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Posts Tagged ‘Goodwood’

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Tramore, Co. Waterford

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.”

Richard Hannon picked up another big juvenile prize when Libranno pinged out of the stalls and made all the running under Richard Hughes to take the Tanqueray Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Enjoying his sixth success of the week, Hughes had to wake up the youngster inside the final furlong to score by one and a quarter lengths from The Paddyman in the Group Two contest.

The latter had been well-backed at 4-1 and looked menacing with two furlongs remaining, but Libranno found plenty in front, to the delight of the packed grandstands, returning as a warm 5-4 favourite.

Hughes said: “I was trying to get him to relax and get him breathing early on, as for nearly a minute I couldn’t feel his belly going. He jumped extremely fast and I let him go to the front, but in the last two furlongs he was gawping at everything.

“I think he kills horses off halfway through the race with his speed and then just grinds it out at the finish. He had a hard race the last day and a tough enough race today, but he’s a decent horse and a fast horse.”

When asked about a potential next port of call for the juvenile, Hughes added: “Ideally something like the Prix Morny, but that might come a bit quick for him.”

Hannon said: “We took him to Newmarket very raw, but we still thought he’d have a good chance in the July Stakes, and he’s won very well again today.

“I don’t really know what we’re going to do with him now. It’s up to the owner really, but he wouldn’t want much further than six furlongs unless we can teach him to race in a different way.”

Hughes went on to notch his 100th winner of the season, and effectively wrapped up the Goodwood jockeys’ title, as he rode The Queen’s Royal Exchange (3-1 joint-favourite) to victory in the RSA Nursery.

Winning trainer Hannon added: “It’s great for Hughesie and for Her Majesty. This horse wants a mile really.”

Richard Hannon has raised the possibility of Dick Turpin tackling 10 furlongs before too long.

The trainer has two of the very best three-year-old milers at his disposal, with Dick Turpin and Canford Cliffs closely matched on three meetings already this season, and he would prefer the pair not to clash again in next Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

“I think Dick Turpin can go a mile and a quarter, but I don’t know where he would go at the moment. He is improving all the time,” said Hannon.

The John Manley-owned Dick Turpin beat Canford Cliffs, who belongs to a syndicate, in the Greenham Stakes and finished in front of his stablemate again when second in the 2000 Guineas. Canford Cliffs gained his revenge in the St James’s Palace, while Dick Turpin subsequently gained a deserved first Group One in the Prix Jean Prat.

Both looked on fine terms with themselves on Tuesday morning, with individual leg-stretches up one of Hannon’s gallops at Herridge.

“If they get rain, John will want to run at Goodwood,” said Hannon of Dick Turpin. “I don’t want them to meet again as they are two very good horses but they are owned by different people and I can’t keep them apart.

While a decision will have to be made about Dick Turpin, there is no doubt about Canford Cliffs’ destination and his trainer continued: “He runs in the Sussex. He is a lovely horse, very mature, and he has put on a lot of weight.

“I took him to Kempton on Monday and he worked over seven furlongs with one of The Queen’s horses, Quadrille.”

Hannon also revealed he is set to enjoy another season with his stable stars as both will race on as four-year-olds, with Canford Cliffs expected to take even higher order.

He contineed: “Both Canford Cliffs and Dick Turpin will stay in training as four-year-olds. He (Canford Cliffs) has improved beyond recognition and I am sure he is getting better. He is certainly going the way to be being the best horse I have ever trained.”

Mamlook goes for a big staying handicap double when he bids to follow up his Chester Cup success in the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.

The six-year-old has gone up 4lb for his narrow win over Tastahil on the Roodee in May, but trainer David Pipe is still optimistic of a big run.

“It was a great performance in the Chester Cup. He’ll like the ground and the trip. He’s fairly quick for a two-miler and the draw, 10, is OK,” said the Nicholashayne handler.

“He went up a few pounds for winning the Chester Cup, but hopefully he’ll have a good each-way chance.”

Alan Swinbank expects his two runners, Merchant Of Dubai and Stanstill, to be competitive, but he fears the well-backed Deauville Flyer.

The North Yorkshire trainer said: “Tim Easterby’s horse will take some beating.

“Stanstill is very well, but it’s a competitive contest. Merchant Of Dubai could do with a bit of cut in the ground, so we could do with a shower of rain for him. I think we will be competitive, but to win is a big ask.”

Drunken Sailor takes a big step up in trip after finishing third in a Listed race over 10 furlongs at Goodwood last time.

The gelding was successful in a maiden hurdle over two miles when trained in Ireland but has been running in middle-distance races since moving to Luca Cumani, including winning two events in Dubai during the spring.

The trainer said: “We’ll just have to see if he stays or not – we’re going up from a mile and a quarter to two miles. He is quite high in the handicap, but he is very well and his prep race at Goodwood went well.”