Love In, St Mark’s Basilica Out Of Juddmonte

Aidan O'Brien has declared Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International at York after revealing that St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) has suffered a setback in training.

“Yesterday morning he lost a front shoe and it came back and hit his hind leg–his near-hind joint,” the Ballydoyle handler explained on Monday. “We didn't think a lot of it, but this morning there was a little bit of swelling in it and when we took bloods off him, his bloods came back and it was a little bit infected. We were a bit taken aback when we saw it this morning, but when we did the bloods then we didn't have any choice as he needs to go on antibiotics and the antibiotics that he's going to go on obviously he couldn't run on. Hopefully we'll be back on target towards the end of this week and if we are, we'll be able to train him for the Irish Champion.”

Of Love, O'Brien added, “It's four or five days earlier than we'd planned for her–the plan was to go for the [G1 Prix Jean] Romanet on Sunday. When St Mark's came out, we decided we'd let her run here instead.”

Seven will go to post for the extended 10-furlong feature, with dual Group 1 winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) for John and Thady Gosden, Andrew Balding trainee Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), who won the July 28 G1 Sussex S., and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas scorer Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) for Jim Bolger three other star names. The field is rounded out by William Haggas's pair of G2 King Edward VII S. winner and G1 Grand Prix de Paris third Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and G3 Hampton Court S. victor Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), as well as stakes winner Juan Elcano (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was second in the July 24 G2 York S. for trainer Kevin Ryan.

Mishriff's jockey David Egan reacted to the news of the withdrawal of his mount's G1 Eclipse S. conqueror later on Monday. “St Mark's Basilica has been outstanding this season. It's unfortunate what's happened–nobody wants that,” he said. “We want the best horses going for these big races. One horse isn't going to make a horse race. Even without St Mark's Basilica, it's still a very strong field and we have a lot of good opposition to take on.”

Mishriff may have come up short behind St Mark's Basilica when third in the July 3 Sandown feature, but he has subsequently run second to Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), with Love 1 3/4 lengths in arrears, in Ascot's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. July 24. That gives Prince Faisal's homebred G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic hero the edge on form, but Egan is taking nothing for granted.

“Love is a very special filly. Although she did finish third last time, her previous form is not to be overlooked,” he added. “She was an unbelievable filly at three and looked like a real superstar and I still think she is. She possibly underperformed in the King George and we have to give a weight allowance to a filly that's very, very good, which is not going to be easy. We saw with Enable how strong these top-class fillies can be against the colts. Love is definitely going to bounce back and give us a good race.”

“Everything has gone smoothly–his preparation has been good,” Egan continued. “I was really pleased with how he progressed from the Eclipse to the King George. I thought the King George run was a fantastic run, finishing behind an absolute monster in Adayar, giving him so much weight. We don't need to give the 3-year-olds as much weight in the Juddmonte and I think dropping my lad back to a mile and a quarter will only play to his strengths. If Mishriff can improve as much as he did from the Eclipse to the King George, he's going to be hard to beat.”

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Five Face Love in The King George

Aidan O'Brien cut his team for the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. to two on Thursday, with last year's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks and June 16 G1 Prince of Wales's S. heroine Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) joined only by the July 4 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Wayne Lordan takes the ride on the latter, who currently trades as the outsider of the six-strong field to underline the quality of Saturday's renewal. It will be likely stripped of Christopher Wright's G1 Prix de Royallieu, G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Hardwicke S. heroine Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) if the forecast thunderstorms fail to provide sufficient rain, but David Menuisier is playing a waiting game by confirming her for the prestige affair.

“There are thunderstorms forecast and a good chance of heavy showers,” Menuisier told the Racing Post. “That doesn't mean Ascot will get them, but as long as it remains a possibility we owe it to the filly to keep her in the race and take her to Ascot on Saturday, where we will sit and wait. If it doesn't rain, we'll come home and enjoy the drive back.”

William Haggas believes the rain will not come in the kind of quantity required for his stable star Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and opted to take him out at the final stage, while Prince Faisal's Mar. 27 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) makes up the older contingent. The two 3-year-olds are Godolphin's June 5 G1 Epsom Derby hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's June 26 G1 Irish Derby runner-up Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who receive eight pounds weight-for-age from the 4-year-old fillies and 11 from Broome and Mishriff.

Adayar will be looking to become the first blue riband winner to prevail here since Galileo 20 years ago and trainer Charlie Appleby spoke after his breeze under William Buick at Moulton Paddocks on Thursday morning. “I couldn't be happier with him. It was a straightforward final piece of work and he will go there on Saturday with no excuses,” he said. “It's true that before Epsom, I thought he was shaping more as a St Leger type. He's so straightforward at home, he never stood out in his work but, having said that, we always felt he was very good. On Derby Day, he showed us a turn-of-foot we hadn't seen before and he has sharpened up a lot for that experience.”

“Like everybody else, we've got a huge watching brief on this,” he added. “Everybody's wanting to know how good the 3-year-olds are, particularly at a mile and a half. We would like to see what we are dealing with and I think the King George will provide the answers. Adayar is approaching his biggest challenge in tip-top condition and we are upbeat about accepting the challenge. His prep has been faultless. We have seen him maturing week on week. I believe he is physically stronger than he was at Epsom. When you see him in the paddock on Saturday, he won't look like a 3-year-old against older horses. He looks like an older horse now.”

On Friday, two high-class fillies share centre stage as they make their belated seasonal debuts. In Ascot's G3 British Racecourses Join Sunflower Lanyard Scheme Valiant S., George Strawbridge's 'TDN Rising Star' Indigo Girl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is back in action for the John and Thady Gosden stable while the Niarchos Family's Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) tackles York's Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Lyric Fillies' S. Sticking to the mile trip over which she captured the G2 May Hill S. at Doncaster in September before finishing runner-up in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket the following month, Indigo Girl who is a full-sister to her owner-breeder's Group 1 heroine Journey (GB) is bred to want further in time.

“We had planned to bring Indigo Girl back in May, but she's had a few niggles so we're bringing her back in July,” John Gosden said. “She's been working nicely on the all-weather lately and this looks a nice starting point for her and she may go up in trip later on.”

Indigo Girl is joined by Strawbridge's winter acquisition Elysium (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), who is also making her 2021 bow having last been seen winning The Curragh's G3 Weld Park S. in September. She remains in training with Noel Meade following her purchase and her trainer said,

“She's in good shape. We had kind of a miserable spring, as she got a few little respiratory problems which slowed her down. We struggled to get her right, but we think we're nearly there now and we really hadn't any place to start her in Ireland. Her owner has another runner in it and she's favourite, but that's the way it goes. She will improve for the run I'm sure.”

Also in the Valiant is Cheveley Park Stud's Sir Michael Stoute-trained Lights On (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who scored by 10 lengths in the Listed Pipalong S. over this trip on soft ground at Pontefract July 6.

The stud's managing director Chris Richardson said, “We've been thrilled with her this year. She ran no race at Royal Ascot [when eighth in the Kensington Palace S.] because of the draw really. The ground is going to be different on Friday. A bit of juice in the ground might have been helpful, but it's a logical race and we'll see what happens. John and Thady Gosden's filly was highly thought of last year, but our filly is in good form and has come out of her last race well.”

Alpine Star makes her keenly-anticipated return at York's evening meeting, with the Lyric Fillies' S. over an extended 10 furlongs an ideal slot for the G1 Coronation S.-winning half-sister to Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Last seen splitting Tarnawa  (Ire) (Shamardal) and Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) when runner-up in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix de l'Opera in October, the Jessie Harrington-trained chestnut has no penalty here and anything other than a smooth return win will be a surprise. “It's a nice little start-off for her and then we can plan for the autumn. We've got loads of options,” her trainer commented. “She had a little setback earlier in the year, which is why we didn't get to run her. She doesn't have to carry a penalty and is taking on just fillies, so let's hope all goes well.”

Click here for the group fields.

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Six Stand Their Ground For The King George

Aidan O'Brien cut his team for the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco S. to two on Thursday, with last year's G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Epsom Oaks and June 16 G1 Prince of Wales's S. heroine Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) joined only by the July 4 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}). Wayne Lordan takes the ride on the latter, who currently trades as the outsider of the six-strong field to underline the quality of this year's renewal. It will be likely stripped of Christopher Wright's G1 Prix de Royallieu, G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. and G2 Hardwicke S. heroine Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) if the forecast thunderstorms fail to provide sufficient rain, but David Menuisier is playing a waiting game by confirming her for the prestige affair.

William Haggas believes the rain will not come in the kind of quantity required for his stable star Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and opted to take him out at the final stage, while Prince Faisal's Mar. 27 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) makes up the older contingent. The two 3-year-olds are Godolphin's June 5 G1 Epsom Derby hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's June 26 G1 Irish Derby runner-up Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who receive eight pounds weight-for-age from the 4-year-old fillies and 11 from Broome and Mishriff.

Adayar will be looking to become the first blue riband winner to prevail here since Galileo 20 years ago and trainer Charlie Appleby spoke after his breeze under William Buick at Moulton Paddocks on Thursday morning. “I couldn't be happier with him. It was a straightforward final piece of work and he will go there on Saturday with no excuses,” he said. “It's true that before Epsom, I thought he was shaping more as a St Leger type. He's so straightforward at home, he never stood out in his work but, having said that, we always felt he was very good. On Derby Day, he showed us a turn-of-foot we hadn't seen before and he has sharpened up a lot for that experience.”

“Like everybody else, we've got a huge watching brief on this,” he added. “Everybody's wanting to know how good the three-year-olds are, particularly at a mile and a half. We would like to see what we are dealing with and I think the King George will provide the answers. Adayar is approaching his biggest challenge in tip-top condition and we are upbeat about accepting the challenge. His prep has been faultless. We have seen him maturing week on week. I believe he is physically stronger than he was at Epsom. When you see him in the paddock on Saturday, he won't look like a three-year-old against older horses. He looks like an older horse now.”

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King George Attracts Nine on Monday

Love, who is riding a four-race Group 1 winning streak, was a last out winner of the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot and is joined by fellow Coolmore partners' runners and top-shelf winners Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

Godolphin's Adayar is not the only 3-year-old in the field, as G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby second Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also steps forward for Martyn Meade.

Rounding out the nine are the globetrotting Group 1 winners Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) from the William Haggas yard, John and Thady Gosden trainee Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}).

“I talked to John after Mishriff worked on Saturday and John was very happy with him,” said Ted Voute, racing manager for Prince Faisal on the $20-million Saudi Cup and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic scorer. “It has very much been left up to John where he runs next and, having discussed it with the Prince, Ascot looks the likely target.

“We want to win a Group 1 in England with Mishriff and you can't win one unless you run in them. He has beaten some very good horses from around the world and now is the time to see what he can do against the big battalions from England and Ireland in particular.”

The progressive dual Group 1-winning filly Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) for David Menuisier. A notable absentee is G1 Coronation Cup victor Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) who suffered a setback.

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