extravagant kid | Horse Racing Free Tips

Walsh-Trained Extravagant Kid ‘In His Prime’ Ahead Of Saturday’s Group 1 July Cup

USA-based trainer Brendan Walsh insists it would be “quite something” if he could re-establish his links with Newmarket and saddle Extravagant Kid to glory in the Darley July Cup at Saturday's Moet & Chandon July Festival.

Having spent time working in the town for Godolphin and former trainer Mark Wallace before heading to America, Walsh will now bid to capture the prestigious six furlong Group One on Saturday, July 10 with the globetrotting 8-year-old.

The Kiss The Kid gelding took his form to new heights earlier this year when capturing the Group One Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Meydan in March ahead of finishing third back over five furlongs in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 15.

With a return to six furlongs not expected to pose any problems for Extravagant Kid, who is currently housed at Abingdon Place Stables in Newmarket, the Kentucky-based handler is confident he can make his presence felt.

“I spent a lot of time working in Newmarket back in the day as I worked three or four summers for Godolphin then four years for Mark Wallace before that so I know the place very well,” said Walsh.

“I always liked the July Meeting and it would be quite something if I could go back there and win the July Cup with this lad.

“I don't think going back up to six furlongs will be a negative. Although it is a little stiffer than Dubai, you are going downhill a lot of the way. It is probably as far as he needs to go but I think he will be fine.

“We gave him plenty of time to get over his travelling turnaround but you would think he would be in a better position now having had that run at Ascot.”

Extravagant Kid will again have the services of top jockey Frankie Dettori, who rode the gelding at Royal Ascot.

Up until this year Extravagant Kid had been campaigned exclusively in North America, but Walsh believes his recent spell racing abroad has helped rejuvenate his career.

He added: “The first target this year was Dubai and that worked out well so we thought why not go to Ascot now and now here we are.

“He ran really well at Ascot and justified us taking him there. I think that was a tougher spot than Dubai. He showed he belonged there and I was happy with him.

“Travelling with him is a new dimension and he seems to like it. It has brought out the best in him. As an older horse travelling just adds something a bit different.

“He is eight now and is probably in his prime. He is not going to be up to this standard forever so we will just enjoy it.”

There are 23 confirmations for the Darley July Cup, which takes place over six furlongs on the July Course and forms part of the British Champions Series.

Defending champion Oxted, from the Roger Teal yard, will bid to defend his Darley July Cup crown on the back of tasting victory in the King's Stand Stakes. If successful again in 2021, Oxted would become the first back to back since Right Boy in 1958/1959.

Charlie Appleby is responsible for two entries of Glorious Journey and Jersey Stakes scorer Creative Force.

Ed Walker is represented by impressive Duke Of York Stakes scorer Starman and Came From The Dark, while fellow Lambourn handler Archie Watson is another double handed after leaving in both Glen Shiel and Dragon Symbol.

Lope Y Fernandez could bid to give Aidan O'Brien a record breaking sixth victory in the race, is one of three remaining Irish-trained entrants that remain alongside the Ken Condon-trained Miss Amulet, and Thunder Moon (Joseph O'Brien), winner of the Group One Vincent O'Brien National Stakes last season.

THE DARLEY JULY CUP (Group 1) (British Champions Series)

Saturday, July 10

Art Power (IRE) – Tim Easterby – King Power Racing Co Ltd – Silvestre De Sousa
Brando – Kevin Ryan – Mrs Angie Bailey – Tom Eaves
Chil Chil – Andrew Balding – King Power Racing Co Ltd – Rob Hornby
Creative Force (IRE) – Charlie Appleby – Godolphin – William Buick
Dragon Symbol – Archie Watson – Mr Yoshiro Kubota – Oisin Murphy
Emaraaty Ana – Kevin Ryan – Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
Extravagant Kid (USA) – Brendan Walsh – DARRS Inc. – Frankie Dettori
Final Song (IRE) – Saeed bin Suroor – Godolphin
Garrus (IRE) – Charles Hills – Mrs Susan Roy
Glen Shiel – Archie Watson – Hambleton Racing XXXVI & Partner – Hollie Doyle
Glorious Journey – Charlie Appleby – HH Sheikha Al Jalila Racing
Good Effort (IRE) – Ismail Mohammed – Mr Abdulla Al Mansoori – Ray Dawson
Line of Departure (IRE) – Roger Varian – H.H. Shaikh Nasser Al Khalifa & F. Nass
Lope Y Fernandez (IRE) – Aidan O'Brien – Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor
Method (IRE) – Martyn Meade – Manton Park Racing – Sean Levey
Miss Amulet (IRE) – K. J. Condon – Mrs Doreen Tabor
Oxted – Roger Teal – S Piper, T. Hirschfeld, D. Fish & J. Collins – Cieren Fallon
Rohaan (IRE) – David Evans – Chris Kiely Racing Ltd & Mr J Tomkins – Shane Kelly
Starman – Ed Walker – David Ward – Tom Marquand
Summerghand (IRE) – David O'Meara – Mr Hamad Rashed Bin Ghedayer
Supremacy (IRE) – Clive Cox – Mr J Goddard – Adam Kirby
Thunder Moon (IRE) – Joseph Patrick O'Brien – Mrs C. C. Regalado-Gonzalez
Ventura Rebel – Richard Fahey – Mr Abdullah Menahi

The post Walsh-Trained Extravagant Kid ‘In His Prime’ Ahead Of Saturday’s Group 1 July Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Extravagant Kid On Course For July Cup

G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner and G1 King's Stand S. third Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid) has stayed on in Newmarket following his Ascot exploits, and the American raider will target the G1 July Cup on July 10.

After placing in three stakes races in America earlier this year, the 8-year-old gelding Extravagant Kid hit a new level of form when winning the Al Quoz Sprint over six furlongs at Meydan under Ryan Moore, and put in an admirable performance at Royal Ascot under Frankie Dettori when dropped down to five furlongs. He goes back up to six furlongs for the July Cup.

“I don't think going back up to six furlongs will be a negative,” Walsh said. “Although it is a little stiffer than Dubai, you are going downhill a lot of the way. It is probably as far as he needs to go but I think he will be fine. We gave him plenty of time to get over his travelling turnaround [after Dubai] but you would think he would be in a better position now having had that run at Ascot.”

Dettori's services have become available for the July Cup with the news on Tuesday that G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) would skip the race, but Walsh said a decision on a jockey has not been made.

“I'm not sure yet who will be riding him as we haven't looked into it yet and I will know more next week,” Walsh said. “We only decided to leave him in the race at the start of the week. It would be fantastic if we could get Frankie as he is always good to have.”

Walsh attributes Extravagant Kid's purple patch at age eight to the horse's enjoyment of traveling.

“Travelling with him is a new dimension and he seems to like it,” he said. “It has brought out the best in him. As an older horse, travelling just adds something a bit different. He is eight now and is probably in his prime. He is not going to be up to this standard forever so we will just enjoy it.”

The post Extravagant Kid On Course For July Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Walsh: Extravagant Kid To Remain Overseas, Target July Cup

Following a strong third-place effort in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last week, trainer Brendan Walsh told TVG Insider News he plans to leave Extravagant Kid overseas to contest the G1 July Cup on Newmarket on July 10.

“He's come out of (the King's Stand) good so we're going to leave him there and take a shot at the July Cup,” Walsh told TVG Insider News. “He's there and he ran so well at Ascot, so another 3-4 weeks there, why not? He's in a nice environment and he seems to be doing well. And I think the timing would be good.”

Claimed by Walsh and DARRS, Inc. for $75,000 in January of 2018, the 8-year-old gelding has gotten better with age. Extravagant Kid earned his first Grade 1 victory earlier this year in Dubai's Al Quoz Sprint, and his overall record currently stands at 15-16-7 from 51 starts for earnings of $1,634,733.

Oxted Displays Powerful Finish In King’s Stand; American-Trained Extravagant Kid Third

Oxted finished powerfully to give trainer Roger Teal and jockey Cieren Fallon a first Royal Ascot victory in the five-furlong G1 King's Stand Stakes on Tuesday.

The victorious rider roared with delight as he passed the post on the 4/1 winner, waving his whip in the air as he registered his name on the Royal Ascot honor board – a meeting where his father Kieren rode 30 winners.

Last year's G1 July Cup winner had a length and three quarters to spare over runner-up Arecibo (28/1), with US challenger Extravagant Kid (18/1, trained by Brendan Walsh) a neck further behind in third.

Favorite Battaash (11/8) briefly threatened to follow up last year's victory in this race, hitting the front with two furlongs to go, but faded late to finish fourth.

Fallon said: “It's a dream come true – a Group One at Royal Ascot. All credit goes to Roger, Harry [Teal, son and assistant trainer] and the team back home. I've been very blessed and very lucky to sit on a horse like this so early in my career.

“Harry does all the hard work on him behind the scenes, I'm just very lucky to be on him on the racetrack.”

Fallon added missing the horse's last appearance, owing to being in quarantine in France for a ride on a horse that then did not run in the French 2,000 Guineas, is “part and parcel of racing”.

“It's come good today and that's the main thing,” he continued. “I'm glad to get back on board and all credit to the owners to give me that faith and put me back on him.

“Oxted has a lot of speed and can run keen over six furlongs. Dropping back to a stiff five was always going to suit and I took my time on him today.

“I got a lovely trip, they went a real solid gallop early on. I didn't panic, normally he's a horse that can be quite keen, but I just gave him his head, let him get into a nice rhythm and just picked up when I needed to. He's just shown that the July Cup isn't a fluke. He is a proper Group One horse.

“It means a lot to have a Royal Ascot winner. Dad has done what he has done and people always ask me 'are you going to do what he's done, are you going to do this'. It's great to have him behind me as well as my family, my bosses Sheikh Fahad and Mr Haggas and my jockey coach Michael Hills. I've got people round me to help me keep learning and progressing.

“I am just blessed to have all the people around me, to help me and encourage me and motivate me.”

Roger Teal said: ““It's just unbelievable. I mean I'm speechless because we've dreamt about these days for so long, I mean we had it in the July Cup last year, but a Royal Ascot Group One. I mean, come on! A yard of our size, doing this is amazing.

“Harry's done all the work with him. It's just a big family affair. The lads back home are amazing with the hard work they put in. It's just credit to everyone, and the owners for supporting me. Dreams do come true.

“This is obviously his first run back over five furlongs, so I said to Cieren, just keep it simple. Just go straight from your draw, and see how it pans out later on. When we were quite outpaced, I thought oh no, maybe I've done the wrong thing.

“But then at halfway I saw Cieren just revving him up a bit and I saw him react, and then it was like poetry in motion. Stamina kicked in then. We knew there was going to be pace, for sure, with the likes of Battaash. But he's got a great cruising speed; he was a little out of his comfort zone but he was able to use his stamina.”

Arecibo's trainer Robert Cowell said: “To be honest, we weren't totally surprised that he ran so well. He's turned a corner with us recently, and you could just tell that he was in great form leading up to this race. Mentally more than physically – maybe he just feels a million dollars. He looked it, and was squealing round the paddock, and I had a suspicion that he could run well. But when you are taking on the likes of Battaash and Oxted, you think we'll be there, thereabouts, but not win, but he's run a really solid race and I couldn't be more proud of him. He's really improved.”

Jockey Jim Crowley said of 11/8 favorite Battaash, who finished fourth: “He will come on plenty for that run. He just needed it more today.”

The post Oxted Displays Powerful Finish In King’s Stand; American-Trained Extravagant Kid Third appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post