Godolphin Colts Avoid Clash in Jean Prat

Godolphin’s champion Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) and fellow MG1SW Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) will not line up against one another in the July 12 G1 Prix Jean Prat, the Racing Post reported on Tuesday. The former, an unbeaten champion at two for trainer Charlie Appleby, ran third in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas early last month, before a runner-up performance in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot on June 20. He will represent the royal blue in the Jean Prat, while Andre Fabre trainee Earthlight, who won the G1 Middle Part S. and G1 Prix Morny as a juvenile, will contest the Listed Prix Kistena on the undercard on Sunday. Also undefeated, Earthlight will make his 3-year-old bow and sixth racecourse appearance in the Kistena, as a minor injury kept him on the bench through the spring.

“Earthlight is in great form and will run in the Prix Kistena on Sunday,” Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard confirmed to Racing Post.

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July Cup in the Cards for Threat

MGSW Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) will take his chance in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket rather than head to France this weekend. Trainer Richard Hannon had earmarked Sunday’s seven-furlong G1 Prix Jean Prat for last year’s G2 Gimcrack S. winner–but he has had a change of heart. Threat finished fifth to Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) over a mile in the G1 St James’s Palace S. on his only outing to date this season.

Hannon told his website www.richardhannonracing.co.uk: “As long as there are no last-minute glitches, the plan is for Threat to take his chance in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday. We were originally looking at the Prix Jean Prat in France. But the ground there is very soft at the moment, and I don’t really want to run him on that surface in what looks a hot little race.

“That’s not to say the July Cup is any easier, but I just think the drop back to six furlongs might be just what he needs, and he hasn’t got much to find with Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire})–and he’ll be favourite–so it makes sense to have a crack at this prize. He’s come out of Ascot in great shape, and might even come on for it a little bit as well. Oisin Murphy maintains the ride.”

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Pinatubo Possible for Prix Jean Prat

Charlie Appleby will make a decision after watching Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) work at the weekend regarding his participation in the G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. The Newmarket handler is leaning towards the seven-furlong Group 1 on Sunday week as the next target for last year’s champion 2-year-old, who has met with defeat in both of his starts this season. Having finished third on his first start over a mile in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Sharmardal colt subsequently found only Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) too strong in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot.

With Appleby reporting Pinatubo to have come out of his race at the Royal meeting in good fashion, a trip to France is on the agenda.

Appleby said, “Pinatubo did an easy piece of work on Wednesday and that was his first piece of work back. The piece of work was nothing strong, but it pleased us. We have a target that is the Prix Jean Prat, but it is not rubber-stamped yet. He will do another piece of work over the weekend and we will make our decision then. So far the post-race signs after Ascot have been good.

“If he has pleased us and everything is going well, we will drop him back to seven for the Prix Jean Prat.”

Although Pinatubo has been beaten for the first time in his career, Appleby believes there are plenty of positives to take out of his efforts.

He said, “He definitely came forward a bit more from the Guineas to St James’s Palace S., which we had hoped he would. I know he has been beaten in both the St James’s Palace S. and 2000 Guineas, but what he showed us is that he has great courage.

“William [Buick] said he showed great guts to keep going in the St James’s Palace. The extra furlong just caught him out at Ascot last time having travelled so well, but what he showed us was determination and that he is a great battler.”

Despite Pinatubo being lined up for a drop back in trip, the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland in November is a potential end-of-season target.

Appleby said, “You can see how strongly he travels through his races, so dropping back to seven doesn’t worry me at all. I’m not saying that he won’t get a mile in time. What we could potentially work back from is the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland. The two-turn mile around there could really suit him.”

The G2 Qatar Lennox S. at Goodwood remains the target for Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). However, Appleby has not ruled out running the Dubawi colt in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket next Saturday if conditions are suitable.

He said, “Ultimately the Lennox is the aim, as we know what he can do over seven furlongs, but we might look at the July Cup. We know he is a better horse with cut in the ground, so we wouldn’t want to be dropping back on a sounder surface.

“If the conditions changed the July Cup would be worth looking at. We always had it on our mind he would be a sprinter this year.”

MG1SW Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) looks set to make his next appearance abroad, with Appleby weighing up options in France and Germany for Excelebration (Ire) gelding, who finished third last time out in the Prince of Wales’s S. at the Royal meeting.

“We are looking at either the G1 Prix D’Ispahan over nine furlongs at Chantilly or the G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennan over a mile and a quarter at Munich.

“He pulled up out of his last run well. I was pleased with the run and he put up a solid performance. The plan after this will be to give him a break and then look at going for some international races later in the year.”

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Earthlight on Track for Jean Prat Return

Andre Fabre’s unbeaten Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) is eyeing a return in the July 12 G1 Prix Jean Prat, after a minor sprain kept him on the bench instead of contesting the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau last month. The Godolphin runner will have a gallop at Saint-Cloud next week. Having won all five races at two, including two Group 1s, Earthlight was prominent through the winter in the betting for the G1 English 2000 Guineas.

“He’s doing ok, he’s back in work,” said Fabre. “He’s going to go to Saint-Cloud next week for a public workout, just because we don’t really have any other option. We’re looking to run him in the Prix Jean Prat, that is the aim with him.

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