Tag: Racing

Royal Ascot stages its first ever £1m race on Wednesday when a highly select international field of five assembles for a fascinating Prince Of Wales's Stakes (Group 1), which is one of the most prized jewels in the 35-race QIPCO British Champions Series.

The Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1) will also give the winner an invitation to the US$4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).

A Group 2 when Bay Bridge's trainer Sir Michael Stoute won it for the first time in 1981 with Hard Fought, the Prince Of Wales's Stakes now regularly attracts some of the best in the world.

The favorite will therefore need to be every bit as good as he looked in Sandown's Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes if he is to cope with such a jump in class and beat rivals who have already won at the highest level in Australia, Dubai, France, Japan and the United States, as well as here at Royal Ascot in this same race.

At this time 12 months ago Bay Bridge had won only a novice and a handicap, albeit one which often goes to a subsequent Group-race winner, but he has taken a big step forward with every run and was winning for the fifth time in a row when showing a stunning change of gear to sprint five lengths clear of Mostahdaf and Addeybb at Sandown.

Stoute, successful in the Derby with Desert Crown only nine days ago, is bidding for a third win here in five years following success with Poet's Word (2018) and Crystal Ocean (2019).

He said: “Bay Bridge performed very well at Sandown, where he was very impressive, but he is now taking on much tougher opposition so it's going to be interesting.

“He showed promise from the first time he won and he's continued to progress. He seems in fine shape and I don't think fast ground will be a problem. It's going to be a fascinating race and we are looking forward to it.”

The main threat judged from the betting is Shahryar, who would be giving Japan a highly prized first winner at the Royal Meeting if successful. Although none of the eight previous Japanese runners here finished closer than sixth, last year's Breeders' Cup double and then five wins on Dubai World Cup night underlined what a formidable force Japan has become on the international stage.

Japanese Derby winner Shahryar was one of those five Meydan winners when beating a top-level international field in Meydan's Sheema Classic, having previously finished a good third behind the brilliant Contrail in the Japan Cup, so his credentials bear close scrutiny. He offers previous form of a significantly higher level than any of his compatriots to have raced here, and that includes the subsequent Nassau Stakes winner Deirdre, who was sixth in the 2019 Prince Of Wales's.

The four-year-old has been targeted here since the Sheema Classic and has acclimatized well at Newmarket's National Stud. He is expected to enjoy the likely fast ground.

Hiroyasu Matsumoto, farm manager for his breeders Northern Farm, said: “He had experience of travelling before when he went to Dubai, and the experience there was very beneficial for coming to Royal Ascot.

“His optimum distance is anywhere between 2000 and 2400 meters, and so far as the ground is concerned it's maybe better for him if it's firm. The older he gets the better he gets, and we are really looking forward to Royal Ascot.

“We really want to win at Royal Ascot with a Japanese horse. It's always been a dream and it's a great honor to be running here. Many people think that the Arc is the pinnacle, but I think that the best sire-making races are in the UK.”

State Of Rest, another four-year-old, already has the rare distinction of having won at the top level on three different continents, having followed wins in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes and Australia's hugely prestigious Cox Plate with a successful reappearance in Longchamp's Prix Ganay.

His trainer Joseph O'Brien won the Prince Of Wales's ten years ago with another Cox Plate winner, So You Think, although on that occasion he was in the saddle.

Lord North was highly impressive in a behind-closed-doors Prince Of Wales's two years ago but missed Royal Ascot and much of the rest of last year with a serious throat infection. He returned to close to his best with a second win in Meydan's Dubai Turf, and co-trainer John Gosden believes last month's Tattersalls Gold Cup fourth – a place behind State Of Rest – can be marked up.

Gosden explained: “I think that he raced a bit too close to the strong pace at the Curragh and the one mile and two and a half furlongs there just stretched him a bit. At that pace the Curragh just tapped his reserves of stamina. He was in a good spot with a furlong to go, but that last furlong was an eternity.

“He's a grand horse, but he needs to be ridden a little differently to Ireland. He'll be happier back at Ascot, where he won the Prince of Wales's two years ago, but he's not a young horse any more, although he still enjoys his racing.

“It's a very high-class race, as it should be. The Japanese horse Shahryar can go a bit, and

Bay Bridge has always been a lovely horse. It's a fabulous race and I like Bay Bridge. He went past them like they were standing still at Sandown.”

The field is completed by the French mare Grand Glory. Bosra Sham, Ouija Board and The Fugue are the only female Prince of Wales's winners in modern times, but Gianluca Bietolini's six-year-old is not to be underestimated.

She beat the former Breeders' Cup winner Audarya when gaining a well-deserved first Group 1 win in last year's Prix Jean Romanet and went on to finish only a length and a half behind Shahryar in the Japan Cup.

She was supplemented here at a cost of £70,000 after winning both her starts this year, and while regular rider Cristian Demuro rides Shahryar this time her connections are delighted to have secured the services of Mickael Barzalona.

The post Shahryar Bidding To Be Japan’s First Royal Ascot Winner In Prince Of Wales’s appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Coroebus bids to complete a double famously achieved by racing greats including Brigadier Gerard and Frankel when he takes on 12 rivals in the St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday, which is part of the 35-race QIPCO British Champions Series,

The double was also completed by Poetic Flare 12 months ago, but whereas he also took in the French and Irish Guineas, Coroebus has been kept fresh for Royal Ascot since Newmarket.

On that occasion Coroebus won fair and square from his shorter-priced stable-companion Native Trail, who was the champion 2021 two-year-old and has since won the Irish 2000 Guineas. His credentials are outstanding and Charlie Appleby believes Ascot's turning mile will suit the son of Dubawi after racing exclusively at Newmarket thus far.

Appleby, who will be bidding for a personal first in a race Godolphin have won with Shamardal (2005), Dawn Approach (2013) and Barney Roy (2017), said: “Royal Ascot is our Olympics and Coroebus is our star horse on day one. It was always the plan to come straight to the St James's Palace after the Guineas and his work has been more than pleasing. He'll be the horse they've all got to beat.

“The Guineas form has been franked by Native Trail winning the Irish Guineas well. It's rock solid form and it looks as if it was another good Guineas this year. There's no getting away from it – he's a horse everyone is excited to see on the first day.

“I think the round mile at Ascot should suit him. He's a strong traveller, and if anything sometimes on the straight mile at Newmarket a jockey has to sort of count to five before allowing him to make his move, whereas on a turn it might just allow him to come back behind the bridle a little more and a jockey can therefore ride more of a race on him.”

On paper the principal dangers are two lightly-raced colts from the William Haggas stable. My Prospero, beaten only on the first of three starts, won the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown last time and has a BHA rating of 114, while Maljoom was making it three wins from three runs when landing the German 2000 Guineas and is rated just a pound lower. Tom Marquand rides My Prospero and Cieren Fallon will be on Maljoom.

Haggas said: “They are two improving young 3-year-olds and it's a very prestigious race, so they are entitled to have a shot. They've got a lot to find to beat Coroebus, but they are going the right way.

“They are different. Maljoom would be the faster of the pair, but My Prospero will stay well.”

John Gosden, who won the St James's Palace with strong fancies Kingman (2014), Without Parole (2018) and Palace Pier (2020), saddles a less obvious candidate in Mighty Ulysses, who races for Derby winning owner Saeed Suhail and put up his best performance when just touched off in a hot handicap at Haydock.

Gosden said: “It looks a smart race and he's got to take the Guineas winner on, but he's rated 110 now and when they get up to that rating you don't get too many options. He got that rating from his second in a good handicap at Haydock, where I think he made his move too soon.”

Coroebus had Berkshire Shadow (fifth), Lusail (sixth), Light Infantry (ninth) and Checkandchallenge (last but one) among those behind him in the Guineas, and they have it all to do if they are to turn the tables.

However, Lusail did particularly well after an awkward start and is the sort to outrun his odds on the fast ground he showed he loves last year when winning the July Stakes and the Gimcrack, both Group 2s.

Angel Bleu, a dual Group 1 winner in France last year, was aimed at the Irish 2000 Guineas rather than Newmarket but missed that race as Ralph Beckett's team weren't really firing.

Beckett is much happier with him now, although he would prefer easier ground. He said: “He worked well on Thursday and he's all set to go, but whether he can beat this lot on fast ground I don't know. He wasn't pleasing me when we were looking at the Irish 2000 Guineas, but he's back in good shape again now.”

The Irish 2000 Guineas form is still represented however by much improved runner-up New Energy, from the Sheila Lavery stable, and by fourth-placed Wexford Native, who gave Native Trail a race until weakening inside the last furlong and is from the Jim Bolger stable which won this last year.

Bayside Boy represents the French 2000 Guineas form but he failed to do himself justice there. He was a Group 2 winner last year, and a Group 1 third in the Dewhurst and the Vertem Futurity.

Aikhal, representing eight-time winner Aidan O'Brien, completes the field. He has not been out since finishing fourth in Group races won by Coroebus and Angel Bleu last year.

The post Charlie Appleby Sends ‘Star’ Coroebus In Search Of St James’s Palace Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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