Palace Pier Works Toward Marois

Royal Ascot Group 1 winner Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who is unbeaten in four starts, worked well on Saturday in advance of the Aug. 19 G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, according to trainer John Gosden. The Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum colourbearer graduated on debut at Sandown last August and added a novice race there a month later before being shelved. Successful in a June 6 handicap at Newcastle over the all-weather, the bay saluted in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot in his latest outing on June 20.

“Palace Pier worked well on Saturday and is looking at the Jacques le Marois, which I said he would go for right after he won the St James’s Palace S.,” said Gosden. “He is a young horse that is only three and he has only run four times in his life, so to that extent he is a progressive horse. Every time you go into these Group 1s it is hard and this time he is taking on older horses, not just 3-year-olds. He ran great at Ascot and I just think the straight mile at Deauville will really suit him. We are happy keeping him at a mile, but he will get a mile and a quarter in time. You could see that by the way he finished his race at Ascot.”

Gosden also provided an update on 2019 G1 St Leger S. winner Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who has been out of action with peritonitis since his Leger score.

“Logician breezed on Saturday as well and is coming along fine,” Gosden added. “We are looking to run him in September, all being well-that’s the plan. I know the races we want to look at, but we won’t name them until closer to the time as when you do you often don’t get there.”

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July Cup in the Cards for Threat

MGSW Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) will take his chance in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket rather than head to France this weekend. Trainer Richard Hannon had earmarked Sunday’s seven-furlong G1 Prix Jean Prat for last year’s G2 Gimcrack S. winner–but he has had a change of heart. Threat finished fifth to Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) over a mile in the G1 St James’s Palace S. on his only outing to date this season.

Hannon told his website www.richardhannonracing.co.uk: “As long as there are no last-minute glitches, the plan is for Threat to take his chance in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday. We were originally looking at the Prix Jean Prat in France. But the ground there is very soft at the moment, and I don’t really want to run him on that surface in what looks a hot little race.

“That’s not to say the July Cup is any easier, but I just think the drop back to six furlongs might be just what he needs, and he hasn’t got much to find with Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire})–and he’ll be favourite–so it makes sense to have a crack at this prize. He’s come out of Ascot in great shape, and might even come on for it a little bit as well. Oisin Murphy maintains the ride.”

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