Tag: Racing

Royal Ascot 2023 opens with an intriguing clash of Group 1 winners in the Queen Anne Stakes with last year's Coronation Stakes heroine Inspiral facing not one but two Godolphin stars in two-time Breeders' Cup winner Modern Games and last year's Irish 2000 Guineas winner Native Trail.

The Queen Anne is one of three Group 1s to be run on a star-studded opening day of the Royal Meeting, and is the first of eight Group 1s next week which are part of the QIPCO British Champions Series. The Queen Anne also offers the winner an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Mile this fall at Santa Anita Park.

It also gives Frankie Dettori, who rides Inspiral, the chance to add a third Group 1 this month on fillies after his Epsom double of Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup and Soul Sister in the Betfred Oaks. Dettori has ridden seven Queen Anne winners, including the first of his current 77 royal total on Markofdistinction in 1990.

Inspiral is again making a belated start to her campaign with her first appearance again coming in mid-June. It has proved no handicap as she won on her juvenile debut and made it five unbeaten on last year's return when trouncing her Coronation rivals, giving Dettori his only success at the meeting last year.

She lost her unbeaten record when beaten by Prosperous Voyage in the Falmouth Stakes but added her third Group 1 with the Jacques Le Marois at Deauville. The Cheveley Park Stud's home-bred daughter of Frankel prevents the traditional curtain raiser from being a near rerun of the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, won in authoritative style by Modern Games last month. She would also be the first female winner since American challenger Tepin in 2016.

Chris Richardson, managing director of the stud, said: “Inspiral had a long break back at the stud over the winter. She has thrived physically and mentally. She has strengthened and matured.

“We know she is a character and loves to know what is going on around her. Mrs (Patricia) Thompson (stud owner) was adamant not to rush her for the Lockinge.

“She appears to be in good heart and, to have won three Group 1s, she has the talent there. She won well at the Royal Meeting last year but it is a tough task against the Godolphin team.”

Godolphin are clearly keen to enhance an already enviable Queen Anne record, having won the mile race eight times but not since 2017. The Group 1 duo of Modern Games and Native Trail are in the hands of Charlie Appleby, who has yet to win the race with Saeed bin Suroor (seven) and most recently Richard Fahey, with Ribchester, the successful trainers.

William Buick has guided Modern Games to his eight career wins, including five at Group 1 level.

Buick said: “His record is very good and he won the Lockinge well last time so I'm looking forward to riding him again. It would be nearly a rerun of the Lockinge without Inspiral, who is a good filly. As any Queen Anne should be it will be tough to win.”

Native Trail pleased Appleby in a gallop on Newmarket's July Course last week after which he warned not to underestimate last year's Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, who was a beaten odds-on favourite by the reopposing Mutasaabeq in the rearranged bet365 Mile at Newmarket.

Charlie Hills is hoping Mutasaabeq can uphold the form of that all the way win despite disappointing in the Lockinge last time.

The Lambourn trainer said: “He ran a bit flat at Newbury after running what I thought was his best race two weeks earlier. I'm really happy with him after a break and he has good form at the track.”

Richard Hannon, double handed with Chindit and Lusail, is seeking to match his father's two wins (Paco Boy and Canford Cliffs) in the race after Toronado gave him a dream start to his first royal meeting in 2014.

Chindit famously drew blood when biting Buick when finishing second in the Lockinge but Hannon defends his five-year-old, saying: “He is a gentleman and has never done anything like that before. He only did it because Buick was in close to him.

“I thought he would be shorter in the betting. He picked up better than Pat (Dobbs) thought he would and he is in the form of his life.

“We are going to ride Lusail a little handier as he seems to get flat-footed at a crucial part of the race.”

Berkshire Shadow, third in the Lockinge, and Light Infantry, who was seventh but subsequently only touched off in the Prix d'Ispahan, also reoppose in a field of 13.

The post Royal Ascot: Inspiral Faces ‘Tough Task’ Against Godolphin’s Modern Games, Native Trail In Queen Anne appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean has the chance to add his name to an illustrious list of horses to have completed the Group 1 double of following up in the St James's Palace Stakes, one of the 35 races in the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Before he can stand in the record books alongside the legends that are Brigadier Gerard and Frankel, Chaldean must see off eight rivals, including another Coolmore challenger in Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Paddington as well as unbeaten but Group-race unknown Cicero's Gift.

Isaac Shelby, narrowly beaten in the French 2,000 Guineas and Mostabshir, who would be a fourth winner in ten years in the race for his trainer John Gosden, make this year's St James's Palace a race to savour.

Chaldean's trainer Andrew Balding has been happy with his Classic winner after his Newmarket preparation was anything but traditional. Frankie Dettori was unseated out of the stalls to leave the riderless Chaldean to chase home Issac Shelby in the Greenham at Newbury.

Balding said: “He took the Guineas race well and his work has been stepped up in the last fortnight.”

Asked about the relative merits of the three Guineas, Balding added: “The English Guineas is usually the strongest and Chaldean won it impressively this year.”

Chaldean would also make it a hat-trick of 2,000 Guineas/St James's Palace doubles with Coroebus last year and Poetic Flare in 2021 achieving the same feat. Last year's top-rated juvenile Little Big Bear and Doncaster Futurity Trophy winner and subsequent Derby winner Auguste Rodin ran lacklustre races behind Chaldean at Newmarket and Coolmore puts up Classic winner Paddington this time.

Aidan O'Brien, who has won this race eight times, would be making it six with Irish Guineas winners – Black Minaloushe, Rock of Gibraltar, Henrythenavigator, Mastercratfsman and Gleneagles.

O'Brien said: “We have been happy with him since The Curragh. His three runs this year have been good and he is progressive.”

Ryan Moore, who was praised by O'Brien for his ride in a tactical race at The Curragh, said: “I'm looking forward to riding him. He has been improving through the year but he needs to improve again.”

Brian Meehan, who won this Group 1 with Most Improved in 2012, had made entries in the six-furlong Commonwealth Cup and July Cup for Isaac Shelby but feels a mile is his metier.

“I really think he has a huge future and I really think it is at a mile even though we gave him the sprint entries,” said the Manton-based trainer.

“He is much more relaxed in his work since Paris and you can see him maturing. He's an exciting horse to have but there is nowhere to hide at this level.”

Cicero's Gift is the unknown quantity, untested even at lower Group-race level but that has been by design with a late developer, who only made his racecourse debut last autumn.

He made an immediate impression in beating an odds-on favourite of the Gosdens in October and started this year with an all-weather win at Wolverhampton before a runaway success at Goodwood.

Trainer Charlie Hills, who also runs QIPCO 2000 Guineas fourth Galeron, said: “We did toy with the idea of running Cicero's Gift in the Guineas as well but wanted to keep a low profile with this race in mind.

“He took a bit of time to come to hand last year and is going to get better with age and experience – he might get further in time as well.

“He's a good-looking chap, improving with each race but he is going into a Group 1 which will be a different experience.”

Royal Scotsman, third in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Charyn and Indestructible, who were further behind at Newmarket, and impressive York novice race winner Mostabshir complete the field.

The post Royal Ascot: Chaldean Must See Off Eight 3-Year-Old Rivals In St. James’s Palace appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Right at home at the marathon distance of about 1 3/4 miles on turf, trainer Richard Mandella's Brazilian-bred Planetario enjoyed a perfect ground-saving trip in Santa Anita's $100,000 San Juan Capistrano (G3) on Sunday, responding with an emphatic 4½-length win in course-record time.

Ridden by Hector Berrios, Planetario got the distance on the downhill turf in 2:48.08.

Well in hand out of the gate, Berrios had Planetario a relaxed fourth, about nine lengths off pacesetter Opry as the field crossed under the wire the first time around. Saving every inch of ground to the far turn, Planetario advanced toward both Opry and Birth of Cool and with those two tiring, Berrios tipped three deep turning for home and Planetario burst clear in the middle of the course en route to his first U.S. win.

“We were just trying to keep him fit and build his wind up,” said Mandella who notched his second win in Santa Anita's signature turf marathon, with his first coming in 1993 that season's eventual  Horse of the Year Kotashaan.

“We also had the concern that he ran so well last time (second in the San Luis Rey Stakes [G3] on May 13), it raised the question of 'Did you leave something on the racetrack that day?' Obviously, he didn't, he gained from it.

“This is what racing should be about. Thoroughbred racing should be something like this, and to not push this race and not build it up is a mistake in my mind.”

Stretching out a quarter mile from the San Luis Rey, Planetario, a two-time Group I winner in Brazil who was making his third start for Mandella, was off 5-2 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up and paid $7.40 for the victory.

“My horse ran very comfortably,” said Berrios, fourth in the closing date jockey standings with 21 wins and second by stakes-with five added money tallies. “I was just waiting for the favorite (second-place finisher Offlee Naughty) to make his move and I think that was to our favor.

“I put him behind Joe Bravo's horse (Birth of Cool) and he relaxed a lot. Today, he was a way different horse than he was in his last race. He ran so strong, he left me surprised.”

Owned by his breeder, Red Rafa Stud Inc., Planetario, is a 5-year-old horse by Il Doge out of the Crimson Tide mare Aerospera. His career record stands at 6-1-0 from 11 starts, and with the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his lifetime earnings to $110,548.

The even-money favorite ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Offlee Naughty was last for most of the trip, loomed dangerously at the rail leaving the three-furlong pole but was outrun around the turn while getting shuffled back. Undeterred, he found his best stride late and rallied strongly for the place, finishing a nose in front of longshot Rimprotector.

Ridden by Kyle Frey, Rimprotector sat third for most of the trip and finished evenly as the longest shot in the field at 21-1 odds.

Irish-bred Duvet Day, the lone filly in the lineup, finished a length back in fourth with Juan Hernandez aboard.

Fractions on the San Juan Capistrano were :24.42, :48.80, 1:13.77, 1:40.71, and 2:07.40.

Sunday was Santa Anita's 28-day Hollywood Meet's closing day. Live racing will return to Arcadia, Calif. with opening day of the 2023 Autumn Meet on Friday, Sept. 29.

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