Napa Spirit | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ward Relishing Royal Ascot Return

NEWMARKET, UK–Since 2009, Wesley Ward has made Royal Ascot an annual pilgrimage, both for his horses and his family. The enduring and endearing repetition of that first visit is the presence of the now 14-year-old Strike The Tiger (Tiger Ridge), Ward's first of 11 Royal Ascot winners, who is now a much valued stable pony and has accompanied his team to Newmarket.

The trainer was in his customary relaxed mood on Wednesday morning at Newmarket's National Stud, where his team has been based on his visits to England over the last few years. Among the nine horses heading to the Berkshire track next week is another returning star, Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the winner of last year's G2 Queen Mary S. at Ascot who went on to win the G1 Darley Prix Morny in Deauville for Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stables.

An intended runner in Friday's G1 Commonwealth Cup, in which she will be reunited with Frankie Dettori, Campanelle is one of two older horses in the raiding party along with Richard Ravin's Maven (American Pharoah). The lightly-raced 4-year-old will tackle the G1 King's Stand S. on the opening day of the meeting.

“When Maven ran in an allowance race at Keeneland in April, we felt he was a bit short fitness-wise,” Ward said on Wednesday morning. “On the day he bounced out in front and when they came to him, I thought he was going to surrender, but he just took off again. I was delighted and then once I saw the numbers, it inspired me to put him on the team for Royal Ascot. He will have to move forward from that again to be in the mix for the King's Stand Stakes, but I think he is entitled to do so.”

Maven is one of two American raiders on course for the King's Stand. The 8-year-old G1 Al Quoz Sprint winner Extravagant Kid (Kiss The Kid), who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, arrived in Newmarket on Tuesday evening and is stabled across town at Abington Place. His trainer Brendan Walsh is very familiar with British racing's headquarters, having worked in Newmarket for several years for Mark Wallace.

The remaining Ward septet are all juveniles and it is in this sphere which the trainer notoriously excels. He appears to have a real soft spot for the statuesque Kaufymaker (Jimmy Creed), a homebred for Gregory Kaufman who was raised on Ward's own farm in Florida. Unusually, the chestnut filly will be taking on the colts in the G2 Coventry S. on Tuesday.

Ward said, “She won on the dirt at Keeneland and then when we worked her on the grass, she took to it like a duck to water. Of all the workers I have had on the grass coming into the meeting, she has risen to the top. That is why I am giving her the biggest assignment. The Coventry Stakes is a race I have been dying to have a real big chance in and I think she is going to give me it. She is the best I have and that is why I am putting her in here.”

He continued, “She has a big, long stride and I think it is a bit of an advantage at this time of the year to have a filly against the colts. If you look at all the times of the races over the years, especially in the States, the fillies are always faster. The same applies to the breeze-ups for the most part. It is like boys and girls in school—for whatever reason girls mature that little bit faster.”

Having tasted significant success last year, Stonestreet Stables has stuck to the formula of buying European-bred yearlings to aim at the meeting and three youngsters will bear Banke's colours at Ascot on Wednesday. Twilight Gleaming (Ire) will bid to give her first-season sire National Defense (GB) an important first Royal Ascot winner in the G2 Queen Mary S., while the filly Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}) will take on Napa Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})–the top-priced colt at last year's Goffs Orby Sale at £420,000–in the listed Windsor Castle S. John Velazquez is set to ride Ruthin and Dettori is booked for Napa Spirit.

“In regard to Twilight Gleaming and Ruthin, sometimes you have to readjust because of what you see from them in their workouts once they're over here.” Ward noted. “With both horses being owned by Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables, you have to go with what you see. To me, Twilight Gleaming might be a shade better, which is why she is going for the Queen Mary Stakes, and Ruthin will slot in for the Windsor Castle Stakes alongside Napa Spirit. We are going to use a figure-8 bridle and tongue tie on Ruthin, to help her get some more air, and I think that could make a big difference to her.”

Ruthin was exercised riderless on Wednesday morning alongside Strike The Tiger and Ollie Sangster, who gave the filly an easy jog on the Newmarket turf. Ward's preparation for her change of tack next week included having her wear the tongue tie and grakle noseband during the exercise.

Ruthin had Artos (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) six lengths behind her when the pair met on debut at Keeneland on April 22. The latter, who will be a first Royal Ascot runner for Rusty Arnold, arrived in Newmarket on Tuesday with Extravagant Kid and she will now face Twilight Gleaming in the Queen Mary.

Ward will also be double-handed in Thursday's G2 Norfolk S., in which Lucci (Not This Time) will take on Nakatomi (Firing Line). Oisin Murphy will ride the latter, with Velazquez renewing his acquaintance with first-time-out Belmont maiden winner Lucci.

The trainer said, “At home, we have been working Lucci and Nakatomi together. Nakatomi was coming out on top, but then they had a workout in Newmarket on the Limekilns and Lucci turned the tables. He just bounced straight through to the front and would not give up the lead.”

Joining Campanelle on the lorry from Newmarket to Ascot on Friday will be the G3 Albany S. contender Golden Bell (Macho Uno), who races for a partnership which includes Hat Creek Racing, former owners of the 2017 listed Sandringham H. winner Con Te Partiro (Scat Daddy), and Cheyenne Stable. Ward would be happy to see some rain fall at the track ahead of the penultimate day of the meeting.

“Golden Bell is actually one I wouldn't mind a bit of dig in the ground for, which is not something you would usually hear me say,” he commented. “The night before she worked at Keeneland, we had quite heavy rain, and she just flew through the ground. With her and Campanelle, I might have to do a little rain dance the night before.”

The post Ward Relishing Royal Ascot Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Trainer Wesley Ward ‘Getting Excited’ About Royal Ascot Contingent

Richard Ravin's Maven, a Group 3 winner in France in 2019 who captured his 2021 debut in April at Keeneland, joined a group of 2-year-olds who turned in half-mile works on the firm Keeneland turf course Friday for trainer Wesley Ward in preparation for possible trips to England to compete at Royal Ascot in June. Since 2009, when he became the first American trainer to win a race at Royal Ascot, Ward has 11 victories at the prestigious meet.

The Royal Ascot meet will be held June 15-19.

“We had some really nice works,” Ward said about today's performances. “(The Keeneland turf course) is a true grass course. It's similar to the courses in England.”

Keeneland clockers caught Maven, working in company with Madison (G1) winner Kimari, in :47.80. A 4-year-old gelding by American Pharoah, Maven is intended for the 5-furlong King's Stand (G1) on June 15 at Royal Ascot, while Kimari is being pointed to Saratoga for her next start in the July 28 Honorable Miss (G2).

Ward's juvenile turf workers all won their career debuts in April:

· Marc Detampel's Nakatomi (June 17 Norfolk-G2) was clocked in :50.40 in company with Hat Creek Racing and Cheyenne Stable's Tea Olive (:52)

· Two horses owned by Stonestreet Stable worked in company – Ruthin (GB) (June 16 Queen Mary-G2) in :48.60 and Napa Spirit (IRE) (Norfolk) in :48.80.

· Hat Creek Racing and Cheyenne Stable's Golden Bell (June 18 Albany-G3) was timed in :48.20 in company with her faster workmate, Gregory Kaufman's Kaufymaker (:47.80).

Ward said Kaufymaker earned consideration with today's work to compete at Royal Ascot.

Set to return to Royal Ascot for Ward is Stonestreet's 3-year-old filly Campanelle (IRE), who last year captured the Queen Mary before taking the Darley Prix Morny (G1) at Deauville in France. Campanelle is based at Keeneland but has been working Sundays on the turf course at Churchill Downs in a schedule based on the availability of the Keeneland course.

Ward has Campanelle scheduled to make her 2021 debut in the June 18 Commonwealth Cup (G1) at 6 furlongs against males. With a win at Royal Ascot two years in a row, Campanelle would equal the feat of Stonestreet's Lady Aurelia, who Ward trained to win the 2016 Queen Mary and 2017 King's Stand.

The trainer's other possible 2-year-old starters at Royal Ascot this year include Peter Leidel's Overbore (June 15 Coventry-G2); Andrew Farm, For the People Racing Stable and Windmill Manor Farm's Lucci (Norfolk) and Stonestreet's Twilight Gleaming (IRE) (June 16 Windsor Castle-L).

Ward said the horses would depart June 1 on a flight from Indianapolis and be based at the English National Stud. He plans to fly to England following Bound for Nowhere's start in the Jackpot Jaipur (G1) on June 5 at Belmont Park and oversee the final works by his contingent before their Royal Ascot races.

“I'm getting excited,” he said.

Another Royal Ascot hopeful stabled at Keeneland is DARRS Inc.'s Extravagant Kid, who won the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1) Sponsored by Azizi Developments during the March 27 Dubai World Cup card. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Extravagant Kid is being considered for two races at the meet: the 5-furlong King's Stand (G1) on June 15 and the 6-furlong Diamond Jubilee (G1) on June 19.

Extravagant Kid has recorded half-mile breezes at Keeneland on dirt on May 4 (:50.20) and May 13 (:48.20). Walsh said he is scheduled to work again Saturday at 7:30 a.m.

“Flying out on the first or second (of June),” Walsh said via text about travel plans for Extravagant Kid. “I'm not sure if I'm going yet. Depends on the quarantine restrictions.”

The post Trainer Wesley Ward ‘Getting Excited’ About Royal Ascot Contingent appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

The Weekly Wrap: Fit For A King

Khalid Abdullah's legacy will live long in Thoroughbred genealogy thanks to the female families he cultivated, like the one that supplied him Sunday's 'TDN Rising Star' and G1 Cadoo Oaks contender Noon Star (Galileo {Ire}).

Juddmonte's sires, likewise, have started the season off with a bang. In this space last week we were singing the praises of Frankel (GB) off the back of a week of intercontinental successes. While Frankel remains poised to have an excellent season, in the space of 35 minutes at Sandown on Friday along came his Banstead Manor barnmate Kingman (GB) to steal the spotlight with a pair of exciting 4-year-olds. First up was Waldkonig (GB), who had flashed talent early last season before being sent to the sidelines by setbacks. He earned a first black-type victory second up in the 2000 metre G3 Gordon Richards S. in just his fifth start, and considering the bottom half of his pedigree, connections-including trainers John and Thady Gosden–should be enthusiastic that he will keep improving: his half-brother, Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was at his best at five when he beat Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) to win the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-his fourth win at the highest level.

The Gosdens and Frankie Dettori barely had time to digest Waldkonig's win before last year's champion 3-year-old Palace Pier (GB) upstaged him to win the G2 bet365 Mile by eight lengths. John Gosden insisted that Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed's colt was only at 80% for his comeback, and while last year's G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner will stick to a mile for the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Queen Anne S., Gosden said that longer races are on the radar for the second half of the season.

Waldkonig became Kingman's 34th stakes winner last week, three days after the sire had notched his 33rd in the form of Godolphin's Listed Blue Riband Trial scorer Wirko (GB), a €700,000 Baden-Baden yearling bred by Gestut Rottgen. Wirko is out of the listed-winning Mount Nelson (GB) mare Weltmacht (GB), herself a daughter of the Group 2 winner and multiple stakes producer Wild Side (Ger) (Sternkoenig {Ire}), and thus a sturdy template has been written for crossing Kingman with German pedigrees.

Mehmas On The Up

Kingman has consistently proven the class leader of his sire crop and another who looks like doing so, Mehmas, likewise had a productive week. On the same Sandown card on which Palace Pier and Waldkonig starred, 3-year-old Nelson Gay (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) won the five furlong bet365 H. by 6 1/2 lengths, igniting Royal Ascot dreams for trainer Richard Hughes. On Sunday Fayathaan (Ire) became Mehmas's eighth stakes winner in Rome's G3 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas). After comfortably breaking the record for winners for a first-season sire last year, Mehmas has kicked on with 20 at this early stage of the year. While he presented something of a question mark last year based on the fact that he himself didn't race beyond two, Mehmas appears to be supplying progeny with scope. Fayathaan was his third stakes winner of 2021, joining the G3 Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial scorer Keeper Of Time (Ire) and Going Global (Ire), who has won a pair of Grade IIIs this year since being sold to California connections. Keeper Of Time was in the news this weekend after it was revealed that she too has been sold to race on in America, where Mehmas has had two stakes winners (last year's Listed Blue Norther S. winner Quattroelle {Ire} in addition to Going Global). With Acklam Express (Ire), Mystery Smiles (Ire) and Mehmento (Ire) having also picked up placings in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint, G3 Craven S. and G3 Greenham S. in the past month, Mehmas looks to be continuing on his upward trajectory.

Amid all the excitement of the young pretenders, it was nice to see a headline horse on Sunday for Coolmore stalwart Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) in the form of the 4 1/2-length Listed Salsabil S. winner Rocky Sky (Ire). Standing for €5,000, Rock Of Gibraltar certainly wouldn't be the flashiest horse in the sire ranks, but he has compiled an admirable body of work in 19 years at stud that places him currently fifth on the TDN's Cumulative Lifetime Active Sire List for European stallions, behind only his barnmate Galileo and Dubawi (Ire), Exceed and Excel (Aus) and Invincible Spirit (Ire). Rock Of Gibraltar has sired 135 stakes winners at a rate of 6.2% of his starters, and in Rocky Sky-who also provided trainer Ross O'Sullivan and jockey Gary Halpin with their first stakes wins-he looks to have one that could take him back to the top table. Rocky Sky races as a homebred for Catherine Kinane, whose husband Mick partnered Rock Of Gibraltar to six of his seven Group 1 wins.

More Derby Dreams For Adlerflug

Another star rising through the sire ranks in recent seasons has been Gestut Schlenderhan's Adlerflug (Ger), and his loss at age 17 earlier this month has already been keenly felt through the opening weeks of the turf season. Adlerflug's 2020 G1 Deutsches Derby winner and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up In Swoop (Ire) made an encouraging start to his 4-year-old campaign when a narrow second to the race-fit Sublimis (Ire) (Shamardal) in a mile-and-a-half listed race at ParisLongchamp two weeks ago, and Adlerflug has another Classic contender on the books in Alenquer (Fr), who sprang a 25-1 upset in Friday's 2000 metre G3 Classic Trial at Sandown. Alenquer is another feather in the cap for trainer William Haggas, who has made a bright start to the season, and the trainer insisted Alenquer would be better upped in trip and could target the German Derby or be supplemented to the G1 Cazoo Derby. Rider Tom Marquand picked up exactly where he had left off last weekend in Australia; Alenquer was his first ride since piloting Addeybb (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) to victory in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in Sydney.

Euro-Breds Star At Keeneland

The exodus of European-bred horses to America with aim on the country's lucrative turf purses is no new phenomenon, and last week saw a rapid-fire double for Stonestreet Stables and trainer Wesley Ward in that sphere at Keeneland. Last autumn, bloodstock agent Ben McElroy was dispatched to Europe with the memorandum to find a select team of yearlings that could excel on both continents. McElroy possessed the track record for the job, having plucked last year's G2 Queen Mary S. and G1 Prix Morny winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) out of Book 1 at Tattersalls October for 190,000gns, and his 2020 class has gotten off to a bright start, with Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}) (350,000gns at Book 1) and Napa Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (£420,000 at Goffs Orby) each breaking their maidens in professional fashion at Keeneland last week. Ruthin, in fact, was the first winner for Ribchester and she achieved that accomplishment in memorable fashion, earning 'TDN Rising Star' status.

McElroy admitted to the TDN that he felt more relieved than excited in the aftermath of Ruthin and Napa Spirit's races, which is understandable considering that both horses were relatively large outlays. The risk on them as yearlings, however, must have been somewhat lessened by the fact that they had $60,000 2-year-old maiden special weight purses to run for at Keeneland. American buyers have become a growing force at European yearling sales in recent years, and though at a disadvantage currency-wise, the promise of fat purses back home gives them considerable spending power. Successes at Royal Ascot for Ruthin or Napa Spirit would only fuel that fire, and all going well, that's where they are headed. It's probably a safe bet, too, that McElroy will be headed back this year's European yearling sales.

Breeze-Ups Looking Bright

On the subject of the sales, we were afforded a deeper look into the breeze-up market last week with the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale following on from Tattersalls's Craven Sale a week prior, and happily the outlook was once again bright. The aggregate of £6,219,500, average of £48,590 and median of £34,000 were all records for the sale, as was the number of six-figure lots (15). Likewise, the clearance rate of 89% (it had been 88% at Craven, the highest at that sale since 2000) pointed to a strong desire for bloodstock, and indeed there appeared to be a wide cross-section of buyers at both Doncaster and Craven, with no entities dominating the buyers' sheets. It is interesting that at the first two breeze-up sales of the season we have seen strong trade, but no true fireworks; the Tattersalls top lot was 360,000gns, while the joint top lots at Doncaster sold for £210,000. It appears thus far that there has been a slight weakening at the top of the market with simultaneously a strengthening in the middle market. The next clues will be provided by the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale on Friday.

The post The Weekly Wrap: Fit For A King appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Stonestreet, Agent McElroy Strike it Big With European Buys

When Napa Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won Friday's first race at Keeneland, bloodstock agent Ben McElroy was more relieved than ecstatic. Some six months earlier, he purchased Napa Spirit at the Goffs Orby Yearling sale in Ireland with a set goal in mind. He was looking for a unique type of horse, one that could win in the U.S. and Europe, would be fast and precocious, like the grass and be a good fit for the Royal Ascot meet. Friday's win was the latest sign that he had more than accomplished his mission.

It was the second win in as many days with a 2-year-old European import for the team of McElroy, Stonestreet Stables LLC and trainer Wesley Ward. Thursday's first race at Keeneland was won by their filly Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}), who was bought at the Tattersalls October Yearling sale in Great Britain. Both will soon be on their way to Ascot for what their connections hope will be a successful ending to a story that took McElroy to the major yearling sales across Europe last year.

McElroy bought five yearlings in Europe last year for Stonestreet, a list that includes Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), who finished second in her debut Apr. 8 at Keeneland.

McElroy isn't alone. More and more U.S. stables have been buying at the European yearling sales in recent years, looking for horses that can thrive in the U.S. Stonestreet and McElroy hit with the same formula last year. Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was bought for 190,000 guineas at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling sale and went on to win two group races, the GII Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot and the GI Darley Prix Morny.

“There is more turf racing now than ever in the U.S. and the prize money is very good,” McElroy said. “And horses stay sounder longer when they race on the grass.”

With Ruthin, McElroy stuck his neck out. Selling for 350,000 guineas (the equivalent of $474,776) she is from the first crop of sire Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and was the most expensive yearling by that sire sold at auction last year.

“Ribchester was a very high-class racehorse trained by Richard Fahey,” McElroy said. “He won the (GI) Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot and was very impressive in that race. He is son of Iffraaj, who is the sire of Wootton Basset (Iffraaj {GB}), who has turned into a sensational sire. I had a good feeling all along on Ribchester, based on the fact that he was precocious, very talented and is by Ifraaj.”

It was no surprise when Ruthin won Thursday, leading all the way in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden on the grass to win by six lengths. Sent out by Ward, who dominates the spring 2-year-old races at Keeneland, she was the 3-5 favorite.

“With the way that filly was working they had very high expectations for her,” he said. “We knew she had a lot of ability. She is a strong-willed filly. Every time we looked at her she reminded me more and more of Campanelle.”

The expectations for Napa Spirit weren't quite as high. He sold for €420,000 or the equivalent of $539,926. Sent off at 2-5, he lagged near the back of the pack early before his late rally carried him to a 1 1/2-length win.

“The colt is the bigger and stronger horse of the two and I think he needed that run,” McElroy said. “He is a very, very laid back horse, so we were relieved that he won in his first start. I was kind of nervous going in. Wesley thought he might need the race and that he will improve off the race. He's not as push button as the filly is.”

McElroy said he is a fan of Napa Spirit's sire, Invincible Spirit.

“Invincible Spirit is the sire of Kingman,” he said. “He stands for €100,000 and is a real high-end stallion. When I purchased (Napa Spirit), he was in early at that sale. For what he was physically and that he is by that sire, I'm not saying he was cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but we certainly didn't overpay for him. It's not like we were picking from the top. We were looking for horses that suit Wesley and what we thought might suit Ascot.”

One of the most prestigious race meets in the world, Royal Ascot, awaits Ruthin and Napa Spirit. Ward, by far the most successful U.S.-based trainer at Ascot, said Ruthin will go next in the Queen Mary. Napa Spirit's next start will be in the GII Coventry S.

The post Stonestreet, Agent McElroy Strike it Big With European Buys appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post