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Breeders’ Cup Champs Next Starts Announced

Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead), the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland last November, will head straight to Royal Ascot for her 2021 debut, the G2 Temple S. at Haydock having been ruled out. Both the G1 King's Stand S. and the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. are options for the 2020 G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. heroine.

“We're skipping the Temple S.,” trainer Kevin Ryan said. “We'll go straight to Ascot, or at least that's the plan. She's in both races and we'll decide a bit closer to the time which to go for.”

“We'll worry about that [the Breeders' Cup] when we get to the end of the year,” he added. “We'll think about her targets in Europe first, but she's in great nick at home.”

Another 2020 Breeders' Cup victress who will return to action even sooner than Glass Slippers is GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). The bay also saluted in the G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet last August for trainer James Fanshawe, who revealed that the G2 Prix Corrida on May 26th was the likely next start for the 5-year-old.

Fanshawe said, “She's in good form and I'm hoping to start her off next week, she's got a couple of options. She's in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud and she has a couple of other entries as well.”

Later in the season, the mare is also entered in Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and the G1 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh and the G1 Coral-Eclipse with the Breeders' Cup on the horizon, too.

He added, “The race next week is for fillies and mares only and the conditions are good. There are good races across the country, but we'll get this one out of the way first.

“She's won two Group 1 races against her own sex. So we'll see how we get on and see whether we can take on the colts at some stage.”

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Battaash in Good Form For King’s Stand Defense

Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is aiming to defend his G1 King's Stand S. title at Royal Ascot and is training well trainer Charlie Hills reports. The 7-year-old gelding is thriving at Hills's yard in Lamborne after recovering from a small fracture sustained in the off season. The bay was undefeated in three starts last term, beginning in with the King's Stand in June, followed by the July 31 G2 King George Qatar S. and the Aug. 21 G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S.

“Battaash has been back with us a few weeks now,” said Hills. “He's been in training and did a nice swinging canter last week. We're very happy with him. He should get to Ascot. I can't see any reason why he wouldn't.

“Dane O'Neill is coming to sit on him tomorrow morning. He knows him very well so it will be interesting to see what he says.”

Battaash's stablemate Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who won a novice in October and doubled up at Newmarket in April, has emerged from his seventh-place finish in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in good order. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' off the back of his April effort, the colt will point to the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot.

“He's absolutely fine. He came out of the race in good form. He's looking well and training nicely,” said Hills. “I'll speak to [racing managers] Angus [Gold] and Richard [Hills] to draw up a plan, but I'd say the Jersey looks favourite.”

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Ward Duo Target Royal Ascot

Group 1 winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Breeders' Cup victor Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) are both targeting the 2021 Royal Ascot meeting trainer Wesley Ward has announced.

The filly, a Stonestreet Stables colourbearer, will line up for the G1 Commonwealth Cup during the Royal Meeting. In 2020, Campanelle captured the G3 Queen Mary S. and then returned to Europe to add the G1 Prix Morny to her haul later in the summer. Although she has been entered in the G1 1000 Guineas and Irish equivalent, it is more likely that the six furlongs of the Commonwealth Cup holds greater appeal.

“Barbara [Banke, owner of Stonestreet Stables] is really keen on Ascot and I think six furlongs–and that's a stiff six at Ascot for the Commonwealth–with a little weight break for being a filly, that will be our main target,” Ward said via Zoom to the British Horseracing Authorityi's 2-year-old classifications press conference. “I'm kind of working from that race backwards–the Guineas really don't come into play right now unless when she's at the farm, the team gets together and decides to go in another direction.

“Our main goal would be the Commonwealth. Barbara and her whole team are really looking forward to getting back [to Royal Ascot]. She worked last week for the first time at Barbara's farm at Ocala and she looked like she's ready to go, so we're all excited.”

Golden Pal, owned by Ranlow Investments, ran second in the G2 Norfolk S. in just his second start before successful efforts in Saratoga's Skidmore S. on Sept. 21 and the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 6. The plan is the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot.

“We're really excited about this guy,” said Ward. “He will come back opening day at Keeneland, which is Apr. 1. Every year they have a straight, 3-year-old, $100-$150,000 stakes race over five and a half furlongs and that will crack off the season for him.

“He's doing fantastic–he came out of the Breeders' Cup in great shape and we're going to try the same route we did with Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) and go to the King's Stand with him. I think the five should see him right between the ears there. He's grown in height and he's broadening out–he's a really beautiful colt right now. I think he's going to be a tremendous sprinter this year.”

However, the King's Stand S. is not the only overseas goal for the colt. The G1 Nunthorpe S. against elders has been set as a longer-term target for Golden Pal.

“The Nunthorpe has eluded me and that will almost be the main goal for this guy,” Ward continued. “We're going back to the King's Stand [first], but as the summer progresses the 3-year-olds catch up to the 4-year-olds and I'm really looking forward to that race at York.

“This guy [Golden Pal] has proven he can go on all types of ground–he's a very exciting sprinter, one of the best I've ever trained and hopefully could be the best with the accomplishments we've set out for him this spring, summer and hopefully culminating in the fall.

“He's a really, really exciting horse to train, so we're looking forward to it. Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is a very worthy opponent. The years are hopefully behind him, but I'm a big fan of his and when you get these good sprinters matched together, it just brings excitement to everyone involved in racing.”

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Equilateral to Remain in Dubai

Trainer Charlie Hills was very pleased with the recent performance of G1SP Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) in the Listed Dubai Dash last Thursday, and the 6-year-old gelding will remain in Dubai for another tilt at the G2 Meydan Sprint on Feb. 18. In 2020, Equilateral ran second in the Sprint.

“I was really delighted with him,” said Hills. “Frankie [Dettori] gave him a great ride and it looked like he was always going to win the race. It's nice to have won the race twice now and he was 5lb worse off than last year. He seems to have come out of the race in great order and we'll train him for the Group 2.”

Another of Hills's pupils, the evergreen stable star Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), is wintering well and currently enjoying a holiday. The MG1SW is likely to make his first start in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot in June. Last term, the bay landed the King's Stand with Equilateral second.

“Battaash is still on his winter break,” he said. “He doesn't normally come in until the beginning of March. They all seem very happy with him. He's enjoying his hols at the moment.

“Last year he would probably have gone to Haydock [for the Temple S.] had that race been on. He's won first time out every year, so I think we'll just save him for Royal Ascot.”

Group 3 winner Tilsit (First Defence) is also being aimed at a Middle Eastern target, in his case the $20-million Saudi Cup on dirt and the Middle Distance Turf Cup both in Riyadh on Feb. 20.

“He's in those two races and we're looking at it,” he said. “Hopefully we'll run him. We'll see how he is in a couple of weeks.”

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