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Posts Tagged ‘Sea’

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pMark Johnston reports Sea Lord to be in tip-top condition ahead of his step up to Group One company in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes./p
pThe Cape Cross colt is enjoying a fantastic campaign with lucrative handicap wins at the Curragh, Newmarket and Goodwood, followed by a narrow success over weekend winner Poet’s Voice in Group Three company at Salisbury./p
pHe was supplemented for Saturday’s feature at a cost of 75,000 euros but his trainer is under no illusions about the task ahead as the three-year-old faces the prospect of tackling the likes of Rip Van Winkle and Twice Over./p
p”He’s in good form. We’ve done this a couple of times this year – supplemented horses for big races – and touch wood, he seems very well,” said Johnston./p
p”It’s a big leap for him and we can’t take it for granted that he is up to Group One level, but it seems the right progression for him at this stage. He had a number of targets but we decided on this one.”/p
pIt will also be Sea Lord’s first run beyond a mile this weekend but Johnston believes there is enough evidence to suggest the 10 furlongs will not be a problem./p
p”The breeding on his dam’s side suggests he could be better over a mile and a quarter and his style of running is very laid back,” the Middleham handler continued./p
p”Kieren Fallon rode him last time and he said he could be better over a mile and a quarter./p
p”He’s by Cape Cross and although he was a miler himself, we’ve seen he is capable of producing horses with stamina. He hasn’t raced on anything other than fast ground this year, but we know he’ll handle that fine.”/p
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Harbinger has powered his way to the title of top-rated racehorse in the world thanks to his breathtaking performance in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Racing’s official assessors had no problem in raising the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt forward from a mark of 123 to 135 following his 11-length romp in Ascot’s midsummer showpiece on Saturday.

“You’ve got to be very impressed. He looked an improving colt before the race,” Phil Smith, the British Horseracing Authority’s head of handicapping, told At The Races.

“All his performances this year were very progressive and I expected him to a run a big race. I didn’t think he’d win and I certainly didn’t think he’d win like that.

“We looked at the second horse, Cape Blanco, and imagined what if Harbinger had not been in the race. Cape Blanco was 119 going into the race and so we took the view that Cape Blanco had replicated his 119.

“We therefore just had to decide what we called the 11 lengths. We took the view that was worth 16lb, which would be pretty much the norm and brings Harbinger out on 135.

“It’s quite a big jump – we had him on 123 before that – but I’m pretty confident he’s that and could probably be better. It was very impressive.”

He went on: “Instantly we’ve got Harbinger 1lb below Sea The Stars’ end-of-season performance (in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe). He has still got one, two or possibly three more races to come, so we will see how he runs in his subsequent races.

“It may well be we have him as high or higher than Sea The Stars. He’s the best horse in the world today, definitely, but he’s not the best horse ever. He’s got a hell of a lot to prove.

“It was a once performance. No-one could get any of his previous performances into the 130s, even though he looked to be climbing the ladder. We would want him to do it again before we can get him into the late 130s or early 140s. He’s got to do something similar in the future.”

Sir Michael Stoute is refusing to rush into making a plan for record-breaking Derby winner Workforce.

On only his third start, the King’s Best colt broke Lammtarra’s 15-year-old track record for the Classic on a sweltering day at Epsom.

The Irish Derby at the Curragh and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot are the likely options for his next start, but five-time Derby winning handler Stoute says no decision will be made until next week at the earliest.

“It was a great day, a great thrill and the team thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Stoute.

“I was a little bit concerned about his lack of experience after his preparatory race didn’t go according to plan, but he’d pleased us subsequently and we thought he would run very well but I didn’t expect a performance of that magnitude.

“Ryan (Moore) came in after York and said ‘don’t be disappointed’ because the bit went right through his mouth and he couldn’t give him the assistance that he needed.

“I suppose on the face of it it was a better Derby performance than Sea The Stars, but it doesn’t make him a better horse and Sea The Stars actually won the Derby very comfortably.

“All my Derby winners stand out, it’s a wonderful race and it’s a wonderful day and it’s great to win it.

“We’ve decided to not even consider the next move until well into next week, we’ll monitor him and try to determine how he has recovered from his race so plans are on hold.

“It’s so far so good but it is early days,” he told At The Races.