Tag: Epsom Downs Racecourse

Derby Attracts 20 Second Entries Led By White Birch

Fresh off of his victory in the G3 Ballysax S. on Sunday, White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) leads 19 other colts as second entries for the G1 Derby at Epsom on Saturday, June 3. Owned by Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez and trained by John Murphy, the colt scored a half-length upset in the Ballysax at 22-1.

Several Derby second entries were also made by Charlie Appleby on behalf of Godolphin. Leading the sextet is GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf second Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while listed winner Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and Ancient Rules (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) are also nominated.

There is also an American-trained entrant to the Blue Riband, whose connections also paid the £9,000 second entry fee–Ken McPeek entered two-for-two Mendelssohn's March (Mendelssohn). Already a winner on turf and dirt after victories at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park, he will race in the colours of Harold Lerner, LLC, AWC Stables, Nehoc Stables, and Team Stallion Racing Stable.

Ahmad Al Shaikh's Group 1-winning Dubai Mile (Ire), by 2018 Derby third Roaring Lion, has been entered by Charlie Johnston, who also declared Group 3-placed Dear My Friend (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) for Middleham Park Racing and Michael Lai.

Dubai Mile, who prevailed in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud over 10 furlongs in heavy going in October, will contest either the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6 or the G2 Dante S. at York later in the month.

“Any 2-year-old that can win at Group 1 level leaves you dreaming over the winter about what they could achieve during their 3-year-old campaign,” said Johnston. “He's obviously going to be a flagship horse for us this year and one we're going to have realistic Classic ambitions with, so we're very much looking forward to him.

“You need these horses to compete at the highest level to put you in people's eyes and minds going forward and he's a big flagship horse that we need and want a big year from–hopefully he can deliver.”

“The Guineas is still on the table and Ahmad is quite keen for him to go there,” continued Johnston.

“For all the Dante is a significant race and the preeminent Derby trial, this horse has already won a Group 1 so his CV would be enhanced more by a placed effort in the Guineas than winning the Dante.

“He was only just touched off in the Royal Lodge over the Guineas course and distance and although I'm pretty certain he's going to come into his own over middle-distances this year, I wouldn't rule out his prep race being in the Guineas.

“They are the best two Derby trials and it will be one of the two races for him. Being a vanquished horse in the Guineas can often be the best Derby trial you can run.”

With these late additions, the total number of nominated horses for the Epsom showpiece has grown to 103. Entries were also released for the G1 Oaks (65 entries) and G1 Coronation Cup (19 entries), both held the day prior to the Derby, on June 2.

Of the latter entries, at least three are Classic winners in the form of Godolphin's Frankel (GB) pair of Adayar (Ire) and Hurricane Lane (Ire), and Juddmonte's Westover (GB).

Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' and G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), and G2 May Hill S. victress Polly Pott (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) are some of the notable entries for the Oaks.

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James Crespi Appointed New General Manager Of Epsom

James Crespi has been appointed the new General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, The Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. He will begin his duties on Monday, Dec. 5. The Chief Operating Officer of West Wittering Estate PLC since 2015, Crespi also spent 10 years at the Goodwood Estate, where he rose to the position of General Manager of Goodwood Racecourse. Simon Durrant will remain as General Manager of Kempton Park Racecourse while Sarah Drabwell has been appointed General Manager of Sandown Park on a permanent basis, having held the position in an acting capacity since late 2021.

James Crespi said, “I'm excited to return to racing and think The Jockey Club is a fantastic, dynamic and forward thinking organisation. Epsom is steeped in legacy and a unique venue; I look forward to delivering first class racing there and helping to ensure the Derby remains the greatest Flat race globally for generations to come.”

Amy Starkey, Managing Director for The Jockey Club's East Region, said, “I'm delighted that James will be joining the team and bringing such a wealth of experience in managing historic multi-use businesses.

“His appointment is part of a new management structure across our London courses which is designed to ensure the exciting opportunities for growth presented by all three venues can be seized upon.

“It is important that each course has a dedicated general manager to lead our fantastic teams to deliver this and we are looking forward to exciting years ahead across Epsom Downs, Kempton Park and Sandown Park.”

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Casting The Longfellow’s Shadow In The Derby

Saturday's G1 Cazoo Derby is no ordinary Derby, being placed squarely in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and bearing the title “In Memory of Lester Piggott”, so the onus is on the latest collection of elite middle-distance colts to rise to the occasion. Famed for his ability to pick and choose in his heyday, the question is what would the Longfellow have opted for in this line-up? Few would say anything other than the edition's pop idol Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), whose Dante win had all the purists pricking up their ears, but then there is the Ballydoyle collective and the draw of the ruthless galloper Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), or would he have sided with the surefire stayers Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire})? If the rain comes in stair-rods, as it could, and it comes up soft then it will take a Teenoso-like performance to win, but if the ground stays perfectly in the middle as it was on Friday then it is odds-on that Lester would have been eagle-eyeing Sir Michael Stoute's potential boy wonder.

 

Hitting Them For Six

   It is 41 years since the “Choirboy” Walter Swinburn enjoyed the perfect Epsom spin on the first of Stoute's Blue Riband heroes Shergar (GB) and 11 since Ryan Moore delivered a fifth on Workforce (GB), so in cricket terminology victory for Saeed Suhail's 'TDN Rising Star' Desert Crown would be delivering that sacred six for the cricket-devoted master of Freemason Lodge. Habitually prone to bat away all unwelcome attention, the famed Barbadian will be unable to stem the flow of warmth that will inevitably come his way if his unbeaten colt can come through this examination with that record intact. As the Sir Henry Cecil story showed, racing has its way of raising up its gods when they are at their most vulnerable and while it may seem fanciful, it could be that Desert Crown has been gifted following the sad passing of his partner Coral Pritchard-Gordon. If there is such a thing as a stand-out on potential, this colt represents it and he looks to possess a rare amount of ability. Like Swinburn back in the day, it is a jockey without abundant big-race experience who is charged with the responsibility but there is little to fear where the tactically-astute Yamaha-riding Richard Kingscote is concerned.

 

The Great Obstacle

Stoute's experience with The Queen's Carlton House (Street Cry {Ire}) in 2011 is a reminder that to get to Tesio's winning post first you have to subdue the force of Coolmore, which has been omnipresent ever since Galileo set a new tone 21 years ago. While the 2011 winner Pour Moi (Ire) was a rare runner for the operation not trained by Aidan O'Brien, it is Rosegreen that has come to be seen as the great harvester of Derby heroes over the past two decades. Remarkably, six of O'Brien's record eight winners have come in the last 10 renewals and while it is possible to waylay the stable's progress it is nigh-on impossible to achieve anything other than a temporary interruption to the machine. The Derby is in the very bricks, mortar and soil of the Co. Tipperary establishment and it always seems to wend its way back there one way or another. Be they in the form of the remorseless front-runner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the strong late closer Wings of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}), long-shots like that pair or “good things” such as Australia (GB) or Camelot (GB), it matters not. Aidan O'Brien just does Derbys.

 

A New Era

Ballydoyle began its Derby saga in cahoots with the American kingpins Raymond Guest, Charles Engelhard and John Galbreath, before forging a partnership in steel with Robert Sangster. In recent times, it has been Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith who have profited from sailing on the good ship and now it is the time of Georg von Opel's Westerberg and Peter Brant. Von Opel's increasingly-prevalent silks would have been carried by the long-time ante-post favourite Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) had he made the gig, but now they are sported solely by the dominant Chester Vase winner Changingoftheguard. Is there a story involved in this one, who was bred by Ben Sangster and whose family features the Piggott-bred Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB})? Brant's stock is fast on the rise in Europe and in Stone Age he has a colt who seems to have been sculpted with all the natural and learned guile of the greatest trainer in the history of Thoroughbred racing.

 

The Long Wait

When Stavros Niarchos began his quest for a Derby winner back in the late 70s, it would have been surprising that it would still not be forthcoming over 40 years later. Despite the ongoing pursuit for the holy grail, the distant 1985 and 2012 runner's-up Law Society and Main Sequence (Aldebaran) remain the closest it has come to fruition. How remarkable it would be if the 23-year-old Donnacha O'Brien were to supply it with Piz Badile, a relative of the emotive 2007 Oaks heroine Light Shift (Kingmambo). His sire Ulysses was only 12th in the 2016 renewal before hitting the heights at four and O'Brien, Jr. has stated that he expects the imposing homebred to be better in 2023, but there was enough in his battling win in Leopardstown's Apr. 2 G3 Ballysax S. to suggest he is not just one for the future.

 

Will It Go West?

The idea that West Wind Blows (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) would be lining up here seemed unlikely in the immediate aftermath of getting loose before the start of Newbury's Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup British EBF Conditions S. and being withdrawn from that Apr. 17 contest won by the subsequent Listed Lingfield Derby Trial runner-up Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). That was before Abdulla Al Mansoori's son of the G1 Prix de Diane heroine West Wind (GB)  (Machiavellian) went to Nottingham and dominated a 10-furlong novice in which the G3 Sandown Classic Trial fourth Franz Strauss (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) was soundly  beaten. Big and powerful, the bay has paid a visit here in the interim and rates as the race's most intriguing outsiders for Simon and Ed Crisford.

“The mile and a half is well within his reach and that trip will probably see the best of him, as he has very high cruising gears,” jockey Jack Mitchell said. “He is relatively unexposed and I just hope that he can run his race. I was quite happy with stall 11, as if he does run a bit keen we know that we are not boxed on the inside and that if he does pull I can let him go on and use his stride.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Hukum Powers To Coronation Cup Glory

Shadwell's homebred 5-year-old entire Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Aghareed, by Kingmambo) struck four times at Group 3 level in 2020 and 2021 before annexing Meydan's Mar. 5 G2 Dubai City of Gold and went postward for his European return in Friday's G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup at Epsom coming back off a seventh in March's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. Stepping out of the shadow of his hitherto unbeaten full-brother Baaeed (GB), he was unmatched in the closing stages of the 12-furlong contest and powered clear of a select field to secure a career high in impressive fashion. Hukum broke smartly and raced to the fore through the early strides before accepting a tow in fourth. Making smooth headway once leaving Tattenham Corner behind, the 11-4 chance loomed large on the bridle with three furlongs remaining and lengthened clear once hitting the front at the quarter-mile marker to easily account for last year's hero Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) by 4 1/4 lengths. Aidan O'Brien trainee High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a half length back in third with 9-4 second favourite Manobo (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) another 4 1/4 lengths adrift in fourth.

“He's been a wonderful horse for me, he's won numerous Group 3s and then the Group 2 in Dubai,” said winning trainer Owen Burrows. “He then ran probably his best race there in the Sheema Classic, when he was drawn a bit wide, they didn't go very quick and he was only beaten about a length-and-a-half. I always felt that there was one of these in him and I'm just thrilled he's done it for the team back home and also for the horse himself. I'm thrilled for everybody. We've got reduced numbers, but it's still a big thrill for me that I'm still training for Shadwell and for Sheikh Hamdan's family. Hopefully, this will document that we can get the job done and entice a few more owners and horses in. Timing wise, this has been brilliant. It's been a tough time and we've had to reduce the team, but the guys I've got left have been brilliant. They've really got their heads down and worked hard. John, my head man, rides Hukum all the time and is leading up today, my assistant Rob is back at home holding the show on the road. They are a great team and we'll celebrate this win”

Looking ahead, Burrows continued, “He was pretty impressive there and we'll have to get our heads together and see where we go next. It's important to have a little bit of juice in the ground, but he's pretty versatile. He'll be in the [G1] Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at the beginning of July and he's in a German Group 1 in August. He's also in the [G1] Irish St Leger and then we possibly thought about Canada. I half intimated this might be his only sighting this year in England, but we might have to rethink that now. The [G1] King George [VI & Queen Elizabeth S.] would be the obvious one, but we'd have to see what the ground is like and have a chat with the team. He wasn't entered for the Arc originally, but he should get a bit of juice in the ground there and it's definitely an option.”

Winning rider Jim Crowley added, “What a difference a year makes. I got a lot of stick last year and had a much more willing partner this year. He's got high expectations with his brother, so it's nice to win a big Group 1 with him. Owen didn't tie me down, which was good. I've been in the game long enough now to do my own thing and at the top of the hill they were going quite slow, so I decided to press forward and get him into a prominent position so we could be close enough turning in. Everybody was looking at each other at the top of the hill and the last thing I wanted to do was to get caught flat footed coming down the hill. I was quite happy to go and sit where I did and the rest of it was easy. It could have gone wrong for sure.”

“We're thrilled to win a Group 1 with this horse, he's been so consistent and we've sort of set him aside for this,” said Shadwell's Angus Gold. “I thought Jim gave him a lovely ride and was in a perfect spot throughout. He was too good for them on the day and I think the horse deserved it. He's been incredibly consistent and in the shadow of his little brother, so it was nice to see him win at the top level.”

Reflecting on the performance of runner-up Pyledriver, trainer William Muir said, “He has run a tremendous race. Have we ever made the running, no, but he lobbed away in front so you couldn't make any qualms on that. Turning in, I'm thinking Hukum is cantering and he was better than us today. We've beaten him the last two times and he has beaten us today, there is not a great deal between us. We've run great and Hukum was on his day so well done to Owen. I thought he was lame, but Frankie [Dettori] said he was alright. They were going pretty steady, but I wouldn't make that any excuse because Frankie has dictated his own fractions and we haven't gone very fast. You wanted to be towards the fore and that's where the first two were the whole way round. On the day the other horse had that bit more in the tank than we did. He looked fabulous, the King George has now gone through my mind if he goes home and is really well. He is in the [G2] Hardwicke [at Royal Ascot], but after that and a long break I think we will go to the King George.”

Hukum, the fourth of eight foals and one of three winners from as many runners out of Listed Prix de Liancourt victrix Aghareed (Kingmambo), is a full-brother to last term's G1 Prix du Moulin and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. victor and this year's G1 Lockinge S. hero Baaeed (GB). He is also kin to the unraced 3-year-old filly Zaghaareed (GB) (Intello {Ger}), the untested 2-year-old colt Naqeeb (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and a yearling colt by Night of Thunder (Ire). His dam Aghareed is the leading performer for GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and GI Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), herself kin to Listed Prix Charles Laffitte victrix Kareemah (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). The April-foaled bay's fourth dam, Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Bashayer (Mr. Prospector), is a full-sister the dual stakes-winning Sarayir, herself the dam of three black-type winners headed by G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway). Bashayer's stakes-placed full-sister Wijdan is the dam of GII New York S. winner Makderah (Ire) (Danehill) and G2 Premio Ribot victrix Oriental Fashion (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). Bashayer, a daughter of MGSW British champion Height of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}), is also kin to five black-type winners headed by MG1SW sires Nashwan (Blushing Groom {Fr}) and Nayef (Gulch).

Friday, Epsom Downs, Britain
DAHLBURY CORONATION CUP-G1, £445,000, Epsom, 6-3, 4yo/up, 12f 6yT, 2:36.40, gd.
1–HUKUM (IRE), 128, h, 5, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aghareed (SW-Fr), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lahudood (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahayeb (GB), by Arazi
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Owen Burrows; J-Jim Crowley. £252,360. Lifetime Record: GSW-UAE, 15-9-1-2, $892,671. *Full to Baaeed (GB), Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 7-9.5f, MG1SW-Eng & G1SW-Fr, $1,539,980. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pyledriver (GB), 128, h, 5, Harbour Watch (Ire)–La Pyle (Fr), by Le Havre (Ire). (10,000gns RNA Wlg '17 TATFOA). O-La Pyle Partnership; B-Knox & Wells Ltd & R Devlin (GB); T-William Muir & Chris Grassick. £95,675.
3–High Definition (Ire), 128, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Palace (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £47,882.
Margins: 4 1/4, HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 2.75, 2.00, 7.00.
Also Ran: Manobo (Ire), Palavecino (Fr), Living Legend (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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