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Princess Zoe Targets Ascot Gold Cup

Group 1 winner Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) is done for the year and will look toward the G1 Ascot Gold Cup in June as her long term goal. Her first outing could be for the Saudi Cup meeting in late February. A winner of the Listed Oyster S. at Galway on Sept. 8, the grey mare landed the G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend. She was looking for her sixth straight win in the G1 Prix Royal Oak, but finished fourth on Sunday.

“She pulled out fine this morning and is in transit as we speak,” said trainer Tony Mullins. “The people looking after her said she looked a bit tired, which I can believe. The way she ran tells me that we’re going to have some action again next year. You might have been worried what she did in the Cadran was a flash in the pan, but she showed me yesterday that she’s a serious trier and we’ll be at the top table again next summer.

“There’s no doubt the 22-day turnaround was just a step too far. I thought she performed admirably under the circumstances. She’ll have a holiday now. There is a chance that we could go to Saudi Arabia in February–if we were sure the ground wasn’t going to be firm, that could come onto the table.

“I’d say the Ascot Gold Cup will be a target. I don’t see us having a busy summer, because I want to leave enough petrol there for the likes of the Prix du Cadran and the race yesterday again. It’s very early to be making definite plans, but my talk of going for the Arc might be gone off the table for the moment–we’re looking at stamina races.”

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Virtual Live Racing to Launch at Ascot

Virtual Live Racing, which is a type of virtual racing product that is based on past performance data from previously run real races utilising a racecourse’s rich archive and intellectual property database, will launch at Ascot Racecourse, a UK first. The latest CGI technology will be used to create a fully immersive digital racing and betting experience of Ascot. The idea is that VLR’s product will offer a no cost, risk free, revenue stream opportunity to racetracks to extend their digital brand distribution to access a lucrative tote betting market.

“We embrace new technology, and the exciting opportunities that it is creating, especially in the increasingly popular virtual racing space,” said Ascot Racecourse Chief Operating Officer Alastair Warwick. “VLR offer a unique, innovative, market leading product which brings a new dimension to virtual racing that allows the Ascot brand to offer several thousand virtual races 24/7/365 to new and existing digital betting entertainment audiences globally.”

“It’s a great honour for VirtualLiveRacing.com to partner with Ascot Racecourse and introduce our new concept in Virtual Live Racing to the UK,” said VLR Chairman Vincent Caldwell.

For more information go to www.virtualliveracing.com.

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James Bethell to Retire, Transfer Licence to Son Ed

After training for 46 years, James Bethell will retire on Jan. 1, Racing Post reported on Sunday. The licence will pass to his son Ed, who will continue to train at his father’s old yard of Thorngill Stables in Middleham. Listed winner Moss Gill (Ire) (No Nay Never), who ran third in the G1 Nunthorpe S. this August, will be among the 30-odd horses in work next term.

“I think younger people can work with all the technology and modern communications better than us older folk and I thought it was a good time to do it,” the 68-year-old told Racing Post. “Edward has had a good grounding, he’s been to Gai Waterhouse in Australia, he did a stint in America, he’s had spells with Charlie Hills and with Robert Cowell, and he’s been assistant here.

“We did look at becoming joint trainers but I think it’s better to have it in his name so he gets all the credit if there’s credit to be had. It should work, we get on very well together and he can come to me for advice.”

The elder Bethell, who was an assistant to Bruce Hobbs and Arthur Budgett before training in his own name, celebrated his biggest wins as a trainer with group winners Rich Ground (GB) (Common Grounds {GB}) and Strawberry Dale (Ire) (Bering {GB}).

Added Ed, “I’ve wanted to train all my life, despite Dad’s best efforts to put me off. It’s daunting, especially with what’s going [on] in the world. But as someone said the other day, there’s never a right time to start training racehorses.”

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Arqana Sales Reworked Due to New French COVID Policy

France extended its curfew measures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to other parts of the country, including Deauville, for the next six weeks on Thursday, with another two week extension a possibility as COVID-19 cases increase. The curfew will not affect the Arqana Autumn Sales with Flat yearlings Nov. 14 and Nov. 16-18 with horses-in-training, stores and NH-bred yearlings. However, the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, which normally features a mix of Flat and National Hunt breeding prospects, broodmares and foals, has been retooled, as its sessions normally finish outside of the allowed time window. The Dec. 5-8 sale will now only include Flat fillies, broodmares and foals. The National Hunt mares and foals have instead been moved to the inaugural National Hunt Breeding Stock Sale at Deauville on Nov. 19, allowing British and Irish buyers the opportunity to make the most of a single trip to France. For more information on the new sale and the rest of the upcoming French sales, please visit www.arqana.com.

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