G3 Winter Derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Lord North Returns In The Winter Derby

There is a faint scent of the approaching Flat season in the air on Saturday as the Gosdens' stalwart Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) enjoys his seasonal bow in Lingfield's G3 BetUK Winter Derby. Not seen since finishing a close fourth in the G1 Eclipse at Sandown in July, the 7-year-old is at the scene of his defeat in this 12 months ago warming up for a third consecutive G1 Dubai Turf.

Robert Havlin will be on board the consistent performer and he said, “Lord North seems really well. I have ridden him in his last two pieces of work and I think he is a little sharper than he was coming into the race last year. We are using this as a prep for the Dubai Turf again but I am hoping for a real big run. He just feels that bit more switched on than he was this time last year. He is the best horse in the race by far and hopefully he can show that.”

Also representing the Gosdens is the 2021 winner Forest Of Dean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Harrovian (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {GB}) who races for Lord North's owner HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing. The former will be partnered by South African jockey Collen Storey, while Roger Varian pitches in Flaxman Stables' 2022 Easter Classic runner-up Tyrrhenian Sea (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

The post Lord North Returns In The Winter Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Pair Of Group 1 Winners Nominated To Winter Derby

Group 1 winners Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) are two of the 16 nominations for the Feb. 25 £100,000 G3 BetUK Winter Derby at Lingfield.

Last seen winning the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S., the William Muir and Chris Grassick-trained 6-year-old has been on the bench since that victory. He claimed the 2021 Listed Churchill S. over 10 furlongs at that track, defeating fellow Winter Derby entry Harrovian (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}).

John and Thady Gosden's Lord North was runner-up in the 2022 Winter Derby to Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}). He then tied with Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Dubai Turf in March, before running off-the-board in a trio of Group 1s–the Tattersalls Gold Cup (fourth to Alenquer), the Prince Of Wales's S. (fifth to State Of Rest {Ire} {Starspangledbanner [Aus]}), and the Eclipse S. at Sandown in July, where he was fourth to Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}).

Another signed on for the Winter Derby is Charlie Johnston's Living Legend (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who won the G2 Jockey Club S. in 2022. He was most recently second in the G2 Princess Of Wales's S. in July.

Trainer Charlie Johnston said, “We have given Living Legend a BetUK Winter Derby entry and he has also been nominated for the Amir Trophy in Qatar, which takes place the week before.

“Plans are fluid at the moment. We would ultimately love to take him back to Newcastle for the Easter Classic, although with the way the programme book has fallen this year, it is going to make it difficult to qualify unless we win the Winter Derby.

“The Magnolia S. and Finals Day were three weeks apart last year, whereas this year it is only a six-day gap due to Easter falling earlier, which makes having three qualifying runs very difficult.

“There is plenty to think about and we will decide whether we go for the Winter Derby or take up the Qatar option nearer the time.”

The post Pair Of Group 1 Winners Nominated To Winter Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Sheema Classic Is Next For Alenquer

Saturday's G3 Winter Derby hero Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) exited the race in good order and will target the $6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Mar. 26. Trainer William Haggas was pleased by the 4-year-old colt's performance, which broke the Lingfield course record for 1 1/4 miles. A winner of the G3 Classic Trial S. at Sandown in April and the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot, Alenquer then completed the trifecta in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in July and went one better in the G1 Juddmonte International S. on Aug. 18. Unplaced in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the Winter Derby was his first start back.

“I was very pleased with him,” said Haggas of the M M Stables-owned winner. “He had been training nicely and he won very nicely. He is obviously a talented horse who has run in a couple of Group 1s but he hasn't won one yet. We are hoping this will be his year.

“I was very much worried by the drop back in trip in Saturday and the nature of the track, but it fell right for him–he got a nice lead and he didn't make his own running, which we would have done if we'd had to.

“He picked up really well at the right time and possibly caught a really good horse [Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})] on a rusty day. Maybe. He has run now three of his better races over this trip, but he is very capable over a mile and a half.

“The plan has always been to go to Dubai for the mile-and-a-half Sheema Classic, so I don't see why that would have changed.”

The post Sheema Classic Is Next For Alenquer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lord North Heads Winter Derby Eight

John and Thady Gosden trainee Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), out of action since annexing Meydan's G1 Dubai Turf last March, has sidestepped an engagement in today's G3 Neom Turf Cup and instead heads a competitive field for the latest renewal of Lingfield's £110,000 G3 Betway Winter Derby.

“Lord North is fine, but he has been off for so long we didn't think sending him all the way to Saudi [Arabia] for his first run in nearly a year was the way forward,” explained John Gosden.

The 2020 G1 Prince of Wales's S. hero is joined by stablemate Forest of Dean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who has failed to add to his tally in two starts since winning this contest last year.

Rivals also include G2 King Edward VII S. victor Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}), who placed in both G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Juddmonte International since that Royal Ascot high, and the Richard Hannon-trained Fancy Man (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}), who defeated the consistent handicapper King of the South (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) over course and distance in the Listed Winter Derby Trial earlier this month.

“Fancy Man has come out of the trial well and I am told he did a good piece of work while I was away in Qatar last week,” said rider Sean Levey. “I thought he was impressive in the trial and I had a nice breeze on him the other day. We thought he was going to be a very nice horse, but he was found wanting at the backend of a lot of his races last year. He was not finding that turn of foot in the closing stages whereas in the trial he put in some very good fractions for the final three furlongs.

“Ordinarily, I thought we would be going into the Winter Derby with a favourite's chance, but we have six pounds to find with Alenquer and a further eight pounds with Lord North. Even though our horse has improved from the trial, it is going to be very difficult.

“I would like to think that Fancy Man could potentially be better than a Group 3 horse. The calendar holds plenty of nice races where he won't be running into the likes of Lord North and this race should help us determine his level going forward.”

The post Lord North Heads Winter Derby Eight appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post