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Breeders’ Cup Winner Golden Pal Lines Up In Friday’s Nunthorpe Stakes At York

The 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) champion Golden Pal lines up in the 5-furlong Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York on Friday. The Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes winner will receive an automatic berth into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6.

International challengers Golden Pal and Suesa (IRE) head a 15-runner field in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes.

Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Frankie Dettori, Golden Pal returns to the UK for the first time this season. The 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo was last seen across the Atlantic when finishing second in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot in June 2020. Returning to the US, Golden Pal finished off his 2-year-old campaign in style when winning the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga, before cruising to victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

Winner of the Quick Call Stakes (G3) at Saratoga in his only start this year, Golden Pal is aiming to give Frankie Dettori his fourth win in this race.

The Newmarket based jockey flew up to York on Tuesday morning to exercise Golden Pal and said, “Wesley booked me on the horse a few weeks back. He is very pleased with the horse. I've seen him race a few times, but Wesley wanted me to have a sit on him before Friday. He's in good order and looks great. I didn't let him out of third gear, it was just to get a feel of him.'

Dettori added: “Wesley is the king of sprinters so I'm with the right trainer. The Nunthorpe Stakes is probably our best sprint so it's always very hard to win, but we are going to war with a good horse. He's an explosive horse and very quick. I'm looking forward to riding him.”

George Strawbridge's Suesa was last seen winning the King George Qatar Stakes (G2) at Goodwood on July 30. The 3-year-old filly, representing French trainer Francois Rohaut, suffered her only career defeat when finishing eighth as the favorite in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot in June. Jockey William Buick is booked to ride.

Second that day in the King George Qatar Stakes was Dragon Symbol (GB), one of four occasions the son of Cable Bay (GB) has placed runner-up this season. The highly consistent 3-year-old was first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot in June but following a stewards' inquiry was demoted to second place behind Campanelle (IRE). Trained by Archie Watson, Dragon Symbol was denied another Group 1 victory when finishing 1 ¼ lengths behind Starman (GB) in the Darley July Cup (G1) at Newmarket on July 10.

The Tim Easterby-trained Winter Power (IRE) leads the home challenge for Yorkshire. The 3-year-old daughter of Bungle Inthejungle (GB) was a comfortable winner of the listed John Smith's City Walls Stakes over the same course and distance last time out, with Moss Girl (IRE), for trainer Edward Bethell, 1-length behind in second.

They are joined by last year's Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes runner-up Que Amoro (IRE), one of two runners in the race for trainer Michael Dods, who also saddles stablemate Dakota Gold (GB). Other notable runners include the Robert Cowell-trained Arecibo (FR), runner-up in the King's Stand Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June, and the Group 1-placed Liberty Beach (GB), trained by John Quinn.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes winner to start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run at 5 Furlongs on the Del Mar turf course. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

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Golden Pal, Suesa On Course For York Clash In Nunthorpe Stakes

Connections of Golden Pal and Suesa have confirmed that the respective sprint stars are pleasing in their preparations ahead of the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday, Aug. 20.

American ace, Golden Pal, ships from Indianapolis tonight ahead of arriving at the Knavesmire late tomorrow before his participation in this British Champions Series Sprint.

French filly, Suesa, is currently in Deauville before travelling across the Channel for the £400,000 (about US$470,000) Group 1.

Festival sponsors, Sky Bet can't split the 5/2 joint-favorites for the five-furlong blitz that could also see fellow 3-year-old speedsters, Dragon Symbol and Winter Power, in action.

The Nunthorpe is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint this fall at Del Mar.

Trainer Francois Rohaut considers his charge Suesa to be one of the “new generation” after Battaash – winner of the last two showcase sprints on the Knavesmire – who retired at the end of last month.

And Suesa certainly looked as if she'll be at the forefront of the sprinting ranks for some time to come, when winning the Group 2 King George Stakes by three lengths at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Rohaut said: “It was fantastic. We didn't expect such a nice win. She showed that day that she's a top-class filly. The going was perfect for her – and the strong pace. It was really fantastic for everybody.”

Now Rohaut, whose main base is in Paul in the south-west of France is fine-tuning his new stable star for the step up to Group 1 company at York. It's a course that Rohaut has been to before but not for several decades.

He explained: “I went when I was working in Newmarket but it was 43 years ago. I was a pupil with Sir Mark Prescott and Harry Wragg.

“Sir Mark is fantastic. I saw he won a Group 1 (with Alpinista) on Sunday in Germany. I am always very pleased to see him winning a good race.”

It's a feeling that's reciprocated as Prescott sent Rohaut a congratulatory text after Suesa's Goodwood triumph. If Suesa wins on Friday, Rohaut will likely receive another message from his old boss.

And all the signs are positive in the build-up to the eagerly-anticipated sprint clash.

Rohaut said: “The filly is okay, so the plan is to come. It's very exciting and we are very happy to be in this race.

“She had a good canter on Tuesday in Deauville where she's staying. Everything is okay. I am very happy with her. I walked her (on Wednesday afternoon) and she was jumping everywhere and was very fresh and happy to be in Deauville. And I hope she'll be happy to go and to be in York.”

Like Suesa, Golden Pal will also head to York on the back of winning form. He ran out a comfortable three-length winner of a Grade 3 at Saratoga in mid-July on his seasonal return. He was an impressive two-year-old, winning the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, as well as finishing second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

And his trainer Wesley Ward believes Golden Pal is an even better prospect in his three-year-old campaign.

Ward said: “He's bigger, stronger, faster. I think we're in good shape.”

He also outlined how Golden Pal pleased in a spin on Wednesday morning. Ward added: “He breezed on the grass at Keeneland – a really nice workout, a final piece of fast work. We're ready to go. Everything's going to plan.”

Ward has found only one too good on his two previous attempts to land the Coolmore-sponsored Nunthorpe Stakes. In 2015, Acapulco was beaten two lengths by Mecca's Angel and then in 2017 Lady Aurelia went down by a mere nose to Marsha in a thrilling photo-finish.

Ward, who will fly in for the race, said: “This time we're hoping to get lucky!”

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Suesa Will Clash With Golden Pal in Nunthorpe

Three-time group winner Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) is going well in advance of a start in the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York on Aug. 20 where she will face American invader Golden Pal (Uncle Mo). Undefeated in France in four starts, including the G3 Prix Sigy on Apr. 20 and the G3 Prix Texanita on May 17, the 3-year-old was eighth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup S. at Royal Ascot. Since then, the George Strawbridge colourbearer saluted in the G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood on July 30.

Trainer Francois Rohaut said, “The filly is ok, so the plan is to come [to York]. It's very exciting and we are very happy to be in this race. She had a good canter on Tuesday in Deauville where she's staying. I am very happy with her.

“I walked her [on Wednesday afternoon] and she was jumping everywhere and was very fresh and happy to be in Deauville. I hope she'll be happy to go and to be in York.”

Wesley Ward had an update on two-time Grade II winner Golden Pal, who is expected to fly in on Friday. Second in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot at two, the bay won the Skidmore S. at Saratoga later that year and added the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 6. Acquired by the Coolmore partners of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg from breeder Randall Lowe prior to the start of his 3-year-old year, Golden Pal was first past the post in the GIII Quick Call S. at Saratoga on July 15.

Ward–who plans to fly in for the race–said, “He's bigger, stronger, faster. I think we're in good shape. He breezed on the grass at Keeneland [on Wednesday]–a really nice workout, a final piece of fast work.

“We're ready to go. Everything's going to plan. This time we're hoping to get lucky.”

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Night of Thunder’s Suesa Storms to King George Glory

Unbeaten bar a latest blip in testing ground in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18, George Strawbridge's Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) bounced back to her brilliant best in Friday's G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood. Sent off at 7-1, the Apr. 20 G3 Prix Sigy and May 17 G3 Prix Texanita winner chased the frantic early pace which saw the four-times winner Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) sitting off it throughout the early stages. Coming alive for William Buick at halfway, the Francois Rohaut-trained bay powered by Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole en route to a three-length dismissal of that fellow 3-year-old, with Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) the best of the older sprinters 1 1/2 lengths away in third. Battaash, the 2-1 favourite, found little when the crunch came and trailed in seventh. “It was an amazing performance,” the in-form Buick said after steering his sixth winner of the meeting after his success in the other “King George” at Ascot on Saturday. “She travelled through the race very strongly and had that kick at the finish off a fast pace. It was bad ground in the Commonwealth Cup and she couldn't get any cover early over six furlongs, so she ended up running her race the wrong way round there. Everyone had put a line through that and I wanted to let her travel where she was comfortable here, so it was just about getting a run. She has a great attitude and is very calm–she's just a very good filly.”

Racing for owner Georgina Cabrero and trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias initially, Suesa scored in a debutantes contest over six furlongs at Chantilly in October before following up over 5 1/2 furlongs back at that venue in the Listed Prix Yacowlef the next month. Doing enough to draw attention from George Strawbridge as a result, she provided an instant return on his investment when taking the Sigy over the Yacowlef course and distance before winning with just as much authority over six on her fourth start at Chantilly in the Texanita. Sent off the 9-4 favourite for the Commonwealth, she was beaten two out and faded to eighth after racing prominently and it was a case of back to the drawing board for connections.

Entering this aggressive test of pace something of a forgotten filly as a result, it turned out to be tailor-made for her racing style and the true Suesa was in evidence as she brushed aside some leading sprinters including Shadwell's lord of the manor in a watershed moment for this prize. Always travelling within herself following Dragon Symbol and Arecibo (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) as the race regular Ornate (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) blazed the trail, she was off the bridle and working as Battaash was still hard on the steel for Jim Crowley out wide with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. While his effort petered out remarkably quickly, Suesa's surge was relentless to make the speedy Dragon Symbol and Glass Slippers appear relatively pedestrian late on.

James Wigan, racing manager for George Strawbridge, said, “We thought she was very good before Ascot and then the rain came and the ground was bottomless. She just couldn't act on it, luckily we took her home and she was okay. Her form in France before was very impressive, but we didn't know what she'd be like over here. There aren't really many deep sprint group races in France in the summer, so this was the obvious place to come. As for a run at York [in the Aug. 20 G1 Nunthorpe S.], it depends what she is like when she gets back. She'll have had quite a lot of travelling, coming here and then going back, then coming again having already done Ascot. The [Oct. 3 G1] Abbaye will be the obvious target. There is a very good chance she will stay in training next year, as the owner is very much a sportsman.”

Oisin Murphy was left feeling deflated by another runner-up finish for Dragon Symbol. “He is better than that. It's a shame the good ones weren't drawn beside him, we followed the wrong ones,” he said. Glass Slippers' trainer Kevin Ryan was pleased with the effort of the mare on her seasonal bow. “We would like to have got a racecourse gallop into her, but the ground has been so firm everywhere. We didn't want to risk doing that,” he said. “We knew coming here she was going to need the run. We can look forward to the rest of the year now. We will have a chat over the weekend, but we will generally take the same sort of route, the race in Ireland [the Sept. 12 G1 Flying Five] I would imagine will be on the agenda. It will be a nice chat to have on Sunday morning.”

Charlie Hills was inclined to blacme the ground for the uncharacteristically tame effort of the favourite. “He had a good trip and although there was a lot of pace on the other side of the track he came into it nice and strong,” he said. “l was a little bit concerned about the going here today and he didn't handle it as well as he could have done. We were happy that he was doing everything he's done in the past few years and there was no difference really. We'll see how he comes out of this and speak to the management and Sheikha Hissa and see where we go.”

Jim Crowley added, “The ground was probably slow enough for him. He travelled well early and showed plenty of enthusiasm. Even cantering down, I thought the going was slow enough.” Shadwell's Angus Gold refused to give a kneejerk reaction, but seemed to be suggesting that retirement could beckon now. “He had an injury last year and it took him a long time to come right. He's had issues all his life and I think it's remarkable that he's back with us at all,” he commented. “I'll speak to Sheikha Hissa. He is her horse and the last thing we want to do is abuse him. After all the problems he's had and him being seven, why would we go on now? Ascot I thought was a good run given how long he had been back in the yard. Today was not so good. Obviously, Charlie and the team would like to keep him in the yard, but there comes a time for all of us.”

Suesa is out of an unraced half-sister to the Listed Radley S.-placed Sheboygan (Ire) (Grand Lodge) and daughter of the Listed Tyros S. third White Satin (Ire) (Fairy King). The latter is kin to the stakes-winning and GII Honeymoon H.-placed Chenille (Ire) (Tenby {GB}) and the group 3-placed Sweet Treat (Ire) (Orpen) connected to the dual listed-winning and dual group-placed sprinter Nights Cross (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). This is the family of the Sadler's Wells duo of luminaries Barathea (Ire) and Gossamer (GB) and the multiple group-winning sire Desert Style (Ire) (Green Desert). Sally Is the Boss, whose previous best was the Spanish champion juvenile colt Valle Inclan (Ire) (Elusive Pimpernel), also has the unraced 2-year-old filly Celebrate In Style (Ire) (Estidhkaar (Ire) and a yearling colt by The Last Lion (Ire).

Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
KING GEORGE QATAR S.-G2, £300,000, Goodwood, 7-30, 3yo/up, 5fT, :59.35, g/s.
1–SUESA (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Night of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Sally Is the Boss (Ire), by Orpen
2nd Dam: White Satin (Ire), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Canton Lightning (Ire), by Rheingold (GB)
1st GROUP 1 WIN. (€17,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-George Strawbridge; B-Thomastown Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Francois Rohaut; J-William Buick. £170,130. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Fr, 6-5-0-0, $376,852. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dragon Symbol (GB), 124, c, 3, Cable Bay (Ire)–Arcamist (GB), by Arcano (Ire). (67,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Archie Watson. £64,500.
3–Glass Slippers (GB), 125, m, 5, Dream Ahead–Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB). O/B-Bearstone Stud Limited (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. £32,280.
Margins: 3, 1HF, 2. Odds: 7.00, 2.50, 22.00.
Also Ran: Arecibo (Fr), Keep Busy (Ire), Stone of Destiny (GB), Battaash (Ire), Art Power (Ire), Good Effort (Ire), Liberty Beach (GB), Zargun (Ger), Ornate (GB), Ubettabelieveit (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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