While Moyglare Stud, Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Gold Cup winner and Bjorn Nielsen's four-times Goodwood Cup hero are set fair for the two-mile contest, Alan King will be watching the weather again for Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and Mick and Janice Mariscotti's impressive Listed Esher S. winner Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is another notable in the list.

Nielsen is convinced Stradivarius still has what it takes. “He hasn't lost any of his ability or enthusiasm and if things had gone the right way at Ascot last month I have no doubt that he could have won another Gold Cup, as when they turned in the others were all being ridden along and he was sitting there with a double handful,” he said.

“The way the races have been run, really since October 2018, the tactics have been to put Stradivarius in a pocket and that's a lot easier to do at Ascot as it's a short straight, whereas at York they can't hem him in as it's a long straight and they come up the middle. It happened the last time he won the Goodwood Cup too, as he was held in a pocket there until Frankie got out just in time.

“That's been the strategy and that's the way it is, but Andrea [Atzeni] knows the score. He's ridden him three times and won every time. It could be his last run, of course, but it depends on his performance now and he seems in really good form.”

The post Kyprios And Stradivarius Among Goodwood Cup Nine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“She's great, thankfully she's come out of the Curragh really well,” said Walker. “It was a bit of a no show really and if I had my time again, I would have scratched her. It was a bit of a shame as we ummed and ahed over whether to go. We were always going to the Pretty Polly, then changed our minds and were thinking [G1] Falmouth [S.] and then back to the Pretty Polly and as it turned out the Falmouth on very fast ground would have been the better spot probably.

“But that's life and she's come out of the race good and now we'll head to the Nassau S. and hope this weather holds good and we get some good summer ground. An easy 10 furlongs should be ideal for her.”

A winner at listed level in 2021, Primo Bacio ran third to Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot. The David Ward colourbearer returned in the July 8 G1 Falmouth S. but could only manage fourth after showing some early interest and fading in the final furlong. The G3 Oak Tree S. is next on her agenda.

Walker added, “It was a solid run [in the Falmouth], if not slightly disappointing. It probably wasn't up to the same level as her performance in it the previous year, but she ran fine. It was hard to make up ground and the pace held up well.

“We're going to lower our sights with her a little bit and bring her back in trip. We could head to the Oak Tree at Goodwood.”

The post Goodwood Goals For Walker Fillies appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The daughter of Wootton Basset made an excellent seasonal reappearance at Royal Ascot when just failing to reel in Love in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, and her trainer is delighted with her preparation for the Nassau Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile British Champions Series contest next Thursday, July 29.

Fanshawe, speaking from his Pegasus Stables in Newmarket on Monday morning, said:

“Audarya seems in really good form. We've had the Qatar Nassau Stakes in mind for a while and she's been training well since Ascot. You never quite know how fit they are after such a long gap between races, but she put in a good performance and we've been steering her towards this race ever since Ascot.”

Fanshawe is hopeful that Audarya will come on for that reappearance behind Love.

“The handicapper kept her rating at 117 after the Prince Of Wales's Stakes but I felt it was a really good performance. I hope she can improve again. It shows how far she's come, given that she started off in a Group 1 this year. Last year, her first win of the season came on her third start when winning a handicap off 99 on the 2nd August at Newcastle, so this season already looks very different.

An undoubted strength of Audarya is her versatility, with Fanshawe very relaxed by both the undulations at Goodwood and the ground.

“She won her Group 1s at Deauville and Keeneland which are both flat tracks, but she did win a handicap at Goodwood over 1-mile as a three-year-old where she proved she can handle the track. In terms of ground, she has run on everything! It was very testing when she won the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville and they broke the track record on firm ground when she won the Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland, she's very versatile.”

Talented 3-year-old fillies, including Snow Lantern, Snowfall and Santa Barbara, are all entered into the Qatar Nassau Stakes and if any of them turn, up will receive 9lbs from Audarya.

Fanshawe said: “I was having a look at the record of 3-year-olds in the race which is very good – five of the last six winners have been three. They get 9lbs from the older fillies and mares which is a lot of weight, but it's the same as at Ascot and we go there with a filly who is in good form and hopefully we can overcome that.”

Audarya has had five different jockeys in her 14 career starts but Fanshawe is hoping to retain the services of William Buick who rode her at Royal Ascot.

“Circumstances have meant that we've had a few different jockeys ride her, but William (Buick) seemed to get on well with her in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and hopefully he can ride her next Thursday.”

One other significant James Fanshawe runner at the Qatar Goodwood Festival could come in the shape of Fresh, who finished secondin the Wokingham Handicap on the final day of Royal Ascot. The 4-year-old will head to the Unibet Stewards' Cup on Saturday, July 31, so long as the ground isn't too fast.

Speaking about the son of Bated Breath, Fanshawe said: “Fresh is in really good form, he worked nicely on Saturday. One proviso with him is that he needs to have some ease in the ground, he's just a better horse with give in the ground. Hopefully we'll get plenty of rain after the Nassau Stakes – it can chuck it down as much as it likes on Friday before the Stewards' Cup!”

The post Breeders’ Cup Winner Audarya ‘In Really Good Form’ Ahead Of Nassau Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Entries were revealed Wednesday for seven races during the Qatar Goodwood Festival, including the two-mile highlight and the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes.

The Qatar Goodwood Festival runs from Tuesday, July 27 to Saturday, July 31, with the first three days forming part of the Tote World Pool series.

All eyes were on the John & Thady Gosden-trained Stradivarius at Royal Ascot as he attempted to emulate Yeats' record of four Gold Cups, but it was Subjectivist who powered to an emphatic five-length victory as Stradivarius met trouble in running to finish fourth.

Mark Johnston's stable star is building quite a CV, with last week's success coming on the back of equally dominant victories in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp in October and the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan, UAE, in March.

Johnston has sent out five winners of the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, including Double Trigger, who captured the race three times between 1995 and 1998 – a feat surpassed by Stradivarius last year.

Johnston said: “Subjectivist has had a very easy time of it since his run in the Gold Cup. He will have a gradual return back to full work, with the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup being the next target.

“Looking back at the Gold Cup, it was a very exciting performance. Whichever way you look at it, whether it be the form, the time, the sectional times, the distance he won by, it all points to it being an absolutely top-draw performance.

“In fairness, his win before that in Dubai was very good, but I suppose everybody is generally slightly sceptical of the Dubai form. But at Ascot he has confirmed it by running a very similar race in terms of style. I don't think there are any doubts about the horse now.

“It is well-documented that I love the stayers, and it means a huge amount to me personally to have a horse like this. With horses who run in these big two-mile plus races, the big concern is can you keep them sound, but barring any injuries or problems, he is an extremely exciting horse to have.”

Regarding a rematch with Stradivarius, Johnston added: “I think if you read my blog, you will see that I said, 'Subjectivist was bred by Susan Hearn, Barry Hearn's wife, and if this was another sport, Barry Hearn would be promoting the rematch and we'd all be making a lot of money out of it!' But seriously, a big clash between these two horses at Goodwood will be very good for racing.”

Stradivarius has made the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup his own since landing the spoils for the first time as a three-year-old in 2017. Bjorn Nielsen's homebred is chasing an unprecedented fifth straight victory, a feat unlikely to be repeated in a race that dates back to 1812.

Other high-profile entries include G2 Yorkshire Cup victor Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding), who was third behind Subjectivist at Royal Ascot, and 2019 St Leger victor Logician (John & Thady Gosden).

Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien has three entries, including Melbourne Cup victor Twilight Payment and prolific G2 Belmont Gold Cup winner Baron Samedi.

The Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup is part of the British Champions Series.

The post Rematch? Both Subjectivist, Stradivarius On Target For Goodwood Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Two furlongs from home, the winner still had five of the seven runners in front of him with jockey Jim Crowley facing a wall of horses. Crowley did not panic and pulled his mount wide approaching the final furlong. The response was electric from Mohaather, who overhauled leader Circus Maximus (Aidan O'Brien/Ryan Moore, 6/1) entering the final half-furlong before going on to win by a cozy three-quarters of a length.

It was a first Qatar Sussex Stakes for trainer Marcus Tregoning and owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, while jockey Jim Crowley was winning the prestigious prize for the second time following Here Comes When (2017).

Marcus Tregoning said: “I have had to wait a long time for this, but quite honestly we didn't have the horses. When I left Lambourn I had to start again with not very many – it was like starting from the beginning. Luckily, Sheikh Hamdan supported me very well.

“It was a tactical race today and we thought it would be. He struggled to get out, he is not the biggest horse and he struggled to find a gap, but Jim [Crowley, jockey] kept his calm and with the knowledge that he has that massive kick.

“It was a little bit of a nightmare to watch, but I knew if Mohaather got out, he would have the speed; he has got a very good turn of foot, as you can see. I know it's a well-used expression, but he does find heaps under pressure, and I couldn't have been happier with the way he came into the race – the team have done a great job. Obviously, I am lucky to train horses for Sheikh Hamdan, because he has been an avid supporter, so we are all thrilled.

“Angus Gold sourced the horse for Sheikh Hamdan at Tattersalls Book Two, and sent me to look at him. He was a tiny little thing, but he came from a very stout family, and Angus was quite insistent we got into it if we possibly could, if I could stand the look of the yearling. He has done nothing but thrive, and I should have known better because I trained a filly called Dominica, who wasn't even 15 hands, to win the King's Stand Stakes [then a G2 race], so it isn't always about big horses. He is a lovely looking horse and I thought in the paddock he had a lot of quality – I know I train him, but he had more quality than the others. He is a beautiful horse and we are so lucky to have him.

“He got a beautiful ride from Dane O'Neill at Ascot last time [when winning G2 Summer Mile] – it was a solid G2 and he could have won it by six lengths. He could have won here much easier if he had the chance to, but that's tactics. Luckily, it came off today. I would have been pretty sore if he hadn't been able to win, because I thought he was in really good order. Obviously, it was a tactical race but luckily he came out on top.

“I thought he would win. All the indications were that we had him right, and he has done nothing but please me. He's quite an exuberant work horse; my 15-year-old daughter rides him – she is so light and a very good rider, David Croft rides him most of the time, George Tregoning has ridden him plenty of times, Hallie Meroski rides him – she is very good. It's just a matter of keeping the right people on him – hence I put my 15-year-old daughter on him! I was speaking to Gary Moore about recruiting staff, and he said, well, the family all get involved. It is so much easier if you do that because we all come home and tell the stories. It is a big team thing, but it is lovely having the family involved. Three of them ride out for me every morning, and it makes it fun.

“I left Lambourn and came to Whitsbury on the advice of Chris Harper – he said come and join us, so I did – and started with very few horses again. Having always been lucky enough to train more than 100 horses, I started again with 30 or so and no staff, apart from my head lad and his wife, but David Croft, who has been with every trainer at Whitsbury, luckily came to me.

“Showcasing is a very good stallion and is doing really well. This is important for the stallion, I know that, because now he has a top-class miler, and a top-class stallion needs to get a good miler, and this is it. They will drop my rent and put his price up, so we'll be fine!

“It's very special that Gaie Johnson Houghton bred Mohaather – they are a lovely family and Eve's done amazing well, she's like her grandmother Helen and firing in the winners left, right and centre. She is a great trainer and we are good friends. I have known the family for a long time and it's really great that she's bred another top-class horse.

“I took over from Dick Hern and was with him for 14 years, and I always say there was never a day wasted; he was the most brilliant trainer and should have been a schoolteacher, because then we would have passed our exams. He couldn't stand coming to this big meeting and not having a proper winner here; luckily most times he did, but if he didn't, it would be a very quiet journey home. That is where it comes from, and I always think if you have a new owner or a new person coming racing for the first time, bring them here. Bring them to Goodwood and you will sell racing, because it's the most magnificent view here across the Downs. The whole estate is run amazingly well, and I am always proud to come here and do well.

“The Breeders' Cup Mile is a possibility. We know one thing – tactical speed round those tighter tracks is what you have to have. This horse has so much pace; I love watching him. He will work on his own if you wanted him to – he's just a pleasure to be around – but he would have the speed for it, I am sure. There's also Champions Weekend at Ascot. He is in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, but that might come a bit quick for him, we'll have to see. But it is entirely up to Sheikh Hamdan, Richard Hills and Angus Gold and so on. I will come up with a plan but I am sure Sheikh Hamdam will have his say.

“This is pretty special. I always think all my owners want to win the Sussex Stakes, and I want to win it for them.”

Jim Crowley said: “It was sweet. It was a bit of redemption after Royal Ascot. The race today didn't really go to plan as I would have liked. I was quite well marked throughout and Mohaather really got me out of that.

“We went forward today on him and the plan was to sit one off the rail. I didn't think the pace was very strong and then Frankie [Dettori, aboard Wichita] came up on the outside and I ended up following Vatican City and I wasn't in a great pitch all of a sudden.

“I was in a bit of a pocket and I knew I was going to need some luck. I knew I wasn't going to get a run and I knew Siskin was going to play his cards late so my option was to get on the back of him and follow him through.

“We had to let the race unfold before him and then pull around Siskin. When he saw daylight, he just absolutely flew. He showed the most electric turn of foot. To give weight away to younger horses and pick them was just special really.

“I had gone forward in the race and then been taken out of the race and had to go round the field. Obviously giving weight away, I thought that was a very special performance. The way it panned out, he was exceptional.

“You could see why at the start of the year we were contemplating going down the sprinting route with Mohaather. I never had any doubt he could win a Group One over six furlongs. I remember Guy Harwood saying to me that all his good horses could also win over six furlongs and could have won July Cups and things like that – I would say this horse in the mould of some really good horses. He would definitely win over six, he is that good.

“Marcus has done an unbelievable job. You wouldn't meet a nicer man and he has done a great job with this horse to get him back.

“After Royal Ascot, I was gutted and I was gutted for Marcus, but he took it on the chin and I was just so pleased Mohaather could come and do this today. He is a great trainer and it is great to repay him. Marcus has trained some fantastic horses over the years and it is nice to show people that given the right ammunition, he will train Group One winners.

“Royal Ascot ate away at me for a few days and when he won again at Ascot under Dane O'Neill, I was so happy to see him win like that.

“I had ridden him in work in the early part of his career and he had given me a feel that not many horses have done.

“Mohaather is so athletic, a really good-looking horse and he has class. It was the right decision to go down the mile route and he just has so much pace.

“His best form has been on slower ground, but I don't doubt he would be just as good on quicker ground.

“I won this race a few years ago on Here Comes When and it's great to win the Sussex Stakes again. You could say that win was a little bit of a fluke that day whereas we did it properly today.”

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Siskin (Ger Lyons IRE/Colin Keane) fared best of the 3-year-olds, a further half-length away in third with Newmarket 2,000 Guineas scorer Kameko (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy, 5/1) in fourth, another two lengths adrift.

Placed Quotes

Siskin

Jockey Colin Keane: “It was a brilliant run I thought from Siskin. They went a good, even gallop throughout and my horse travelled into it well and came there to win.

“He just bumped into two older, hardened horses and maybe the ground just being on the slow side blunts his speed a little bit, but we are very happy.”

Trainer Ger Lyons: “I am delighted with the run from Siskin. He is the best three-year-old. He came to win his race and he was outstayed by two older horses. There were no excuses and that is all I asked for coming into the race that we would have no excuses.

“Colin said the ground blunted his speed a bit. One thing we have learned is he is a proper miller and the faster the ground the better. There will be no decisions made, but he probably has Breeders' Cup written all over him.”

Racing Manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, Lord Grimthorpe: “Siskin has run a really good race. We have got absolutely no complaints and he has come out of the race as the best three-year-old miler so that is a positive.

“He has had every chance and run really well so there we are. It was a good race, but he wasn't beaten far. There is always a moment where you think you have a chance. We have no complaints at all.

“We are going to discuss a whole lot of options. We will see how he is and see what Prince Khalid wants to do – there are a number of options for him, all of which are pretty obvious.

“We have got a bit of time to think about it. We will see how he comes out of the race. It was only his second race of the year, so there is still more to come from him.

“We will sit down and come up with a plan and take it from there.”

Kameko

Trainer Andrew Balding: “I have only seen it once with the naked eye and I would have to watch it again, but he looked unlucky. He has finished on the heels of them and Oisin was a bit unlucky on him, but it happens round here.”

Jockey Oisin Murphy: “Kameko jumped very smart. Obviously, I wanted to take a lead and I thought Circus Maximus would make the running. I couldn't find any room up the straight and I felt like the best horse didn't win on the day. Unfortunately, these things happen sometimes and it is jockey error. I hope then horse is sound in the morning and he lives to fight another day. Apologies to his connections. A lot of hard work goes into preparing these horses and nobody wants hard luck stories.

“You saw the way he travelled, and I was full of horse for most of the race. I haven't spoken to Andrew [Balding] or Sheikh Fahad in any depth but I view Kameko very much as a miler.”

The post Mohaather Earns Breeders’ Cup Mile Berth With Impressive Sussex Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Stayers King has become a household name in the racing world as a whole and next Tuesday he will look to tread where no horse has trodden before – a fourth visit to the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup winner's enclosure.

A record in this race will be another glittering achievement on a CV that already consists of three Gold Cups, two Yorkshire Cups, one Doncaster Cup and one QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup.

His most serious opponent appears the Aidan O'Brien trained Santiago. The progressive son of Authorized looked very smart when winning the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot before stepping up again to win the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby last time out.

Other notable runners in the field include Nayef Road who was beaten 10 lengths in to second by Stradivarius in the Gold Cup, and Eagles By Day who ran out a ready winner of the John Smith's Silver Cup at York last weekend.

All eyes, however, will be on one horse as he bids to further cement his name into British racing folk-law.

Full Entries:

Eagles By Day, Euchen Glen, Nayef Road, Santiago, Spanish Mission, Stradivarius, Who Dares Wins

The post Top Stayer Stradivarius To Chase Historic Fourth Victory In Goodwood Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

This is potentially an important step forward in the sporting economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry is grateful for the support of DCMS in selecting horse racing to be one of the sports to host a pilot event, two months after it returned safely behind closed doors.

The RCA-led Stage 5 industry working group have also worked tirelessly in recent weeks to enable this pilot event to take place, reflecting the unique characteristics of racecourses as outdoor sporting venues.

The sport recognizes the continued support of racehorse owners through this extremely challenging period and as part of the pilot, new initiatives which may increase the number of owners on course and increase the level of hospitality offered will be trialed.

For all racegoers attending the event, a code of conduct must be acknowledged and agreed in advance. This sets out expectations on the behavior and actions of everyone involved to maintain hygiene levels and social distancing, as well as outlining the facilities and initiatives put in place by the racecourse to enable this. Further information will be published in due course.

Following the pilot event, the Stage 5 industry group will conduct a thorough debrief to understand which measures worked well and which require further refinement.

Whilst collectively we share the excitement of all involved in hosting this event, it will not be possible for all racecourses to immediately follow suit and welcome crowds. This will be subject to a successful debrief, finalizing the extensive protocols involved and further permission granted from Government.

David Armstrong, RCA Chief Executive and Chair of the welcoming crowds industry group, commented: “We welcome the fact that horseracing is to be selected as one of the pilot events to welcome back crowds and my team and I acknowledge the great responsibility upon us.

“The safety protocols involved will be stringent and the Goodwood Racecourse team are in a fantastic place to implement them. The sport has come together to offer support to ensure the pilot event provides us with sufficient learnings that others may follow in time. These learnings will allow us to draft industry-wide protocols fir the wider scale return of crowds as soon as we are able.

“Crowds bring a wonderful atmosphere to a raceday and many businesses associated with racecourses are reliant upon them. I sincerely hope that all involved enjoy their day— our focus now turns to supporting the Goodwood team in what is a landmark day for the sport.”

Adam Waterworth, Sport Managing Director at the Goodwood Estate, commented: “We are delighted that the Qatar Goodwood Festival has been selected as a pilot event for the return of crowds. It marks an important day for the sports industry following a few challenging months.

“Our Annual Members have continued to support us throughout, for which we are enormously grateful. It is therefore fantastic to offer them the opportunity to witness racing on The Downs again.

“The Goodwood team will ensure the racecourse adheres to Government guidelines on social distancing and hygiene. We hope that this will be the next step in ensuring crowds for future sporting events.”

The post Britain: Goodwood Festival To Be Among Pilot Events Welcoming Crowds Back To Sports appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

“We are hugely grateful to the British EBF for their longstanding support at the Qatar Goodwood Festival,” said Goodwood Racecourse’s Ed Arkell. “The prizemoney commitment from the British EBF, especially this year, has been key to allowing us to support prizemoney, considerably above minimum values, for a number of non-Pattern races.”

“The British EBF supported races have stood out as some of the most valuable since the restart and provided a much-needed stimulus to the middle and lower classes of races in June,” said the British EBF’s Sam Bullard. “We are delighted to be extending and increasing our support during July and we know that our contributions will continue to make a huge difference to purses during this challenging time for racing.

“In addition to weight-for-age races, we are now supporting a good selection of fillies’ handicaps and some conditions races. The Fund, generated from stallion income, are very happy to be able to help Epsom and Investec run the Woodcote Conditions S. again this year, a race won by champion 2-year-old Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) in 2019.”

The post British EBF Doubles July Contribution appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post