among the names being linked with Harbinger after his regular partner Ryan Moore decided to stick with stablemate Workforce following their triumph in the Investec Derby.

Harbinger is unbeaten in three starts this term, culminating in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“We’re still waiting to hear on jockey booking confirmations and all that,” said Harry Herbert, racing manager to owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing.

“It doesn’t look as though there will be too big a field in the race so it’s just a question of seeing who is doing what, and we are in Sir Michael’s hands on that one.

“He’s just waiting to hear. We have had conversations, but I can’t talk about that until we’ve had confirmation.

“I guess it wouldn’t take a genius to know what the short-list would be. It’s just waiting for the cards to fall and for trainers with other runners in the race knowing what they are going to do. Hopefully, something will be forthcoming this week.”

He went on: “He’s such a special horse, he’s such a beautiful-looking horse with a great temperament. We’ve seen this year he has a lovely cruising speed and then a tremendous turn of foot to quicken off that pace.

“This is what it’s all about from my side of things. It’s a big syndicate manager’s dream to have a horse like Harbinger, who will hopefully be lining up for Europe’s greatest midsummer spectacle.”

Starspangledbanner completed a big Group One double when he followed up his Golden Jubilee Stakes victory at Royal Ascot by taking the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.

Aidan O’Brien’s speedball (2-1 favourite) slightly missed the kick and was soon chased along behind fellow Royal Ascot hero Equiano, with Johnny Murtagh steering him over to the far rail.

He looked to have it to do a furlong out as 66-1 chance Alverta threatened, with Fleeting Spirit and Kingsgate Native just behind, but the ex-Australian ace found plenty for pressure to foil the gallant Equiano by a neck. Alverta finished third.

O’Brien said: “He’s very tough, he’s a serious horse. Johnny made the decision to go over to the far rail and it paid off.

“He’s got some courage and great pace. Very few horses have that much courage when they are so fast. It was great that the two Ascot winners were first and second, it’s great when they come together like that.”

Murtagh added: “Not many horses win this after winning at Ascot, but he’s not just got class, he’s got plenty of guts and he’s hardy.

“I thought the rail would help my horse, I had to make my own mind up and it helped win the race. Stamina helped us win it, some Australian horses don’t go up the hill but this lad does.”

Connections now face a decision on whether Starspangledbanner goes to stud or stays in training.

O’Brien explained: “We have to decide by midnight if he is going to go to Australia for the covering season.

“John (Magnier), Michael (Tabor) and all the lads (at Coolmore) will debate hard over the next few hours and we will only know after that if he is going to go into quarantine. I’ll give my penny’s worth and as you all know I’d love to see him stay here and keep on racing.”

Richard Hannon has decided against running the brilliant Paco Boy in the totesport.com Summer Mile at Ascot on Saturday.

Hannon stated earlier in the week he would prefer to see some rain before committing to the Group Two.

The fact regular rider Richard Hughes is suspended is also likely to have played a part in his decision.

As a result, 10 will go to post, including Michael Jarvis’ globetrotter Pressing, a winner in Italy last time out.

Dream Eater, third behind Goldikova and Paco Boy at Ascot, Locking runner-up Ouqba and Godolphin’s Alexandros are all engaged.

Ed Dunlop’s Fareer, Jeremy Noseda’s Forgotten Voice and the Chris Wall-trained Premio Loco add further strength in depth.

Dingaan, King Of Dixie and French raider Vertigineux complete the field.