Cannonball! Australian Sprinter Out To Make A Splash At Royal Ascot

Australian sprinter Cannonball (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}) is being predicted to make an explosive impact at Royal Ascot by majority owner James Harron who insists the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt will post “a very big performance” if the ground is good or better in the G1 King's Stand S.

A general 10-1 chance to emulate last year's winner Nature Strip (Aus) and the brilliant Scenic Blast (Aus), Miss Andretti (Aus), Takeover Target (Aus) and Choisir (Aus) by winning the King's Stand for Australia, success for Cannonball would also reverberate as far as Northern Ireland. 

Harron's adopted home may be Australia, where he has operated numerous successful colts partnerships for well over a decade now, but the Northern Irishman has long aspired to bring one good enough to one of the first big meetings that first enthralled him with the sport. In Cannonball, he is confident that he has found the right horse to make the long trip worthwhile. 

He said, “I truly believe that we haven't seen the best of Cannonball yet and I am hoping and praying for a fast track at Ascot on the Tuesday. If we get that, you will see a very big performance. 

James Harron | JH Bloodstock

“You'll see him in the mounting yard and be able to point him out as the big Aussie sprinter–he's a magnificent animal, big and strong. He really does command a lot of presence in the ring and is cut out for the job.”

Harron added, “It would be absolutely huge if he were to be successful. Hard to put it into words, I guess. It would certainly be one of my career highlights and it's just wonderful to be able to bring a lot of the owners over from Australia so, for them to be able to experience what Royal Ascot offers, and if he could be successful, it would be an experience that money couldn't buy. 

“It would be amazing for all the team, amazing for Peter Snowden [joint-trainer] himself, who is flying over to Ascot along with his wife Lyn, and of course Brett Prebble [jockey] who has been doing so much work with us in Australia. It would be so satisfying to share that experience with everyone who works so hard and has been great supporters of ours.”

Victory would no doubt be made extra special by the fact that Cannonball is by Capitalist, the Golden Slipper-winning two-year-old and just about the most successful young stallion to have come through Harron's colts partnerships.

Cannonball will be Capitalist's first ever runner in Europe and, according to Harron, the three-year-old has a lot of the right qualities needed to win the King's Stand. 

Harron said, “He's a very, very fast horse. Physically, he's developed extremely well as he's gone through his three-year-old year. He really thrives on good ground, has a high cruising speed and he can roll off fast sectionals. Five furlongs on good ground is right up his alley and it's those reasons that made us think that the King's Stand was the race that would be most suited to him.”

He added, “It's a huge effort to travel a horse to the royal meeting from Australia. There's a lot that goes into the organisation of it all and, from a logistical point of view and a staffing point of view, it's a huge effort. You have to give the trip a lot of consideration given the value of the horse you are travelling and because we've got such wonderful prize-money and other options that also need to be considered at home in Australia. 

“It's something you take very seriously, not to mention the quality of the opposition in Europe, which is very much respected. Coming into the King's Stand, you have the brilliant mare Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and many more to be fearful of, so it's certainly a huge challenge. But the great Australian sprinters have paved the way for this sort of a trip and that gives us confidence that we can come to Royal Ascot and be competitive with Cannonball.” 

One of the shrewdest operators on the international stage, Harron can also count Foxwedge (Aus) and King's Legacy (Aus) as graduates of his successful system of buying yearlings with the view of turning them into multi million dollar stallion prospects. 

He is also one of the slot holders in The Everest, a race he has won twice–with Redzel (Aus) in 2017 and Giga Kick (Aus) last year–and manages a number of high profile owner portfolios and broodmare bands. 

There are few better versed on the global bloodstock market than Harron, who bought Cannonball for AU$975,000 as a yearling from Newgate Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale. He explained that, whilst he is shunning potentially lucrative pots in his homeland in favour of running at the royal meeting, the potential upside to the trip is creating a stallion with global appeal. 

He said, “Being from Ireland myself, Royal Ascot is something that will always be in the back of my head when I potentially have the right horse to travel across. We were always thinking that Cannonball's profile fitted the bill given his best distance is five to five-and-a-half furlongs. Now, he may get six furlongs strongly as he gets older and more seasoned but, right now, the King's Stand trip looks to be in his wheelhouse. 

“The other thing with this horse, he's run three or four times on soft ground and he just doesn't like it whatsoever-he's very ineffective on it. We were aware of that coming into the autumn, when he got his ground when returning from a decent break to beat the older horses at Rosehill and then he backed that up a week later to run third–unlucky not to be second–in a Group 1.

“That gave us the confidence to pull the trigger on Royal Ascot. He's on the up and is improving. We got together with all the connections to discuss it and we just had the confidence that Cannonball was the right horse to have a go at Royal Ascot with.” 

Harron added, “Royal Ascot is such a prestigious event. It's an incredible week's racing and, in terms of this colt, he's beautifully-bred and is by Capitalist, who is obviously very close to our hearts and is doing an amazing job as a stallion at home in Australia. This will be Capitalist's first ever European runner, not to mean Royal Ascot, and if Cannonball was to be successful, it would obviously be huge for his potential stud value. This is the world stage and all eyes will be on the King's Stand. It's a true test of speed, which of course is very desirable for people in Australia. We wanted to give him the opportunity and he certainly won't let us down. We will find out exactly where he fits in.”

 

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King’s Stand Winner Nature Strip Won’t bid for Royal Ascot Double

Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), a brilliant winner of Tuesday's King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, will not bid to double up in the Platinum Jubilee S. on Saturday.

Trained by Chris Waller, Nature Strip slammed his King's Stand S. rivals by over four lengths and, despite pulling out of the race in rude health, will not bid to emulate the great Choisir (Aus), who was the last Australian-trained horse to complete the King's Stand and Platinum Jubilee double in 2003.

Nature Strip's managing owner Rod Lyons told Racing.com, “No [he won't run]. I think there was a fair bit of pressure on the boss to get him to run, but he said he's done his job, let's get him quarantined, get him home and get him ready for The Everest.”

Waller will be represented in the Platinum Jubilee instead by Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), and the legendary trainer described himself as proud of Nature Strip on Wednesday.

He Tweeted, “Our king Nature Strip has pulled up a treat and we are so proud of him. He's certainly made us very proud. It was a memorable moment for everybody.”

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Waller Upbeat About Home Affairs and Nature Strip After Ascot Gallop

Chris Waller, trainer of Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}), two of the fastest horses in the world, provided an upbeat bulletin on his Royal Ascot hopefuls after they had their first experience of the track on Friday morning. 

Home Affairs is on course to run in the Platinum Jubilee S. while Nature Strip is a leading fancy for the King's Stand S. for Waller, who will forever be remembered for his handling of Australian legend Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and, more recently, last year's Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}).

Nature Strip, one of the most decorated sprinters in the world with eight Group 1 wins to his name, and Home Affairs, twice successful at the highest level, were reported to have come through their breeze at Ascot racecourse with flying colours, according to the trainer. 

Waller said, “It was pretty much a perfect trip-they had two stopovers, one in Singapore and one in Dubai.

“Collectively they drank 120 litres of water on the flight and I think that's the key for anyone travelling, just making sure they're well hydrated.

“They put on a couple of kilos on the flight but now they're back to their normal weights, so they needed to do a little bit of work this morning.

“Today was their first piece of fast work for two weeks, they just needed a little bit of stimulation and I was pretty happy with what they did.”

A handful of international raiders have based themselves in Newmarket while American handler Wesley Ward has taken his team to Chelmsford racecourse in the build-up to next week's royal meeting.

Waller was full of praise for the facilities in Lambourn, a racing centre more celebrated for its jumps inhabitants, as well as his European training colleagues.

He said, “It's been great, a lovely relaxed environment. It's amazing, the facilities over here, it's awesome-the horses just enjoy themselves and are very relaxed.

“Like a lot of training centres around the world, we train in the city and everything is a rush. There's a lot of horses in a small area, but not here, it's all about the horse and it's no wonder the English, Irish and French turn up so many good winners.”

He added, “You train to your own environment, we know what works in Australia. I have the utmost respect for how hard it must be to train a horse here.

“In particular they've got to have their horses right for six months of the year, we have 12 months to get things right. If you miss a carnival, you've got another one two or three months later – but there's only one Royal Ascot.

“The way the English and Irish trainers, and the French as well, the way they prepare them for their races is quite unique. We have prep runs, we don't get them ready for a 2,000 metre race first time.”

While Winx never made the trip to Ascot that so many fans hoped for, Waller is not a total stranger to Royal Ascot having sent Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) to race in 2015.

The son of I Am Invincible came close to victory in the then Diamond Jubilee S., finding only the Ward-trained Undrafted (Purim) half a length too good.

Asked what he learnt from his experience with Brazen Beau, Waller said, “That it would be achievable to win a race here one day.

“He ran very well and he was a good Australian sprinter, a young horse with a similar profile to Home Affairs. You've got to have a horse with a good temperament, they've got to be quick, they've got to be able to cope with good tracks or perhaps a bit of rain on the day as well.

“We almost pulled it off, so not much has changed really, we almost got it right and we'll try to get it right this time.”

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‘Time Is Precious!’: Dettori Hoping US-Trained Extravangant Kid Can Land Him Elusive July Cup Victory

Jockey Frankie Dettori is hoping Extravagant Kid can finally fill the only major gap on his British racing CV by landing the Darley July Cup on Saturday (July 10th) at Newmarket.

The six furlong contest is the only domestic Group One race the 50 year old has yet to win, although he has ridden the runner-up on three occasions – Iffraaj (2006), Advertise (2019) and Sceptical (2020).

Dettori said: “I have been living in Newmarket since 1985 and outside of the Guineas this is our biggest race, so I would of course love to be able to win it. I have won races all over the world and it is this one in my hometown that is proving the most difficult.

“I thought I was finally going to do it a couple of years ago on Advertise but he was no match for Ten Sovereigns in the finish and Sceptical ran a great race last year.

Hopefully, I can finally get a July Cup winner – I am 50 years old and so time is precious!”

Extravagant Kid is trained by US-based Brendan Walsh and is a 12-1 chance with bet365 for the race. Winner of the Group One Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, UAE, in March, the eight year old has stayed on in Britain since finishing third on his British debut behind Oxted in the Group One King's Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot on June 15th.

Oxted won the Darley July Cup in 2020 and lines up again on Saturday, when he will bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the prestigious sprint since Right Boy in 1958 and 1959.

Assessing the chances of Extravagant Kid on Saturday, Dettori said: “I am not sure he is the best horse in the race but he is the best ride that I could get.

“Oxted thrashed us at Royal Ascot and we have it all to do to reverse the form with him. However, my horse will like the ground and is an honest performer who stays six furlongs well.

“With 19 runners it should hopefully be a strongly run race which will suit and we are drawn in stall 12, which is quite close to Oxted (drawn 16) and that is hopefully where the pace is going to be.”

Dettori was present at Wembley for Italy's Euro 2020 semi-final victory in a penalty shootout over Spain on Tuesday night, which he described as an “emotional rollercoaster”.

However, he will not be at Wembley for Sunday's final against England. He added: “England are going to have the advantage of having the home crowd on their side on Sunday but unfortunately I won't be able to attend as I am going away for a few days with my wife.

“We booked this a while ago and I owe her some time away after approaching two years when it has not been possible to go on holiday!”

The post ‘Time Is Precious!’: Dettori Hoping US-Trained Extravangant Kid Can Land Him Elusive July Cup Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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