Tag: Queen Anne Stakes

NBC Sports To Present Daily Live Coverage Of Royal Ascot Meeting

NBC Sports presents daily live coverage of the Royal Meeting in Ascot, England, beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, June 15, at 8:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Daily telecasts of the full five-day Royal Meeting will air on NBCSN through Friday, June 18, and conclude this Saturday, June 19 on NBC (9 a.m. ET) and CNBC (11 a.m. ET).

In total, NBC Sports will present nearly 25 hours of coverage over the five days.

Royal Ascot is Britain's most valuable race meeting and features more than 30 races, including eight at the world championship “Group One” level. Highlighting this year's American contingent are Extravagant Kid and Maven, a son of Triple Crown-winner American Pharoah, who are both expected to run in tomorrow's G1 King's Stand Stakes.

Throughout the week, coverage of The Royal Meeting features four live “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series – Win and You're In” races: The Queen Anne Stakes (Tues., June 15), Prince of Wales's Stakes (Wed., June 16), The Norfolk Stakes (Thurs., June 17), and The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Sat., Jun 19).

The Royal Meeting is the center of the British social season and a pivotal week in the calendar of the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II has attended Royal Ascot every year since 1945, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NBC Sports' Nick Luck will host Saturday's coverage.

Following is NBC Sports' schedule for the Royal Ascot this week:

Date Time (ET) Network
Tues., June 15 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Wed., June 16 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Thurs., June 17 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Fri., June 18 8:30 a.m. NBCSN
Sat., June 19 9 a.m. NBC
Sat., June 19 11 a.m. CNBC

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‘Horse Of A Lifetime’ Lord Glitters Ready To Shine On Dubai World Cup Night

When Elwick Stud's Lord Glitters came roaring back to form winning the G1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday at Meydan, it embodied why trainer David O'Meara has called the ghostly son of Whipper 'the horse of a lifetime' in interviews. Indeed, it seems the globetrotting fan favorite has been around for a lifetime–or at least two or three standard Thoroughbred careers–while competing at the top level and holding his own impressively.

A nine-time winner from 35 starts, the earner of $2,220,544 is in his sixth season of racing and has competed in 13 Group or Grade 1 affairs, winning twice and placing four times. Saturday's triumph added to an eye-catching victory in the 2019 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) and was his second win from four starts over the Dubai turf course.

“I'm over the moon,” O'Meara said. “It was a great ride by Danny (Tudhope) and a fantastic job done by (assistant/rider) Matt Ennis, who's looking after him out there. It's great for the Turnbull family. Geoff obviously passed away last summer and he'll be looking down smiling, I suspect. Nick, who (runs the stable) now is doing a great job. All systems go, now, for the Dubai Turf. Hopefully we can get there fit and well.”

Geoff Turnbull, who along with wife Sandra ran in name and as Elwick Stud, passed at age 74 in mid-July. The pair's dark blue and pink colors have competed at the top level across the world, including winning the Woodbine Mile (G1) and Arlington Million (G1) with Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) runner-up Mondialiste–who competed in UK, France, America, Canada, Hong Kong and Dubai–and in the past few years by his heir apparent Lord Glitters.

Since being purchased at Arqana for $322,659, following four wins from nine runs in France for Christophe Lotoux, the leggy Lord Glitters has gone on to eclipse Mondialiste's earnings mark, while competing against the best milers and middle-distance horses in the world. His brilliant third-place finish to one of history's great fillies, Almond Eye, in the 2019 Dubai Turf (G1) turned out to be a bit of magic foreshadowing, as he has returned to the UAE for the Dubai World Cup Carnival this year and thrice flourished over the same 1800m (nine-furlong) trip. In addition to the Jebel Hatta, he won the Singspiel (G2) and was an unlucky second in the Al Rashidiya (G2).

The focus now is on the next battle for the ageless warrior: a return to the $4 million Dubai Turf–one without Almond Eye and in which he figures as one of the favorites. A secondary focal point will be keeping the high-energy, massive athlete calm and collected as he faces the very best the globe can throw at him. Such appears to be a labor of love for connections who continue to admire his infinite fervor for competition.

“He's nearly been the same since the day he walked in the yard,” O'Meara said. “He hasn't lost any of his enthusiasm and his exuberant ways. He's a joy to have around the place.

“He's come out of the race okay and swam for a few days and had an easy time of it ahead of building him back up for world cup night,” O'Meara concluded. “We don't need to work him too hard. He's always very generous in his work. A lot of times, it's just keeping a lid on him. On race day, he can get a little warm, but we know him well, now, and how to manage his ways.”

Lord Glitters will surely shine as brightly as he can on Dubai World Cup day.

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Royal Ascot Day One: Circus Maximus Takes Queen Anne Thriller

The 2020 Royal Ascot meeting kicked off on Tuesday afternoon, run without spectators due to the ongoing effects of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore captured the first Group 1 of the five-day meeting in a thriller when Circus Maximus edged the John Gosden-trained Terebellum at the line to win the Queen Anne Stakes.

It looked as if Frankie Dettori would once again be centre stage at Royal Ascot as he coaxed Terebellum to the front around a furlong and a half out. However, Circus Maximus's stamina edge came into play 50 yards out as he dived past the Godolphin filly to win by a nose.

The Queen Anne was Moore's 59th win at Royal Ascot, and the second for the 4-year-old son of Galileo, who won the G1 St. James's Palace Stakes last June. The win also gave O'Brien his 150th Group 1 victory in the U.K.

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Circus Maximus, Terebellum To Vie For Breeders’ Cup Berth In Tuesday’s Queen Anne At Royal Ascot

Flaxman Holdings, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Circus Maximus (IRE) and Godolphin's Terebellum (IRE), lead a field of 16 entered for Tuesday's US$317,000 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) on opening day of the Royal Ascot meeting. The Queen Anne winner will secure an automatic berth into the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races, whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course, in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov 6-7.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Queen Anne to start in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run at 1 mile over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a minimum travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of October 26 to receive the rewards.

The Queen Anne, run over a straight mile, is the first of four Breeders' Cup Challenge “Win and You're In” races to be conducted during the Royal Ascot meeting. The race will be televised by NBCSN and TVG on Tuesday at approximately 8:50 a.m. ET.

Circus Maximus, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, will be making his first start since a fourth-place finish in last November's TVG Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita. In 2019, Circus Maximus established himself among Europe's top milers when he captured the St James's Palace Stakes (G1) at the Royal Meeting, holding off King of Comedy (IRE) by a neck. That win came after a sixth-place finish in the 1 ½-mile Investec Derby (G1). After a second-place finish in the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood, and a seventh in the Juddmonte International (G1) at York, Circus Maximus earned his second Group 1 score in September by taking the Prix de Moulin (G1) at ParisLongchamp by a nose over Romanised (IRE).

In the Breeders' Cup Mile, Circus Maximus, the 7-2 third choice, made a bold move from eighth place in the stretch but was edged out for third.

“I think he ran a good race at the Breeders' Cup,” said Alan Cooper, Flaxman Holdings' racing manager. “There was a thought he might have finished third with a slightly clearer run but that's history. We need to focus on going forward and hope he is going to have a good 4-year-old career.”

Flaxman Holdings and the Niarchos Family have won the Breeders' Cup Mile six times, with Miesque (twice), Spinning World, Domedriver (IRE), Six Perfections (FR) and Karakontie (JPN).

Leading the challengers confronting Circus Maximus is the 4-year-old filly Terebellum (IRE), who will be taking on male rivals for the first time after five starts against her own gender. Trained by John Gosden, this brown daughter of Sea the Stars (IRE) out of the Elusive Quality mare Marvada (IRE), began her season on June 6 with an impressive win in the 1 ¼-mile Dahlia Stakes (G2) at Newmarket. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Terebellum won last year's Group 2 Nonette Stakes at Deauville. She closed out 2019 with a very good effort against older fillies and mares in the 1 ¼-mile Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1) at Paris Longchamp, fighting for the lead inside the final 200 meters before winding up fifth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

Sheikh Abdulla Al Khalifa's Skardu (GB), trained by William Haggas, finished fourth behind Circus Maximus at Royal Ascot last year. A 4-year-old chestnut son of Sharmadal, Skardu, ridden by James Doyle, ran just once more in 2019, finishing fourth as the 2-1 favorite behind Duke of Hazzard (FR) in the Celebration Mile (G2) at Goodwood in August.

“He is in good shape but I am just a bit worried he might be underdone,” said Haggas. “We have had a lot of time with him but he is taking some getting fit. He is fit enough to run. James Doyle has been very happy with his work but my feeling is I am not sure whether he is quite there yet.”

Mrs. Fitri Hay's 4-year-old Duke of Hazzard, trained by Paul and Oliver Cole, has five wins in 15 starts, including his last three races, all at the one mile distance. Prior to taking the Celebration Mile, the chestnut son of Lope de Vega (IRE) won the listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket and the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (G3) at Goodwood. Duke of Hazzard will be ridden by P.J. McDonald.

One of the veterans in the Queen Anne field is the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned 7-year-old Mustashry (GB). Trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Dane O'Neill, Mustashry, eight for 18 lifetime, finished seventh in last year's race after being bumped in the stretch. Prior to the Queen Anne, the bay or brown gelding by Tamayuz (GB), won the 1-mile Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury. He finished 2019 by capturing the 7-furlong Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards Challenge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket in October.

Lightly-raced 4-year-old Fox Chairman (IRE), trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Silvestre De Sousa, has not been off the board in four starts. Owned by King Power Racing, the Kingman (GB) colt was second last year to Sangarius (GB), as the 7-2 favorite, in the Hampton Court Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot. He followed that performance by winning the listed Bet 365 stakes at Newbury in July.

Another group stakes-winning female entered for Tuesday is Mrs. R.J. McCreery's Billesdon Brook (GB), who won three races last year including the Group 1 Sun Chariot at Newmarket for trainer Richard Hannon. Ridden by Sean Levey, the 5-year-old daughter of Champs Elysees (GB) comes into the race off a second-place finish in the listed 1-mile Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes over the all-weather surface at Kempton on June 3.

Mrs. R.F. Johnson Houghton's 6-year-old gelding Accidental Agent (GB), the 2018 Queen Anne Stakes winner, also has been entered for trainer Eve Johnson Houghton and rider Charles Bishop.

The Queen Anne is the fourth race to award a Breeders' Cup Challenge berth this year for the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile. In January, Kantor, Blank, Sarkis & Yutar's 4-year-old gelding Vardy (SAF) won the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in South Africa to gain the first berth in the division. Peter M. Brant's 5-year-old Raging Bull (FR) captured the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park in California on May 25, and on June 7, Sunday Racing Co.'s 4-year-old filly Gran Alegria earned an automatic starting position into Mile by taking the Yasuda Kinen (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse.

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