Epsom Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Highclere Rely on Royal Patronage as Lysander Ruled out of the Derby

Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett (GB) will carry the hopes of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing in the G1 Cazoo Derby on Saturday week after connections ruled out running the promising Lysander (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the Epsom Classic.

Runner-up to Derby favourite Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the Dante S. at York a fortnight ago, Royal Patronage will bid to reverse that form at Epsom, while Listed Cocked Hat S. third Lysander will be aimed at Royal Ascot following his defeat at Goodwood.

Highclere's Harry Herbert said: “We had high hopes for Lysander and we still do, it was just very frustrating when the rain arrived at Goodwood.

“I think this horse has such a good action and he was slightly all at sea off that slow pace when they really quickened it up, but he still ran a hell of a race. We're not going to the Derby with him now and will head to either the Hampton Court or the King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot.”

Herbert added, “He had a hard race the other day in sticky ground and William just feels going to Epsom would be the wrong move for the horse right now. He's very talented and we never like turning down the Derby, but we'll take a longer term view.”

Royal Patronage was beaten a little over three lengths behind Desert Crown in the Dante and remains a 25-1 shot for the Derby.

Herbert is not necessarily expecting the Highclere runner to reverse that form, but does feel he has been underestimated in the market.

He said, “He'll definitely run there, all being well. I spoke to Charlie Johnston on Tuesday morning and he tells me he's in very good form.

“He won impressively at Epsom last year, so he's handled the track pretty well and we're hopeful that he'll stay the mile and a half. If he does, he could give everyone a lovely shout”

Herbert added, “We feel the rhythm of the Dante possibly didn't suit him as they went slow and then really sprinted, but take nothing away from the winner, who won well and deserves to be Derby favourite.

“It's a difficult race and anything can happen, as we've seen so many times before. I think we're probably too big a price for a talented horse who is proven on the track.”

One who could still turn up at Epsom is Godolphin's Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) who came through a workout on Wednesday morning and a decision on whether to supplement him will be made in the next 48 hours.

Charlie Appleby said on Godolphin's Twitter account: “Nations Pride has impressed in his work at Moulton Paddocks this morning with William Buick on board. A decision will be made in the next 48 hours whether he will be supplemented for the G1 Derby @EpsomRacecourse.”

The post Highclere Rely on Royal Patronage as Lysander Ruled out of the Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘There’s Only One Derby’ – Appleby Leaning Towards Supplementing Nations Pride

Charlie Appleby has hinted at supplementing Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) for the Cazoo Derby on Saturday week and suggested that the decision hinges on how the colt performs in a key piece of work on Wednesday morning.

Nations Pride has won his last four starts and, while he did not take part in the gallops morning at Epsom on Monday, he dominated conversation with Appleby revealing that he was leaning towards stumping up the £75,000 supplementation fee to run in the Derby.

A general 10-1 chance for Derby glory, Nations Pride was a seven-length winner of the Newmarket S. last month, and could bid to give Appleby a third success in the Epsom Classic following the heroics of Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in 2018 and Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) last year.

Appleby, who became the only trainer in history to win the English, French and Irish 2,000 Guineas with three different colts after Native Trail stormed home at the Curragh on Saturday, said: “Nations Pride was very impressive at Newmarket and he's in the French Derby, where we have Modern Games in as well.

“He'll work on Wednesday then we'll make a decision as to whether we supplement him for Epsom on Monday. We're hoping we will be-there's only one Derby and you only want to go there if you think you can try and win it. He has a great profile for the race and ticks the most boxes out of our three possible runners.”

Appleby's two Derby entries Walk Of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Nahanni (GB) (Frankel {GB}) were joined by Coronation Cup contender Manobo (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the exercise morning at Epsom on Monday.

Speaking about his team, he said, “Walk Of Stars has all the ability in the world and we've always felt he has the engine to do something exciting.

“He would be put down as disappointing at Lingfield but he's still very much a work in progress and we brought him here today to get some more experience under his belt before the big day. He finds everything very easy and handles these undulating tracks well.

“As an individual, he's very much like Adayar–he's a big, scopey horse and surprisingly handles these tracks well. He's agile and switches his leads smoothly.”

He added, “Nahanni has had cheekpieces and blinkers on in the past and he's a different animal when he turns up at the track because at home he'd have a job to warm himself up in a gallop. Adam [Kirby] was very pleased with him there and he has track experience.”

The post ‘There’s Only One Derby’ – Appleby Leaning Towards Supplementing Nations Pride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Stone Age The Prime Choice for Moore

ROSEGREEN, Ireland–Ryan Moore will find it difficult to ride anything other than Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby, according to Aidan O'Brien, who may be without the ace–Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB})–in his Epsom pack, but expects to run up to six colts as he bids for a record-extending ninth win in the race on June 4.

Stone Age didn't just open the door to a tilt at the Derby in winning the G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday, he kicked it open and announced himself as a leading player in demolishing the field and skyrocketing to a general 5-2 favourite for Epsom glory in the process.

O'Brien's breakthrough Derby winner, Galileo (Ire), charted a similar path to Epsom by winning that same Derby Trial at Leopardstown, and the master of Ballydoyle admits it could be hard for Moore to ride anything other than Stone Age next month.

“I think he [Ryan] would find it hard to not ride the horse from yesterday [Stone Age],” O'Brien said on Monday. “I imagine Ryan will find it hard not to ride him.”

Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), impressive winners of their respective trials at Chester, Lingfield Derby Trial winner United Nations (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and 2,000 Guineas disappointment Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), will give Moore something to think about, but O'Brien revealed there would have been no decision to make if Luxembourg remained in the picture.

The long-time ante-post favourite for the Derby, Luxembourg ran a cracker to finish third in the 2,000 Guineas but has been ruled out until at least the autumn after picking up a muscular problem behind.

O'Brien explained, “I am disappointed for the lads. He is a very good horse. I don't think Ryan would have had a choice to make if he were fit.”

When a comparison was made between Luxembourg and St Nicholas Abbey (Ire), O'Brien added, “He probably has more scope than St Nicholas Abbey had. St Nick ran well in the Guineas [sixth] as well but he didn't run as well as this lad did. Luxembourg ran extremely well to make the ground up and finish third. We didn't really see what he was able to do.”

Despite not managing to win in five starts at two, O'Brien outlined how that experience stood to the new Derby favourite Stone Age, who is now unbeaten in his two starts this term and heads to Epsom as the leading Ballydoyle challenger.

O'Brien said, “It'd be hard not to be impressed with what Stone Age did at Leopardstown. You'd like to have something lead him but there was no point in messing him about. Ryan let him bowl along and he was very impressive.

“He has a lot of experience from his juvenile days. He was happy to get a lead at two. He'd have learnt a lot at two. We were running him and teaching him. He learnt a lot in those races.”

It seems somewhat ironic that O'Brien will face some of the stiffest competition in the Derby from his son Donnacha who appears to have outstanding claims of making his own breakthrough in the race with impressive Ballysax winner Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}).

Respecting the opposition, O'Brien said, “We always do our best to win no matter what. I am always happy if they [Donnacha or Joseph] beat us. They are rivals, one hundred per cent, but I am always delighted when we get beaten by them. Believe me, there's no inch given anywhere.”

O'Brien also holds the key to the Oaks and nominated Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a sister to Minding (Ire) and the general 7-2 favourite for the race, as the pick of his team for the fillies' Classic.

Tuesday overcame inexperience to finish strongly for third in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and O'Brien is convinced that there's more to come.

He said, “Tuesday doesn't turn three until the first week in June and, to be doing what she's doing is unreal. Her run in the Guineas would suggest that she's crying out for a step up in trip. She's still only a baby and we are thinking of running in the Irish Guineas and then going on to the Oaks, just like what Minding did.”

The post Stone Age The Prime Choice for Moore appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Tiz the Bomb to Be Pointed Toward Epsom Derby

Never afraid to try something different or to think outside the box, trainer Kenny McPeek is preparing Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) for a trip to the U.K. that could include starts in the G1 Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Apr. 30 and G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom on June 4.

The story was first reported by Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

“Who wouldn't want to win a race like the English Derby?” McPeek said. “It would be special, really special. What was it that Tesio said? The entire breed of the Thoroughbred is judged on one wooden post, the finish line of the Epsom Derby. Is it a trainer's dream to win that kind of race? Absolutely.”

Tiz the Bomb was primarily a turf horse during his 2-year-old year. After the colt broke his maiden on the dirt on July 2 at Ellis Park, McPeek switched him to the grass and he won the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. and the GII Bourbon S. before finishing second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Hoping that Tiz the Bomb could run well enough on the dirt to merit a look at the GI Kentucky Derby, McPeek entered the colt in the GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream, but did not get the result he was hoping for. Tiz the Bomb finished a distant seventh.

“He didn't handle the dirt in his face in his last race,” the trainer said. “He's a really talented colt, but he didn't handle the kickback. Considering the fact that I have other Kentucky Derby prospects, there's no sense kidding ourselves and trying to force a round peg into a square hole with this horse. If he's a grass horse he's a grass horse.”

Bringing Tiz the Bomb to England to race will require a change in ownership. He has been racing for Phoenix Thoroughbred, LTD., whose founder Amer Abdulaziz Salman is banned from competing at the U.K. racetracks. It has been alleged that Abdulaziz laundered money as part of a scam involving a fake cryptocurrency. He has denied the allegations. McPeek said that he will lease the horse from Phoenix for the U.K. races and that he will race in the name of McPeek's Magdalena Racing.

“We have to pay all the declarations and fees,” McPeek said. “For me, [Abdulaziz] has been a very honorable client. I think he is a passionate and a good horse owner. I don't know the deep dive details of the things he's dealing with. He assures me he's working on it and trying to get things cleaned up. He loves the game. Whether it's in his colors or mine, the horse deserves a chance at races like this. That's my focus.”

The trip to the U.K. will be part of an ambitious campaign McPeek has laid out that will begin with Mar. 5 John Battaglia Memorial S., which will be run in the synthetic surface at Turfway Park.

“I want to get his confidence back and I think the Battaglia is a good spot to do that,” McPeek said. “He was a little shook up after the race in Florida. He was a little confused. It was adversity that he had never had to experience. I think the Battaglia is good race to get his mind back on track.

McPeek said the Apr. 2 GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, also on the synthetic surface at Turfway, could be next, followed by the trip to Europe and the 2000 Guineas.

McPeek was among the first U.S.-based trainers to test the waters in Europe. In 2004, his Hard Buck (Brz) (Spend a Buck) finished second in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. at Ascot. In 2017, he sent Daddy's Lil Darling to the G1 English Oaks, but she was scratched after bolting prior to the start.

The post Tiz the Bomb to Be Pointed Toward Epsom Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post