Gregory To Be Rested, But Will Return For 4-Year-Old Campaign

Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), who won the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, is headed for some time off, with connections opting for a 4-year-old staying campaign, according to racing advisor Richard Brown.

The John and Thady Gosden trainee won his first three starts, before running third in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. and fifth in the G1 St Leger, both times to Heart's Cry (Jpn) colt Continuous (Jpn).

“I think he's going to be better on top of the ground and he still ran an admirable race,” said Brown, reflecting on the colt's St Leger performance.

“He's a big colt and by the far the biggest, most scopey horse in that field and he's only going to get better from three to four. He still ran with credit, but we'll put him away now and we'll look at turning him into a Cup horse next year.”

The post Gregory To Be Rested, But Will Return For 4-Year-Old Campaign appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Doncaster: St Leger Holding Out For A Hero

   It would be brave to call the winner of Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger and at this stage difficult to even decide what will start favourite for a wide-open renewal of the Doncaster Classic. There is very little separating the obvious trio of Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), while even Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) could yet threaten for pole position in the market given his Royal status. Each one has yet to prove themselves at this level, with Continuous and Arrest well-beaten when contesting the European Classics this summer before staging their comebacks in their preps. Doncaster's unforgiving final Classic of the season will stretch the elastic and only one will truly stay the course.

Ballydoyle know what it takes to win this and the number one is Continuous, who comes from the race's premier trial, York's G2 Great Voltigeur S. While the race was set up perfectly for his hold-up style, there was much to like about the fluency with which he dealt with Gregory and co. and Ryan Moore was never going to ride anything else.

“People talk about the tactics that day, but just focus on the fact that he won the best trial for this Classic by nearly four lengths, with Gregory back in third, and he was very strong at the line,” he stated. “Of course, you never know they stay until you try and maybe quicker ground may have been ideal with stamina in mind, but he won on soft ground in France at two and he has very strong credentials.”

Gregory was carrying a three-pound penalty returning from a break in the Voltigeur, having won Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase, and probably set off too fast on the Knavesmire but that performance has obviously failed to keep Frankie interested. This is a big day for the soon-to-be-retired figurehead of the sport, so it is significant that he opts instead for Juddmonte's Arrest.

Siding with Arrest is a gamble, given he was beating probably a substandard field in the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. at Newbury last month, but if it gets softer there is the memory of his heavy defeat of Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G3 Chester Vase on testing ground in May. Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon is aware of the gravitas surrounding Frankie's decision. “It would be special and it's a hot race, it's certainly hard to dismiss much in the race. They are all of a similar level and it's definitely quality over quantity,” he said.

“In fairness to the horse, his record is pretty solid and we made two bad calls with the horse running him on good-to-firm ground at Epsom and [Royal] Ascot. We know he likes an ease in the ground and if you forget those two runs, then his record is pretty outstanding. Over a mile and five and a half at Newbury he looked comfortable enough, so we just have to be hopeful he gets the extra furlong.”

Arrest's trainer John Gosden also has Gregory and Qatar Racing's Melrose H. winner Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion) and he started with Wathnan Racing's representative. “He's got a great mind and he is a pretty laid-back character,” he said. “I trained both the mother and father and he's inherited all the good traits of their mental attitude towards racing. We gave him all the time he required and he's done nothing but shine this year. I think he'll enjoy the distance, although we are perfectly aware it looks like being a vintage St Leger.”

Of Middle Earth, he added, “He's proven he stays the trip and the long straight here tests the tactical speed and the stamina, so he looks like he should be able to answer those two calls. If you'd won a handicap in the style he did at York, that was a tougher race than some of the trials. If you've got the right horse at the right time and he handles the ground, then he has every right to be there.”

The King & The Queen's G3 Gordon S.-winning TDN Rising Star Desert Hero would be the first winner in the Royal colours in this since Dunfermline in 1977, so it would be some landmark. Trainer William Haggas told QIPCO British Champions Series, “I think it would mean the world to everyone in our industry. We have been fortunate for so long to have such stoic Royal patronage, and anything that can enhance that will be good. He won on soft ground at Goodwood and on faster ground at Ascot, so I don't think the ground is a worry. Soft ground will put more emphasis on stamina, but if he relaxes he should stay.”

 

Rosallion Kicks Off Action In The Champagne

Doncaster's action starts with the G2 Betfred Champagne S., where Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's impressive Listed Pat Eddery S. winner Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) has command on all known form. His four-length defeat of Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) looks even better now that the runner-up has won the Listed Ascendant S. and we could be dealing with one of Britain's leading 2000 Guineas hopes. Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's G2 Vintage S. runner-up Iberian (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is the main threat, having finished ahead of Ballydoyle's Mountain Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) in that Goodwood contest, but anything other than a convincing win for the Richard Hannon trainee will be an anti-climax.

Hannon said of Rosallion, “We were delighted with his run at Ascot and he's come forward a good bit since then. Al Musmak won very well at Haydock and he looks a nice horse, so that was very pleasing. We've won it with Threat, Chindit and Estidhkaar. It's a nice race and it comes at a good time for the big races in the autumn and hopefully this is a nice race on the way to the Dewhurst.”

Charlie Hills said of Iberian, “He ran a good race at Goodwood, but second time out round that track from a bad draw, a combination of track, inexperience and ground caught him out that day. He was a bit on and off the bridle. I was really pleased with how he finished up the straight and I've always liked him. His work has been really good leading up to this race and I would say this racecourse is going to suit him better. He is a very straightforward horse to train at home and his temperament and everything about him is really good.”

 

 

Cachet Confirmed For Sceptre Return

Sunday's card at Doncaster has been boosted by the first sighting of last year's G1 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) in the seven-furlong G3 Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies' S. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's star has been off since finishing fifth in the G1 Coronation S. last June and trainer George Boughey is happy to get her back on the track. “She's in as good a form as I could have her considering the lay-off she's had,” he said. “She's been away to Chelmsford and we worked her at Kempton on Thursday morning. She's worked in between on fast ground at home in Newmarket.”

Also on Sunday, Frankie Dettori continue his farewell tour as he takes to Bro Park to partner the defending G3 Stockholm Cup International winner Hard One To Please (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) in his defence of the feature contest.

The post Doncaster: St Leger Holding Out For A Hero appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Doncaster: Can Coltrane Do It Again In The Doncaster Cup?

Causing an upset when edging out Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) in a thriller for last year's G2 Doncaster Cup, one of the staying division's leaders Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) returns to Town Moor for another encounter with his nemesis on Friday. Having won Ascot's G3 Sagaro S. and the G2 Lonsdale Cup at York and been runner-up in the G1 Gold Cup in the interim, Mick and Janice Mariscotti's stalwart is better than ever at the age of six and is the one with the target on his back this time.

Andrew Balding holds Coltrane close to his heart and is relishing another battle royal. “The great thing about him is he seems to be effective on any ground and in any sort of style of race, which is a big help for these stayers,” he said. “He obviously won the race last year, but he does carry a penalty this year which makes life a lot tougher. It is not a straightforward task, but the horse is really well and he seems to thrive on his racing.”

Trueshan has been absent since finishing fourth behind Coltrane in the Sagaro in May and has undergone a wind operation, so the star stayer of 2021 has questions to answer here. Normandie Stud's progressive Ebor H. runner-up Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) represents the Gosdens, who have a line on these through their Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

“We think there's more improvement to come and we think he might make up into an Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup type of horse next year,” jockey Robert Havlin said of the Normandie Stud homebred. “Since we put blinkers on he's been ultra consistent. He's won over two miles and the Ebor was obviously a drop back in trip. He gets the trip well so there are a lot of positives, especially after all the rain. He doesn't need soft ground, but he handles it very well.”

 

Inquisitively Takes On Big Evs In The Flying Childers

Also at Doncaster on Friday is the G2 Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers S., where Wee Sean Gan's Listed Roses S. scorer Inquisitively (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) looks to turn the tables on Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) after their prior meeting in Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle S. Trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy is concerned about the slower ground for Inquisitively, however. “The ground would be a question mark, he won on fast ground at York and so there is a question mark over soft conditions,” he said.  “The horse won well at York and I think the course will suit him. It's a very flat, straight course and very straightforward. He has been in good form since his race at York, I think he took a step forward from that race. He's very straightforward and professional, I don't think anything will be an issue other than the question over the ground.”

 

All Nine Stand Their Ground For St Leger

There were no withdrawals from Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Thursday, with the major news concerning the decision of Frankie Dettori to ride Juddmonte's Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) ahead of the fellow Gosden representative Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}). That leaves Kieran Shoemark with the task of steering the latter, who captured the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot for Wathnan Racing.

“I'm very happy with my mount in the race and wouldn't swap him,” Shoemark said. “As soon as Frankie made up his mind I found out. He's a high-profile horse in a high-profile race. He's one of the market leaders and to be riding a favourite in a British Classic is hugely exciting. It's where I want to be, so it's a privilege not pressure and I look forward to it.”

Also representing the Gosdens is Qatar Racing's Melrose H. winner Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion), while The King & The Queen's G3 Gordon S.-winning TDN Rising Star Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Ballydoyle number one Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), who catapulted himself into the picture with his impressive G2 Great Voltigeur S. success, are other notables.

 

The post Doncaster: Can Coltrane Do It Again In The Doncaster Cup? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Gosdens Considering Quartet For Doncaster’s St Leger

John and Thady Gosden could have as many as four runners, led by G2 Queen's Vase hero Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), in the Sept. 16 G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster next Saturday.

The Wathnan Racing colourbearer was most recently third to St Leger rival Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York last month. He will be partnered by the retiring Frankie Dettori, who has already won the Classic six times including twice for Gosden with Shantou (Alleged) in 1996 and Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in 2019.

“He came out of the race at York in very good order,” said the elder Gosden, who has already won five editions of the British Classic. “If the weather is set fair at Doncaster that won't bother him with it being top of the ground. I have had some luck going from the Voltigeur to the St Leger, but I often feel it is quite close if they have had a hard race and I have had a couple bounce, that can happen. I'm very pleased with him at this stage, he seems in great order and very content in himself.

“He's got a great mind and he is a pretty laid-back character. I trained both the mother and father and he's inherited all their good traits of their mental attitude towards racing. I think he'll enjoy the distance. We are perfectly aware it looks like being a vintage St Leger.”

Qatar Racing's Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion), a winner of the Melrose H., will need to be supplemented to run, while Anthony Oppenheimer's stakes-placed homebred Lion's Pride (GB), another by the late Tweenhills stallion, is also a St Leger prospect. The final member of the quartet is Juddmonte's one-time G1 Betfred Derby favourite Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. in August, however the colt is ground dependent.

“Middle Earth ran a lovely race in the Melrose and I'm really happy with him,” said Gosden. “He has a very strong likelihood, all being well with his bloods and scopes, to be supplemented. Qatar Racing have won the race before and I think they are game to go.

“We're very pleased with Arrest, he took his race very well at Newbury. He's in top order but I think if it's good-to-firm at Doncaster I think you'll find him heading to Paris for the [G2] Prix Chaudenay rather than Doncaster. He's a lovely horse but he rolls his knee and he'll enjoy more what I call the autumn ground.”

Of Lion's Pride Gosden added, “I think there's a likelihood he will run in the race as well, after all there's only one St Leger. His sire was the last horse off the bridle in Masar (Ire)'s Derby but he didn't get the mile-and-a-half. This boy is out of a good source of stamina on the dam's side.”

The post Gosdens Considering Quartet For Doncaster’s St Leger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights