John Gosden | Horse Racing Free Tips

Stradivarius Makes It Look Easy In Doncaster Cup

It was the simplest of assignments for a modern day great on Town Moor, as John Gosden's star stayer made light of the Doncaster Cup field.

Stradivarius backed up his hard-fought victory at York with another win, although today he barely had to break into 4th gear.

He began the day a heavy-favorite, with Trueshan, his archrival in the staying division, declared a non-runner with the rain coming too late for him to take his chance. The short odds were justified as he turned the Group 2 into a procession.

The Grand Visir took them round at a medium gallop, with Frankie Dettori happy to sit in fourth off the lead for much of the first circuit. The field content to maintain their positions for much of the way round turning into the straight.

With the leader beginning to tire, all eyes were on Frankie and Stradivarius, the former motionless as he bided his time. Jamie Spencer loomed to his right, looking to cover any potential move. Bute still Dettori waited.

As they came to three furlongs out, there was a casual look around from the pilot for dangers, before he engaging his mount for a challenge. Stradivarius then sauntered to the lead and when Frankie said go, the response was instant.

Stradivarius utilized his trademark turn of foot and in a matter of strides the race was won. He glided across the Doncaster turf to the joy of the crowd. All was left to take care of was Dettori's customary flying dismount and more cheers ensued. The simplest of wins.

The post Stradivarius Makes It Look Easy In Doncaster Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Another Day At The Office For “Strad”

Friday at Doncaster's St Leger festival means Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), and after John and Thady Gosden and Frankie Dettori's Group 2 double and a treble overall on Thursday the tide is rising for the esteemed combo as the G2 Doncaster Cup looms. Bjorn Nielsen's golden boy of the staying scene since 2018 needs no introduction and this special week on Town Moor is there for turf's icons such as him to enjoy widespread adulation. If there were any doubts as to the appetite of the 7-year-old, those were dispelled in York's G2 Lonsdale Cup Aug. 20, where one of the chief younger stayers Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) was unable to subdue him after a prolonged pugilistic tussle. This task could be made far simpler by the removal of the ground-dependant July 27 G1 Goodwood Cup winner Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and with the way the weather is heading, that looks a likely scenario.

Dettori is relishing the opportunity to do battle in front of the crowds once again. “He's been great for the sport, I love him dearly,” he said. “He got a tremendous reception at York and he'll probably get one at Doncaster. He's not going to be here forever, so let's enjoy him. I think he only does what needs to be done these days and as for tactics, I usually improvise with him and play it by ear. Luckily, he knows where the winning post is.”

Trueshan was taken out of the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the Lonsdale Cup and trainer Alan King is ready to pull him from this test if the rain fails to come. “I won't get up to walk the course, because I'm at Sandown tomorrow and I've been at the sales all day today,” he explained. “If the current forecast of very little rain is correct then he won't run, unfortunately but I will just wait until the morning to make the decision. We needed plenty of rain and it did look promising at one stage that we might get it, but we wouldn't run him as it is.”

Surprisingly, given the weight-for-age scenario, few 3-year-olds have been asked to tackle this near 18-furlong test but there have been a trio of winners in that age group since 1990 including the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Alleluia (GB) (Caerleon) in 2001. The master of Heath House is involved again here, with Kirsten Rausing's unexposed Alerta Roja (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) who gets a huge 18 pounds from Stradivarius and 20 from Trueshan with the penalties added in. Whether the relative of Alleluia is up to this level remains to be seen, with her only try in black-type company being a latest second in the 14-furlong Listed Hoppegartener Steher-Preis Aug. 8, but she is a fascinating contender from one of the most astute yards in Europe.

“Alerta Roja is wonderfully tough and she's already exceeded what we thought was possible for her,” Prescott commented. “On the figures she doesn't have a chance, but we did win it with Alleluia who was very similar and was also a 3-year-old filly. Alleluia won five and this one, who is from the same family, has won three and been listed-placed. While ostensibly she's got no chance, she seems in good form and she gets a lot of weight. Nothing is impossible with this family.”

Preceding the marathon encounter is the five-furlong G2 Wainwright Flying Childers S. for juveniles, offering a contrast rarely so wide in such a short space of time on a racecard. Al Shaqab Racing's Armor (GB) (No Nay Never) will be looking to regain the winning thread after his fourth in the six-furlong G1 Prix Morny at Deauville Aug. 22, where he may have run out of gas late having dominated the quick five of Goodwood's G3 Molecomb S. July 28. Among his rivals is Nick Bradley Racing's Sept. 2 G3 Prix d'Arenberg-winning filly Corazon (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}) and Clipper Logistics' Aug. 21 Listed Roses S. scorer Attagirl (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

In the Listed Cazoo Flying Scotsman S., Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's 'TDN Rising Star' Razzle Dazzle (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) bids to build on his 5 1/2-length success over this seven-furlong trip at Newmarket Aug. 27. Ahmad Al Shaikh's Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}), who captured the Aug. 20 Convivial Maiden at York, offers stern opposition in this often-informative affair along with Shadwell's impressive Aug. 11 Salisbury six-furlong novice scorer Ribhi (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Oisin Murphy said of Hoo Ya Mal, who hails from the Andrew Balding stable strong with their 2-year-olds this season. “He's a gorgeous horse who bolted up in the Convivial at York,” he said. “His work before then was good and though he probably wants to go a mile, hopefully he'll have sharpened up since his last run. I have a high opinion of him and hope he'll be bang there.”

Thursday saw the draws for Saturday's key contests, with Ballydoyle's St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) set to take on The Aga Khan's Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Jim Bolger's Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and just one other in what is certain to be a tactical renewal of Leopardstown's G1 Irish Champion S. As he suggested earlier this month, Aidan O'Brien has taken out all other entries for the 10-furlong contest, which is made up by last year's G3 Meld S. winner Patrick Sarsfield (Fr) (Australia {GB}). Small and select fields have been the order of the day in 2021, with the G1 Eclipse S. and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. attracting no more than five runners so this feature fits in with that trend and presents a fascinating quandary for Ryan Moore, Colin Keane and Kevin Manning. In contrast, there will be 13 fillies lining up in the G1 Coolmore America “Justify” Matron S. where Ballydoyle's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Prix Rothschild winner Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) will be a warm order.

At Doncaster the same afternoon, the G1 Cazoo St Leger will see Godolphin's G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) face nine rivals including Amo Racing's G1 Epsom Derby runner-up Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Aidan O'Brien has confirmed a quartet including 'TDN Rising Star' High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the unexposed Interpretation (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who will sport the Peter Brant silks. Frankie Dettori is on the supplemented High Definition, with Wayne Lordan partnering the G2 Great Voltigeur S. runner-up The Mediterranean (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), James Doyle on that race's fourth Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Hollie Doyle aboard the Aug. 12 Listed Vinnie Roe S. winner Interpretation.

Having impressed with two prior front-running rides for Ballydoyle including a third in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks on the 150-1 outsider La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), it was no surprise to see Hollie Doyle booked for one of the team's contenders here. “It's a great ride to pick up. He looks highly progressive and is unbeaten this year,” she said. “He's certain to stay and it's my first ride in the Leger and I'm really looking forward to it.” They help to make up a six-strong Irish representation in the extended 14-furlong Classic, with Johnny Murtagh looking for a breakthrough English Classic success with the G3 Gordon S. winner Ottoman Emperor (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}).

The post Another Day At The Office For “Strad” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Nothing Separating Palace Pier, Poetic Flare Atop Cartier Horse Of The Year Standings

Outstanding milers Palace Pier and Poetic Flare, who fought out a thrilling finish to the G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois, jointly head the Cartier Horse Of The Year standings following the latest points update for the Cartier Racing Awards.

The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing. There are eight equine awards – the Cartier Horse Of The Year, the Cartier Older Horse, the Cartier Sprinter, the Cartier Stayer, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly, the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly.

The 31st annual Cartier Racing Awards will be awarded in November. Cartier continues its ongoing support with the presentation of the Cartier Racing Awards.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Palace Pier and Jim Bolger's homebred Poetic Flare have each accrued 144 points following a thrilling race at Deauville, France, on Aug. 15.

Palace Pier came out on top with a neck verdict over Poetic Flare in a battle between the two leading milers of their generations, with the winner securing a fifth G1 success over the distance.

Other leading Cartier Horse Of The Year contenders include 3-year-olds Mother Earth (120), Snowfall (120) and St Mark's Basilica (120), who are all trained by Aidan O'Brien for Coolmore partnerships.

QIPCO 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth was a game winner of the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Aug. 3, whilst Snowfall continued her unbeaten season with a smooth success in the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on Aug. 19.

St Mark's Basilica was forced to miss his intended engagement in the G1 Juddmonte International at York on Aug. 18 and will now head for the G1 Longines Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 11.

Mishriff (108) captured his first domestic G1 prize when running out a stunning six-length winner of the Juddmonte International, where his rivals included Love (72) and Alcohol Free (96). Victory on the Knavesmire for the John and Thady Gosden-trained superstar follows success this year in the Saudi Cup and the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic.

Also in the Cartier Horse Of The Year running is Godolphin's Adayar (100), who became the first horse since his grandsire Galileo in 2001 to complete the Derby-King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes double when capturing the G1 midsummer highlight at Ascot. His stable companion Hurricane Lane (92), a dual G1 winner this term in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris, has 92 points.

Palace Pier also leads the way in the Cartier Older Horse standings ahead of Mishriff. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Broome has 80 points, along with Jerome Reynier's Skalleti.

Poetic Flare (144) is a clear leader in the Cartier Three-Year-Old category ahead of St Mark's Basilica (112), with Godolphin duo Adayar (100) and Hurricane Lane (92) challenging for the award.

Aidan O'Brien holds a strong hand in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category with four of the top five contenders. Mother Earth and Snowfall are tied on 120 points, ahead of the Andrew Balding-trained Alcohol Free on 96 points. O'Brien is also responsible for Joan Of Arc (64), who finished third in the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, and Santa Barbara (64), an easy winner of two G1 events in America this summer.

The Cartier Sprinter Award is wide-open with Archie Watson's ultra-consistent Dragon Symbol leading the way on 56 points. The three-year-old chased home Suesa (32) in the G2 King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood, before finishing third in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Aug. 20 behind the Tim Easterby-trained Winter Power (32).

Starman (48) defeated Dragon Symbol and Oxted (48) in the G1 Darley July Cup and finished an admirable third in the G1 Larc Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Aug. 8. Campanelle, Dream Of Dreams and Gustavus Weston all have 32 points.

Subjectivist (60) remains the leader in the Cartier Stayer division following his success in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for Mark Johnston and owner Dr Jim Walker, although the 4-year-old will sadly miss the rest of the season due to a setback. Cedric Rossi's Skazino (48) recorded his third win of the campaign in the G2 Darley Prix Kergorlay at Deauville on Aug. 22.

G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup hero Trueshan and Spanish Mission, a narrow second to Stradivarius (24) in the G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup on Aug. 20 at York, both have 36 points.

Points are also announced for the first time this year in the 2-year-old categories. The Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt division is currently headed by the Richard Fahey-trained Perfect Power (48), who followed up success in the G2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot with a smart victory in the G1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on Aug. 22, with Alan King's G2 Unibet Richmond Stakes winner Asymmetric (32) in third.

The Al Shaqab Racing-owned Ebro River (32) provided his sire Galileo Gold with a first G1 winner in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Aug. 8, a contest in which Go Bears Go (32) was third. Lusail (32) has won his last three starts for Richard Hannon, culminating in G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York on Aug. 20.

The Andrew Balding-trained Sandrine leads the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly standings, having won the G3 Albany Stakes and G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes. Kirsten Rausing's homebred was second to Zain Claudette (24) in the G2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York on Aug. 19.

Agartha (24) has proven one of the success stories of the season for Joseph O'Brien. The daughter of Caravaggio broke her maiden tag in the G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown, before going on to land the G2 Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on Aug. 21.

Gavin Cromwell's Queen Mary Stakes heroine Quick Suzy (20) and Christophe Ferland's Accakaba (16), who remained unbeaten in the G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville on Aug. 21, are others in contention for the award at this stage.

The Cartier Racing Awards are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in Pattern races (30%), combined at the end of season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists/handicappers (35%) and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph (35%).

The participation of the public plays a crucial role in determining the winners of each year's Cartier Racing Awards and gives horseracing fans the chance to put forward their favorite horses in a meaningful way.

In addition to the equine awards, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 16-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done the most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.

The 10 most recent recipients have been John Gosden, Pat Smullen, Richard Hannon, Barry Hills, Team Frankel, Jim Bolger, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Jack Berry and Aidan O'Brien.

The post Nothing Separating Palace Pier, Poetic Flare Atop Cartier Horse Of The Year Standings appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Champions Day Likely To Be Palace Pier’s Swansong

Trainer John Gosden has said that Qipco British Champions Day, where Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has entries in the G1 Champion S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S., is likely to be the 4-year-old's swansong before he goes off to stud.

Palace Pier, last year's champion 3-year-old off wins in the G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, is a perfect four-for-four in 2021. Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's bay won the G2 bet365 Mile, G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Queen Anne S. before defending his title in last weekend's Marois over this season's G1 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace S. winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}).

Referring to the fact that an illness has forced Palace Pier to miss last month's G1 Sussex S., Gosden told talkSPORT, “We just managed to get to the [Marois]–he would have been 80-odd per cent ready, he was 10 days short, so two pieces of work really. He was on the wing so a little bit out on his own. He went a length up and then sort of thought he'd done his job, but Kevin [Manning on runner-up Poetic Flare] did a clever job under that rail, going on the quicker ground and was coming back at him.

“The class of Palace Pier got him through, as Frankie [Dettori] said. We were thrilled to win off an inadequate prep. We'll see where we go, it will probably be Champions Day and then off to stud.”

Palace Pier's only loss in 10 starts came when he was third over the soft going in last year's QEII, and Gosden said the ground will play into the decision of whether the horse tries 10 furlongs for the first time in the Champion or sticks to the mile.

“I mentioned 10 furlongs as a possibility and he is in both races, but if it's very soft it would be unlikely,” Gosden said. “If it's good then it would be fascinating, he'd have nothing to lose.”

The post Champions Day Likely To Be Palace Pier’s Swansong appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post