bruce raymond | Horse Racing Free Tips

Desert Crown’s “Career in Balance” After Pulling Up Lame, Will Not Run In The Juddmonte International

Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) has been withdrawn from Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International after injuring himself during a workout on Sunday morning, according to owner Saeed Suhail's racing manager Bruce Raymond.

“[He] pulled up lame after breezing this morning; [he's] being assessed at [the] equine hospital, [his] career [is] in balance,” Raymond told racing broadcaster Nick Luck on Sunday.

A winner at first asking at two, the Sir Michael Stoute trainee swept the G2 Dante S. over the Knavesmire last May and won the Derby by 2 1/2 lengths that June. An ankle injury kept the son of Desert Berry (GB) (Green Desert) away from the races for almost a year until his second-place finish in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown on May 25. He was similarly on course for Royal Ascot but sustained a setback. After recovering, the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. was his next target, but Desert Crown contracted a leg infection which ruled him out of that Ascot showpiece.

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Derby Hero Desert Crown Returns To Cantering

Saeed Suhail's G1 Derby victor Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), missing since a minor ankle injury derailed his season after Epsom, is pleasing connections after being returned to light training a few days ago.

“Desert Crown is in good shape,” said owner Saeeed Suhail's racing manager Bruce Raymond. “He was turned out for a bit at Darley. He was there for about eight weeks and it did him really good.

“He came back in around mid-November and I saw him last week. He looks a million dollars–you'd think it was June. He has a beautiful coat, he looks great and started cantering five days before Michael got back from Barbados. He has been cantering away, although not strong cantering. Everything has been OK.”

A winner of a maiden on debut at Nottingham as a juvenile, the bay returned to take the G2 Dante S. at York last May by 3 1/4 lengths prior to his Classic heroics. The G3 Brigadier Gerard S. near the end of May, as well as the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. are likely targets for the 4-year-old.

He added, “I would have thought he would go to the Brigadier Gerard and then the King George. It is the usual route.

“Michael won't say anything, of course. If I ask him, he will say, 'That's for you to guess and me to know!'. So I'm guessing he's going in that direction, but he does look well and we'll just have to see what happens.”

Trainer Sir Michael Stoute would indeed not be drawn on future plans, and said, “It's February. I haven't made any plans and we don't want to get carried away with anything.”

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Desert Crown to Remain in Training at Four

Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), sidelined since winning the G1 Cazoo Derby in June, will be kept in training next season as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.

“I took the owner to see him last week,” said Bruce Raymond, Saeed Suhail's racing manager. “He is turned out daily at Darley [Stud in Newmarket]–I live just across the road.

“He goes out for maybe three hours a day and [trainer Sir] Michael [Stoute] came to see him. He said that while the weather is good, let him eat grass. 'I'm not going to do anything with him, just let him eat grass' he said.”

In regard to the long layoff, Raymond added, “[The injury] was very minor and a lesser trainer would have run him [back this season]. It's not the way Michael does things. He doesn't want to rush him back.”

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July Cup Preferred Target for Perfect Power but Clearpoint Ruled Out of Newmarket

Connections of G1 Commonwealth Cup scorer Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) are favouring a tilt at the G1 July Cup over travelling to France for the G1 Prix Jean Prat, provided the ground is suitable at Newmarket.

Although Perfect Power produced a scintillating performance to win the Commonwealth Cup on ground described as good-to-firm, connections of the Richard Fahey-trained speedster are adamant that the three-time Group 1 scorer wants easier going.

Perfect Power is reported to have bounced out of his Royal Ascot win in tremendous form by Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, who revealed the July Cup is the preferred target over a trip to Deauvillle this weekend.

Raymond told TDN Europe, “We want to go to the July Cup but a decision will be made after the horse works tomorrow [Tuesday] morning. We know he's going to work well, and while we want to run him in the July Cup, we're just a little bit worried about the ground and how much water they're going to put on it before Saturday.”

He added, “Hopefully they will put lots on it because it's going to be quite warm this week and there doesn't appear to be any rain forecast. We'd prefer to go to Newmarket because the Prix Jean Prat is over seven furlongs. He actually came out of Ascot better than he did the 2,000 Guineas, which is a good sign. He's in very good form.

“He's favourite for the July Cup and, while I presume he'd be favourite for the Prix Jean Prat, we'd rather run him over six furlongs in the July Cup. We're all hoping he runs at Newmarket but, if it comes up like the road, then we could face a difficult decision.”

One horse who definitely won't be lining out at Newmarket this week is the exciting Clearpoint (GB) (Ardad {Ire}), also owned by Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, who had been as short as 7-2 with some bookmakers for the G2 July S. on Thursday.

Like Perfect Power, Clearpoint is trained by Fahey but a dirty scope means that the promising colt will not put his unbeaten record on the line at Newmarket this week.

Raymond said, “Clearpoint scoped dirty and definitely won't run in the July S. We could look at the Richmond S. as an alternative.”

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