Pinatubo (Ire) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Godolphin’s Pinatubo Looms in G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat

Sunday is a big day for the Godolphin operation, with their two star Shamardal juveniles of 2019 Pinatubo (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire) back in action at Deauville. Neither has followed the script so far, with the former suffering two reversals and Earthlight out so far through injury. Pinatubo is back over seven furlongs in the feature G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat, having possibly been stretched on his two starts at a mile when third in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket June 6 and runner-up in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot a fortnight later. “He worked well last weekend and after Ascot we were happy with him. He had a good blow midweek and he looks in good order,” Charlie Appleby said of the standard-setter on Saturday. “The ground is on the easy side there, but he has run well on quick ground and soft ground and I won’t be using that as an excuse going over there.”

Earthlight, who reappears in the six-furlong Listed Qatar Prix Kistena, can be seen in an even better light having beaten Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) in Newmarket’s

G1 Middle Park S. in September. He had that rival back in third when taking the G1 Prix Morny here in August and remains one of his generation’s leaders. “Earthlight is in excellent form according to his trainer,” Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard commented. “He came through a very pleasing racecourse gallop well and it appears to have put him back in the zone both mentally and physically. In saying that, he is a laid-back horse with a stocky frame who hasn’t run for 10 months. This race is the perfect spot for him to start off his season.”

If Pinatubo fails to fire, the Prix Jean Prat is up for grabs and Shadwell’s Molatham (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) proved he was a colt on the up with his success in the G3 Jersey S. over this trip at Royal Ascot June 18. Angus Gold, racing manager to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said, “He’s a horse we’re just getting to know–what we don’t know is what his optimum trip is going to be. Seven furlongs is well within his capabilities. We’re thinking possibly the [G1 Prix] Maurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs in August at Deauville if he seems to have the speed. We’ll just see on Sunday if he has the speed to win a group one over a shorter trip or do we need to go up to a mile with him.”

Ryan Moore has opted for last year’s G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) over the other Ballydoyle runner Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) despite two below-par efforts this term. Andre Fabre drops both Alson (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) and Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) back from a mile following their efforts in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and Pouliches respectively. Alson was third in his June 1 Classic here and it may be that Corinna Baronin Von Ullmann’s free-going homebred is more comfortable at this distance over which he registered a 20-length defeat of his sole rival Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Criterium International at ParisLongchamp in October.

Tropbeau beat the subsequent Pouliches heroine Dream and Do (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G3 Prix de la Grotte over a mile at ParisLongchamp May 11, but Lady Bamford’s G3 Prix Six Perfections and G2 Prix du Calvados winner was disappointing when only fourth in the main event. Freshened up since, she has the sex allowance taking on the colts while TDN Rising Star Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is another to have benefitted from a break having been sixth in the 2000 Guineas.

“His work has been good since the Guineas and it is the last really big chance he has to run against his own age group at this level,” trainer Ralph Beckett explained. “In terms of experience, he looked like a boy against men in the 2000 Guineas, but he had a stop-start prep going to the race. He had blip in January and one at the start of April, so we didn’t have proper run at the Guineas and we have had a proper run since. Coming back in trip doesn’t worry me, as he has got plenty of boot but he will need it on Sunday.”

In Hamburg’s G1 IDEE 151st Deutsches Derby, all eyes will be on Stall Wasserfreunde’s Wonderful Moon (Ger) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) as he bids to emulate his sire’s success in this Classic. He holds Dr. Christoph Berglar’s Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) on the form of his successes in the May 8 G3 Cologne Classic and the G2 Union-Rennen also at Cologne June 14 and it could be that he has yet to reach a peak in 2020. His 12-length win in Krefeld’s G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen in November is still the standard and this is his acid test. Karin Brieskorn and Stall Salzburg’s impressive Listed Brummerhof-Derby Trial winner Kellahen (Ger) (Wiesenpfad {Fr}) warrants respect, such was the manner of his performance in that 11-furlong prep at Hanover June 28, while another live contender should Wonderful Moon flop is his stablemate Dicaprio (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). Christoph Holschbach and Thomas Krauth’s half-brother to last year’s Derby runner-up Django Freeman (Ger) (Campanologist) looked seven-length winner of Munich’s 11-furlong Listed Derby Trial June 15.

Also at Hamburg, the G3 Sparkasse Holstein-Cup sees Stall Raffelberg’s June 21 G2 German 1000 Guineas heroine Lancade (GB) (Areion {Ger}) take on the older fillies and mares. The form of her Dusseldorf Classic success was boosted this week by Rose of Kildare (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and she will pose a threat to Godolphin’s June 15 Listed Prix Urban Sea winner Half Light (Ire) (Shamardal) and Team Valor’s June 7 Listed Pool & The Gang Cup scorer Go Rose (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}).

Back at Deauville, there is further Godolphin interest in the six-furlong G3 Qatar Prix de Ris-Orangis with Royal Crusade (GB) (Shamardal) looking to build on a highly encouraging return sixth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 19. Runner-up in the G2 Champagne S. over a furlong further at Doncaster in September, the well-regarded homebred meets the older sprinters including the impressive May 31 G2 Prix du Gros-Chene scorer Tour To Paris (Fr) (Fuisse {Fr}). “We were pleased with Royal Crusade’s effort in the Commonwealth Cup and he looks to have come forward physically for his first run of the year,” Charlie Appleby said. “He is taking on older opposition but we are hopeful that he can become one of our nice sprinters for the future.”

Deauville’s fixture also sees Alexander Tamagni-Bodmer & Regula Vannod’s 2019 G1 Coronation S. heroine Watch Me (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) make her seasonal bow in the Listed Qatar Prix de la Calonne over a mile, while Dundalk stages the belated G3 Woodford Reserve Ballysax S. in which Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) takes a step up to 10 furlongs. Having pushed Molatham (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) to the line when runner-up in the seven-furlong Jersey at the Royal meeting, Peter Brant and Coolmore’s TDN Rising Star has stamina to prove.

Capannelle in Rome hosts the weekend’s most valuable race, the €704,000 G3 Derby Italiano, as part of a six stakes card. The locally trained Cima Emergency (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) is the highest-rated runner and merits respect off a last-out victory in the G3 Premio Parioli Shadwell (Italian 2000 Guineas) over a mile on June 14; he has never been worse than second in five starts but has distance questions to answer as he races beyond a mile for the first time. Aurelius In Love (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}) looks to build on a pair of black-type wins last year and a recent listed second over 2000 metres to Masterwin (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Baptism (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) lines up off a listed score going 2100 metres three weeks ago.

With purses significantly down in Britain, Andrew Balding and Mark Johnston are among the British-based trainers looking to take home a slice of the pie here. Johnston saddles King’s Caper (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who won three times last year at two but he has been well-beaten in both outings in 2020; a fifth behind English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) in the Listed Derby Trial S. and a 12th in Royal Ascot’s King George V S. Balding sends out Papa Power (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), twice a winner over the all-weather in February but last of six home in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot.

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Godolphin Colts Avoid Clash in Jean Prat

Godolphin’s champion Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) and fellow MG1SW Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) will not line up against one another in the July 12 G1 Prix Jean Prat, the Racing Post reported on Tuesday. The former, an unbeaten champion at two for trainer Charlie Appleby, ran third in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas early last month, before a runner-up performance in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot on June 20. He will represent the royal blue in the Jean Prat, while Andre Fabre trainee Earthlight, who won the G1 Middle Part S. and G1 Prix Morny as a juvenile, will contest the Listed Prix Kistena on the undercard on Sunday. Also undefeated, Earthlight will make his 3-year-old bow and sixth racecourse appearance in the Kistena, as a minor injury kept him on the bench through the spring.

“Earthlight is in great form and will run in the Prix Kistena on Sunday,” Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard confirmed to Racing Post.

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Pinatubo Possible for Prix Jean Prat

Charlie Appleby will make a decision after watching Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) work at the weekend regarding his participation in the G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. The Newmarket handler is leaning towards the seven-furlong Group 1 on Sunday week as the next target for last year’s champion 2-year-old, who has met with defeat in both of his starts this season. Having finished third on his first start over a mile in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Sharmardal colt subsequently found only Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) too strong in the G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot.

With Appleby reporting Pinatubo to have come out of his race at the Royal meeting in good fashion, a trip to France is on the agenda.

Appleby said, “Pinatubo did an easy piece of work on Wednesday and that was his first piece of work back. The piece of work was nothing strong, but it pleased us. We have a target that is the Prix Jean Prat, but it is not rubber-stamped yet. He will do another piece of work over the weekend and we will make our decision then. So far the post-race signs after Ascot have been good.

“If he has pleased us and everything is going well, we will drop him back to seven for the Prix Jean Prat.”

Although Pinatubo has been beaten for the first time in his career, Appleby believes there are plenty of positives to take out of his efforts.

He said, “He definitely came forward a bit more from the Guineas to St James’s Palace S., which we had hoped he would. I know he has been beaten in both the St James’s Palace S. and 2000 Guineas, but what he showed us is that he has great courage.

“William [Buick] said he showed great guts to keep going in the St James’s Palace. The extra furlong just caught him out at Ascot last time having travelled so well, but what he showed us was determination and that he is a great battler.”

Despite Pinatubo being lined up for a drop back in trip, the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland in November is a potential end-of-season target.

Appleby said, “You can see how strongly he travels through his races, so dropping back to seven doesn’t worry me at all. I’m not saying that he won’t get a mile in time. What we could potentially work back from is the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland. The two-turn mile around there could really suit him.”

The G2 Qatar Lennox S. at Goodwood remains the target for Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). However, Appleby has not ruled out running the Dubawi colt in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket next Saturday if conditions are suitable.

He said, “Ultimately the Lennox is the aim, as we know what he can do over seven furlongs, but we might look at the July Cup. We know he is a better horse with cut in the ground, so we wouldn’t want to be dropping back on a sounder surface.

“If the conditions changed the July Cup would be worth looking at. We always had it on our mind he would be a sprinter this year.”

MG1SW Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) looks set to make his next appearance abroad, with Appleby weighing up options in France and Germany for Excelebration (Ire) gelding, who finished third last time out in the Prince of Wales’s S. at the Royal meeting.

“We are looking at either the G1 Prix D’Ispahan over nine furlongs at Chantilly or the G1 Bayerisches Zuchtrennan over a mile and a quarter at Munich.

“He pulled up out of his last run well. I was pleased with the run and he put up a solid performance. The plan after this will be to give him a break and then look at going for some international races later in the year.”

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Ascot Braced for Super Saturday

After the quintet of thrilling Group 1 contests this week at Royal Ascot, Saturday sees a triple treat as the G1 St James’s Palace S., G1 Coronation S. and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. provide the ultimate closing act. It is the St James’s Palace which entices the most, with the May 6 G1 2,000 Guineas second and third Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) re-enacting their Classic encounter as TDN Rising Star Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) joining in for good measure. On last year’s form, Pinatubo still holds sway and only this race will tell if he has truly been usurped as the kingpin of his generation. Big names such as Kris (GB), Giant’s Causeway and Kingman himself were beaten in the Guineas before getting back on track in this race and it is far too early to be writing off such a remarkable 2-year-old talent. It may be that the rain-softened ground will aid his cause, as Newmarket was the fastest surface he had encountered. Charlie Appleby is keen to turn him out again.

“I’m really pleased with him. William [Buick] sat on him on Wednesday and he had a nice breeze,” he said. “You can definitely see this horse has sharpened up for his run in the Guineas. As much as I’m not going to get away from the fact I was delighted with the way we were going into the Guineas, he is a horse as we saw last year that progressed race on race and I feel that race has definitely brought him forward. There is a drying forecast, but that doesn’t bother me because he has won on soft ground and even when he won the National S. it was on the slow side of good. Obviously, we have got to re-oppose the horse that was second in the Guineas and it is a good race, but I couldn’t be any happier with our fellow.”

Wichita will not appreciate it if the ground is on the easier side, if his third placing in the G1 Dewhurst S. on soft ground is any guide. Aidan O’Brien, who also saddles the Guineas also-rans Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), is the leading trainer in this race’s history with eight wins and he has a tactical edge with safety in numbers. “We’re not sure about how he’ll cope with the ground really,” the trainer said of Wichita. “He’s a big, powerful horse but you can never be sure until they run on it. He does have a lot of power, so you’d think he’d be okay and we’ve been happy with him since the Guineas.”

Palace Pier has a lot to find on the formbook, having defeated this week’s Golden Gates H. flop Acquitted (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) in a mile handicap on Newcastle’s Tapeta June 6, but he is unbeaten and represents the Gosden-Dettori axis so is worthy of respect. Last year’s G2 Champagne S. winner Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and the G3 Solario S. scorer Positive (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) add ballast despite coming up short in Group 1 company on their juvenile finales. John Gosden has warned that Palace Pier might be compromised by conditions.

“I’m not sure about the ground,” he said. “He’s got a smooth action and might find it too tacky, but we’re going to run. We went to Newcastle to get a run in and if he handles the ground I think he’ll run very well.”

Like the St James’s Palace S., the Coronation has also been shovelled onto the curtain-closer to allow the G1 1,000 Guineas fillies extra time for vital R & R. TDN Rising Star Quadrilateral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) ended a winter-long spell of expectation with relative disappointment when only a well-beaten third behind Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the June 7 Newmarket Classic, but she was too fresh and keen there and may be a different proposition this time. Last year’s G1 Fillies’ Mile winner has some high-class individuals to contend with again in the form of the G2 Debutante S. winner Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}), the impressive Listed Pretty Polly Fillies’ S. scorer Run Wild (Ger) (Amaron {GB}) and the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Sharing (Speightstown). She even has to reverse Guineas form with the runner-up Cloak of Spirits (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and has two Ballydoyle contenders to deal with, so this is no easy task.

Quadrilateral’s rider Jason Watson sees her latest effort in a different light and said, “I think her run in the Guineas was mightily impressive considering how keen she was early on and it’s done her a lot of good–it’s taken the edge off and I think we’ll her see a more relaxed horse this time. I have sat on her since and we’ve been happy with her. She just got over-excited first time out and I can’t see why Ascot won’t suit her as she’s an all-rounder who is not ground-dependant or track-dependant.”

Harry Charlton, assistant to father Roger, added, “The team thought it was wrong to step straight up into the Oaks, having by chance run a bit keen in the Guineas after pinging the stalls. To go from a mile to a mile and a half seemed a bit unnatural. The way the race panned out wasn’t ideal for her, but she still ran a good race to finish third. She seems in good nick and she took the run in the Guineas well. She is a horse that always eats well and I think she will improve for what she did. Newmarket probably doesn’t play to her strengths, because she is a big, rangy filly and this might well suit her better.”

After the major yards have fought it out in the two 3-year-old highlights, another blueblood lines up as favourite for the Diamond Jubilee only this time for the little-known Denis Hogan stable. Godolphin cast-off Sceptical (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is favourite to emulate the Royal success of his dam Jealous Again (Trippi) less than eight months after trading at 25-1 for his racecourse debut in a five-furlong maiden at Dundalk. He meets a different class of sprinter than those he dispatched in the Listed Woodlands S. at Naas June 8 and while he will have a legion of well-wishers here he is the market leader only through potential at present.

“There’s so much about the horse, that I just hope everything goes well on the day really,” Hogan commented. “I suppose softer ground would be a bit of an unknown. My gallop here can get very soft during the winter and he seemed to cope with that alright, so I’d be hopeful. But at the same time, he’s only raced on the grass once and that was on good-to-firm at Naas.”

Already proven in this territory, Haras d’Etreham and Cambridge Stud’s G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}) has a lot in his favour, while Lael Stable’s One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is still unexposed at this trip. The dual G1 Prix de la Foret heroine was runner-up over this course and distance in the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint, while it is hard to forget the finishing flourish of Saeed Suhail’s Dream of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) in last year’s renewal. Just a head behind Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) at the death, he was in front a stride after the line and Sir Michael Stoute is bound to have him cherry-ripe for his return.

Ascot’s high-octane fixture also sees the G2 Coventry S. feature a clash between the TDN Rising Stars Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), with Godolphin’s Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) just one of the other exciting prospects engaged. Admiral Nelson looked one of his stable’s potential 2021 Classic protagonists on his winning debut over five furlongs at The Curragh June 12, the same day that Shadwell’s Qaader lit up Newbury with a four-length debut win. The latter is joined by the June 2 Kempton winner Army of India (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) and the June 6 Newcastle winner Thunder of Niagara (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) from Mark Johnston’s stable.

His son, Charlie Johnston said, “On homework, before they ran, Army of India was probably top of the pile. On the strength of what they beat, you would probably lean towards Thunder of Niagara, and on visual impressions you would probably lean to Qaader. All three have earned the right to be there, and we just hope at least one is good enough basically.”

Creative Force has had a relatively luxurious 16-day period to recover from his initial exertions and the form of his Newmarket success over this trip was boosted on Friday by the G2 Norfolk S. third Imperial Force (Ire) (Camacho {GB}). Trainer Charlie Appleby is quietly confident.

“He was very professional on his first start at Newmarket, when he jumped and travelled well. That was a pleasing introduction and he has come forward for the run. He is a half-brother to Persuasive (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who was proven in slower ground. He has a sensible draw in the middle and we will be disappointed if he doesn’t run a nice race.”

In the G2 Queen Mary S., TDN Rising Star More Beautiful (War Front) is another gem for Aidan O’Brien who looked to have the world at her feet when successful on debut over this five-furlong trip at Naas June 8. Cheveley Park Stud’s June 4 Newmarket winner Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is one of those from the higher-profile stables charged with taking her on along with Stonestreet Stables’ May 31 Gulfstream Park maiden special weight scorer Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). She is joined by fellow Wesley Ward trainee Royal Approval (Tiznow) who she beat on debut and their trainer thinks the winner of that contest has the edge.

“Campanelle is a filly with real quality and the time of the race was a Breeders’ Cup quality time,” he explained. “She’s a bigger, longer type of filly but has plenty of speed to her. She goes there with a big chance, I think.”

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