Tag: Saturday previews

Newmarket: “He Goes In There With A Favourite’s Chance.” Vandeek To Star On Super Saturday?

   Saturday's action features four Group 1s and four Group 2s across Newmarket and ParisLongchamp, with all ages and distances covered from the six furlongs of the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. and G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. to the two and a half miles of the G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran. It is the former pair of prizes that take centre stage, with so much at stake for the precocious stars of their generation. The onus is very much on KHK Racing's G1 Prix Morny winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the Middle Park given the manner of his success in that Deauville feature, having taken the G2 Richmond S. en route.

Since 2012, five winners of the Morny have followed up here including three of the last four in Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never), Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) and Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), so the Crisfords' leading light has history on his side. Ed Crisford is keen to see if he can become the latest to do the tough double.

“It's a good field, as you'd expect for a race of this stature, but I'd say he goes in there with a favourite's chance,” he said. “It will be the first time he's encountered ground this fast, but he's a nice-moving colt by Havana Grey so that shouldn't be a problem.”

   Third in the Morny after his well-documented training troubles, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the obvious thorn in Vandeek's side now that he has a clear preparation for this highlight. He had a host of smart peers behind including Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry S. on ground similar to the unseasonably fast conditions he encounters here and Ryan Moore is happy to tackle Vandeek again and another quintet of group winners including the G2 July S. hero Jasour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) from the always-to-be-feared Clive Cox stable.

“He wasn't at peak fitness [for the Morny] and I thought he shaped very well in the circumstances,” Moore said of River Tiber, who represents the stable successful in three of the last six runnings. “I would expect him to get a lot closer to the winner here and I'd say we had a very fair shot at winning this group one. He's in good shape.”

 

 

Relief Rally Poised For Cheveley Park Coronation

Whatever wins Newmarket's Cheveley Park S. will first have to see off Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's Relief Rally (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), whose sole defeat in five starts was as a result of coming out the wrong side of a head-bobber with Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot. Having dealt with every European rival thrown at her so far, including Ballydoyle's Cherry Blossom (Ire) (No Nay Never) in York's G2 Lowther S. last month, the William Haggas trainee has some new contenders to front up to here but the willingness to fight is almost her forte.

Jockey Tom Marquand has faith that she can come through her most important bout to date. “She has taken big steps forward with each of her runs and she was unfortunate not to win at Ascot, but she has shown a high level of form,” he said. “I was really looking forward to riding her over six furlongs at York, as I thought it would suit her so well and she proved us right.”

One of the lesser-known rivals to Relief Rally is Wathnan Racing's Criterium d'Ete scorer Jasna's Secret (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), who saw off the smart yardstick Zorken (Fr) (Goken {Fr}) in that valuable Deauville prize and is entitled to due respect as a result. Whether Carlos and Yann Lerner's bargain €42,000 Arqana Deauville September purchase has the know-how to cope with some hardened opponents remains to be seen, with the G3 Albany S. scorer Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) and the G3 Princess Margaret S. scorer Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) boasting the touch of class necessary to win one of these.

 

Capulet Heads Strong Royal Lodge Cast

Newmarket's G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. is one of the day's more intriguing contests, with Ballydoyle's G2 Champions Juvenile S. runner-up Capulet (Justify) taking on Godolphin's G3 Solario S. winner Aablan (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah's Listed Ascendant S. scorer Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). Another in the mix for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf qualifier is Jeff Smith's unbeaten Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), the recent winner of a seven-furlong Ascot novice from which the impressive subsequent winner Military Artist (Munnings) emerged.

Ryan Moore said of Capulet, “He did it nicely on his debut at Dundalk last month and he obviously improved a good deal when running Diego Velazquez to half a length at Leopardstown last time. That form looked strong at the time and it looks even better now with the well-beaten fourth, Deepone, coming out and winning the Beresford next time. All of these have the potential to take a big step forward, most notably Ghostwriter maybe, but he deserves to be the favourite as it stands as the Leopardstown form is the best on offer going into the race.”

Clive Cox said of Ghostwriter, “His first success at Newmarket on the July course, and the way he was balanced and produced a winning debut, gives me confidence he will handle the track. He followed that up with a really impressive success at Ascot and showed a lot of class. He has thrived throughout, he is a wonderful physical, big, strong colt and I'm looking forward to seeing him step up to a mile. He is very deserving of running in this sort of grade. He's a horse we have always loved and he definitely sets the pulse racing.”

 

Trueshan Looks For Second Cadran

At ParisLongchamp, the Cadran sees Alan King's star stayer Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) bid to double his tally in the prestige marathon having mastered Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in style on easy ground two years ago. Back with a bang after a second wind operation in the G2 Doncaster Cup earlier this month, he has no genuine staying star of that calibre to contend with in a disappointing turnout but he does have Ballydoyle's ever-reliable Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). While the ground is not as easy as she would like it, neither is it for Trueshan and a repeat of the form of her latest second in the G1 Goodwood Cup would be good enough should the veteran giant deliver one of his deflating efforts.

Aidan O'Brien said of her, “We think the trip will suit her and any ease in the ground will suit her as well. If the ground had come up soft or heavy, we probably would have had a good, strong think about the Arc, but we thought over the Cadran trip she would be more comfortable. She does stay very well and she seems in good form. When she ran in the Gold Cup she ran very well even though the ground was quick–she didn't have any problems with it.”

 

 

All To Play For In Open Royallieu

There is no stand-out in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu and it is fair to say that there have been better editions of the 14-furlong contest since it was elevated to top-level status in 2019. They have included an Oaks heroine in Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the top-class Wonderful Tonight (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), but this is a line-up of wannabes at present headed on the formbook by Wathnan Racing's G2 Prix de Pomone winner and G1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Melo Melo (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}). Most of her rivals have had plenty of chances at a lesser level and missed the target, so perhaps The Aga Khan's progressive G3 Stanerra S. and G3 Irish St Leger Trial S. winner Shamida (Ire) (Australia {GB}) could be the answer or the Arbibs' G2 Lillie Langtry S. and G2 Park Hill S. scorer Sumo Sam (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) if she can transfer her soft-ground dominance to this livelier surface.

 

Big Things On The Horizon?

ParisLongchamp's trio of Group 2 races see Moyglare Stud's exciting Harbour Wind (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) look to enhance his reputation in the staying category in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay; Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's G3 Sovereign S. dead-heater Embesto (GB) (Roaring Lion) act as one of the more promising types lining up for the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein; and one of the day's more exciting runners in Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) look to boss the Qatar Prix Dollar.

Horizon Dore, who has flaunted his wares in the G2 Prix Eugene Adam and G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange, is one of the more lively outsiders at present for next month's G1 Champion S. and he sports the Gousserie silks already renowned at that Ascot fixture. Compatriots Cirrus Des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}) and Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) and also the British raider Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) have taken this en route to making a major play at the Champion and so Saturday's closing act of ParisLongchamp's pattern-race bonanza takes on extra weight.

 

Sunday's Supporting Group 1s Confirmed

Friday saw ParisLongchamp's five other Arc-supporting Group 1 contests finalised, with the opening two being the big juvenile prizes. The Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere features Philippe Allaire and Haras d'Etreham's unbeaten G3 Prix la Rochette-winning TDN Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac includes Newtown Anner Stud Farm's impressive G2 May Hill S. and G3 Prestige S. winner Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Haras d'Etreham and Craig Bernick's G2 Prix du Calvados-winning  TDN Rising Star Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never).

In the Prix de l'Opera Longines, Yeguada Centurion SL's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Prix de Diane heroine Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) takes on 11 rivals, while the 19 due to assemble for the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines include the star sprinting mare Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and the G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret sees last year's winner Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) favourably drawn in two bidding to provide Frankie Dettori with the ultimate Paris send-off.

 

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Ascot: King George No Soft Option For Auguste Rodin

You've heard for a while that Saturday's edition of the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. is a special one. “Race for the ages” has been bandied about and for good reason given the accumulation of top-class mile-and-a-half horses set for the Ascot joust. What had for so long been starved of a meaningful intergenerational clash and threatened to become a bygone curio has suddenly been dusted off and revived due largely to the presence of the Derby winner.

Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is no ordinary Derby winner either, displaying pace as he closed out the Blue Riband that can only be described as phenomenal. Thankfully, the deification of speed confined solely to distances no further than 10 furlongs can now be dispelled given that we can see the evidence of what a colt like Ballydoyle's newest star can do over this sacred trip of a mile and a half. For too long, a colt with the immense commercial significance of Auguste Rodin wouldn't have been here for this race, yet here he is.

Despite the unflattering visuals of his finish to the Irish Derby, Auguste Rodin was quick there too but what he doesn't need is soft ground, as we found out at Newmarket. Ascot's midweek rain has ensured that the surface is not going to be conducive to the kind of alacrity that he has shown in his two Derbys, yet connections have never wavered in their commitment to be present in this great event. Friday's two course-and-distance handicaps were slowly-run, but still they were completed in times between :11 and :12 seconds slower than standard, so that's what we are dealing with. Even if the surface dries ahead of Saturday afternoon, Auguste Rodin will have to produce something extra as he seeks dominion over his elders.

“The better the ground, the better it will suit him,” Aidan O'Brien said. “We wouldn't want it getting any worse. He's a beautiful mover, he doesn't raise his feet much. We'll definitely walk the track, obviously.”

Ryan Moore added, “This race is as good as it gets in recent years and certainly in terms of depth, even with the no-shows. We'd like to think Auguste Rodin is towards the top of the list of the most likely winners though and [it was] a strong Derby, [so] we expect him to be very competitive here.”

 

 

Kings And Queens Of Speed

What makes this King George especially strong is the presence of multiple runners able to produce outstanding time performances, not least the physical giant King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) whose blast from three to two out in the Derby was undeniably that of a top-class 3-year-old. He might have been getting tired due to lack of match-fitness as the O'Brien runner outstayed him at the death, but his stamina for this trip is not as-yet fully proven given that his G2 King Edward VII S. success was gained off a notably moderate pace. A day before King Of Steel put in that powerful sectional in the Derby, Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) had blown by a significant peer in Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) over the same course and distance to win the G1 Coronation Cup with the killer blow being her rapid :10.52 split to two out. Only the very best can explode in that manner, even allowing for the speed-inducing nature of Epsom at that point of the race, while Westover went to the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud next time and ran a hole in the wind.

Horses For Courses and Points To Prove

   Ascot is very much a track that sees horses that have performed there come back time and again, so that bodes well for last year's winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) who boasts a perfect record in a total of three course-and-distance runs. Emily Upjohn and Westover were caught out by the initial downhill run from the stalls in this 12 months ago, with the former over-racing under restraint and the latter charging off too fast through the early stages. The Gosdens' filly has returned in the interim to win a G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. on ground a touch worse than this, so she has little to prove while Westover looks a more tractable character at four and should have a strong pace to slip behind this time.

That exacting tempo provided by the runaway version of Westover and the Ballydoyle stalwart Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) last year should be in evidence again given the presence of Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}), so the race set-up will tell us just how good Pyledriver really is. For a horse that is always prone to being slightly under-valued by the press, the indomitable 6-year-old is some achiever and Willie Muir is undaunted by this test.

“We'll go there and run our race and see how good everyone else is,” he said. “They've all got great credentials, they're all horses that have been out and proved themselves this year. They're all there to go and have a go.”

 

 

Free Hit For Hukum

Days before Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) brought his brilliant 3-year-old campaign to a dramatic climax, his full-brother Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was annihilating his rivals over this course and distance in a soft-ground G3 Cumberland Lodge S. having been subdued by Hamish (GB) (Motivator {GB}) in the G3 September S. a month earlier. At that point, we were talking about a nice horse who had limitations, possibly a Group 3 bully, but then he blew away Pyledriver in the Coronation Cup last June and we had to have a re-set. That was the case again on his belated next start when upsetting Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown in May, so what can we expect of Shadwell's low-mileage veteran in a humdinger such as this?

Angus Gold is unsure. “It looks a fabulous race, let's hope it lives up to its billing. Now it's just a question of getting luck in running and whether he's good enough,” he said. “We've obviously won the King George before with Taghrooda and Nashwan and it's always been a huge race. It was the most important race of the summer when I was growing up and people of my generation still consider it a very important race, so it's lovely to have a horse in with a chance.”

Is Luxembourg The Forgotten Horse?

Prior to being jumped by Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Prince of Wales's S., Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) was one of this race's key favourites. While it is hard to forgive that effort given how intense this affair is going to be, the fact is that the G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup hero was one of four who ran far below their best alongside Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), My Prospero (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}) for unexplained reasons. What is clear from all evidence is that he is made for this trip and while for all that he isn't Auguste Rodin he could be a Dylan Thomas or Duke Of Marmalade and that is usually enough.

“He'll love a mile and a half and will get the trip very well,” Aidan O'Brien said. “It's a race we were always looking at with him and we thought it was going to suit. He's solid, has had his two runs and he's ready.”

Ryan Moore has had to go elsewhere this time, but he is acutely aware of his threat. “Luxembourg is also a proper Group 1 horse and he has unfinished business at this trip after an inconclusive run in very deep ground in the Arc,” he said. “A win for him wouldn't surprise me at all.” Intriguingly, one of the best judges in any of the world's weighing rooms is also looking further afield for the most credible threat to Auguste Rodin. “I'd be most wary of Emily Upjohn, who I probably think has the best form coming into the race after her second to Paddington in the Eclipse,” he offered up on his Betfair blog.

Hamish Doubt

William Haggas on Friday warned that the multiple Group 3 winner Hamish is unlikely to line up if the ground worsens further. “Hamish will only run if it rains properly, otherwise he won't,” he said. “He's not going to run on good-to-soft, but there's rain around and who knows? If it came up proper soft, that's what he wants and in this company he needs it really soft or heavy, not only for him but also to maybe blunt some of the others' ability.”

York Boost For My Prospero?

While William Haggas readies to pull the Somerville Lodge pet Hamish from Ascot's showpiece, he has important business in his native Yorkshire as My Prospero (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) bids to get back on track in the G2 York S. One of the four flops in Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and possibly the most disappointing given his upside heading to that contest, Sunderland Holding's G2 Prix Eugene Adam winner who went so close in the G1 Champion S. has the ideal opportunity to rebuild here.

“It's one of those races, but he's very well and he should go well,” his trainer said. “I was a bit disappointed with his run at Ascot, he's definitely better than that I think, but Saturday will tell us because he needs to be shaping up well here.”

Heading the opposition to My Prospero is Shadwell's Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), another Owen Burrows special who took the G3 Strensall S. and G3 Darley S. at the end of his 3-year-old campaign. “It's his first start since October, but he was a progressive horse last year,” Angus Gold said. “The funny thing with him is he's by Dark Angel and out of an Oasis Dream (GB) mare and yet he stays a mile well and even a mile and a furlong. We're going up again in trip to a mile and a quarter, but I don't see that being a problem, it's more a question of how rusty he is. He had quite an injury obviously, but he's been sound and everything since he's been back in training and we didn't rush him and targeted this race. It's a trappy little contest and he'll need to be at his best, but it will just be nice to get him back on the track.”

A Study Of Symbology

On Ascot's card, the six-furlong G3 Princess Margaret S. sees Isa Salman Al Khalifa's exciting Symbology (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) bid to back up the impression of her debut win at York a fortnight ago. Trainer Clive Cox is happy to jump straight into pattern company with the half-sister to El Caballo (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}).

“This is a huge step forwards in comparison, but this is a filly we like very much,” he said. “We've been having a really pleasing run with the 2-year-olds and that was another pleasing success in a week where we'd won the July S. and had a double at Doncaster as well, so it gave us a good feel.”

Surprisingly, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's G3 Albany S. third Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) is declared, despite having been third to Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) in Thursday's Listed Star S.

 

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Doncaster Test For Auguste Rodin

Heavy rain hit Doncaster's Town Moor track on Thursday and refused to relent during the following afternoon, so the Saturday feature G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy is certain to be a thorough examination for its protagonists. It will ask a question of Ballydoyle's latest hot favourite for the juvenile endgame, the TDN Rising Star Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) who would have preferred the ground was in the other direction and now has to prove his mental resolve as well as his physical prowess.

While the son of the high-class Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) got away with soft as he idled when in front too far out in the G2 Champions Juvenile S. at Leopardstown Sept. 10, this could be a different proposition with Ryan Moore having to judge when to unleash him on a tacky, holding surface. Nevertheless, Aidan O'Brien's number one for this race is always the first to look at, with six winning favourites from his last seven saddled and one more would see him usurp the late Sir Henry Cecil with whom he is currently tied on 10.

Speaking on Saturday evening, Aidan O'Brien revealed that he is not a certain runner with the weather turning so drastically on Friday. “He's really fit, but whether we want to bottom him in that ground is up to the lads to decide,” he said. “We're very happy with how he is and it's a case of whether we let him run for experience or whether we don't and keep him for next year. He's done enough this year and it all depends on what that ground is like tomorrow.”

These races are the most exciting for the unknown element they carry and Moore was adding fuel to the fire as he pondered his ride on Auguste Rodin on his betfair blog on Friday. “He is a horse I have rated highly since day one,” he said. I was impressed by him at Leopardstown last time. That may not have been the strongest of Group 2s, but I think he is a Group 1 horse and hopefully he will show that here.”

Unsurprisingly, history tells us that wide-margin maiden winners from Ballydoyle are more often than not class acts and so Auguste Rodin's stablemate Salt Lake City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looms large here, with the potential of getting away on the front end as he did at Navan last time Oct. 5. Whether he is the High Chaparral (Ire) or Aristotle (Ire) in this renewal remains to be seen and he will relish the heavy ground.

That could also apply to the impressive Nottingham maiden winner King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who took the same race won by Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in soft ground with some authority 10 days ago. Trainer David Loughnane is hoping to provide Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing with the Group 1 winner they have been seeking all year. “We don't know what we beat, but Nottingham was nice, both visually and on the clock,” he said. “He's come out of it absolutely fine and he's got an exceptional mind.”

“He's a monster,” Lougnane added. “He's just over 17 hands and he weighs nearly 600 kilos. Everything about him since he first came into the yard has been a bit abnormal and Adam [Kirby] commented he'd never ridden a bigger juvenile, but for such a big horse he's very agile and well-balanced.”

All was relatively quiet where John and Thady Gosden's 2-year-olds were concerned throughout the summer months, but in the last month things have started to hot up and George Strawbridge's TDN Rising Star Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is perfectly poised. After winning that Newmarket maiden July 8, the son of Thistle Bird (GB) (Selkirk) took the Kingston Hill (GB) and Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) route of the G3 Autumn S. Like the latter, he was a narrow second in that Newmarket staging post a fortnight ago and adds intrigue along with Jeff Smith's impressive Sept. 16 Haynes, Hanson & Clark Conditions S. winner Stormbuster (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

 

A Case Of Espionage At Saint-Cloud

While fellow Ballydoyle representatives Auguste Rodin and Salt Lake City are sent to Doncaster, TDN Rising Star Espionage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) takes in the G1 Criterium International for the stable which leads the honour roll with five previous winners. Ioritz Mendizabal is called upon and the yard's go-to French rider who steered St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Joan Of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) to high-profile success for them has an enviable ride on the son of the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Even Song (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) who had such poise when breaking his maiden at The Curragh last time Sept. 25.

This is just as tough as the Doncaster feature, with the July 21 G3 Tyros S. scorer and G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. runner-up Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and White Birch Farm's Sept. 8 G3 Prix des Chenes winner Kubrick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in attendance along with another TDN Rising Star in Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great), while Valmont's Salt Bay (Ger) (Farhh {GB}) adds another later. Impressive on his sole start at Haydock Sept. 24, the Ralph Beckett-trained relative of some useful German middle-distance performers looks tailor-made for this kind of test on deep autumn ground.

 

An Arresting Presence

As always, abundant stamina really will be a prerequisite in the 10-furlong G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud which occupies a curious space on the 2-year-old Group 1 roster. Few of those who fit the bill in this go on to anything of major note at three, with the 2016 winner Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) the exception of late. There is the trio of Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Dubai Mile (Ire) (Roaring Lion) and Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}) bringing European Group 1 and Group 2 form to the race, but if there is one to go forward to the 2023 Classics it could be Juddmonte's Arrest (GB) (Frankel {GB}). One of the operation's successful purchases in 2020 and 2021, the co-topper at the Goffs November Foal Sale gave Friday's winner Sea Of Roses (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) 11 pounds and a 5 1/2-length beating at the unlikely venue of Wales's Ffos Las Sept. 26. He also hails from the Gosdens' academy and Thady said, “It's a big switch up from Ffos Las, but he won't mind the easy ground as he has a nice round action on him. He should appreciate the mile and a quarter and he's a horse we've always liked.”

 

The Dirty Dozen

All 12 of Saturday's black-type events staged at Doncaster, Newbury, Saint-Cloud and Leopardstown will demand grit and determination as well as class from their winners with the stormy conditions making for gruelling ground everywhere. Key players in the remaining prizes are The King's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), whose 2011 G2 Champagne S. second to Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) suddenly looks a lot better as he heads to Saint-Cloud's G3 Prix Perth over a mile; KHK Racing's TDN Rising Star Knight (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who is put to the test in a fascinating and deep renewal of Newbury's seven-furlong G3 Virgin Bet Horris Hill S. by Simon and Ed Crisford following his Sept. 25 Yarmouth maiden success; Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's “forgotten horse” Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) prepping for a potential Hong Kong date in that track's G3 Virgin Bet St Simon S.; and Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) who accompanies Auguste Rodin to England and bids to give upwards of five pounds to his peers as a result of his Aug. 20 G2 Futurity S. success in the six-furlong Listed Carlsberg Marstons Doncaster S.

The King's racing manager John Warren said of Reach For The Moon, “We think the ground and trip should be just what we have been looking for. He needs to get back racing again and it's a shame we are nearly at the end of the season as John Gosden is very happy with him.

“We are hopeful of showing his best form, especially as his form with Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) looks very solid.”

 

Click here for the group fields.

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All Braced For Super Saturday

Despite all the excitement of the past few days, incredibly it ramps up further on Saturday with nine group races across Britain, Ireland and France and the sighting of some of Europe's most exciting 2-year-olds. It begins with the veracious Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) at Deauville as Nick Bradley Racing's flagbearer appears for the seventh time since the start of July in the G3 Prix Daphnis and switches thereafter between York, Sandown, The Curragh and back to Deauville with the kind of pace that will require video review later on.

 

All Eyes On The Futurity And Debutante

The Curragh's pair of Group 2 races, the Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S. and Alpha Centauri Debutante S., are the lead-ups to next month's G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. and ultimately to the Spring Classics with the July 21 G3 Tyros S. winner Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) defending his unbeaten record against a pair of Ballydoyle TDN Rising Stars in the Futurity. Ryan Moore has opted to partner the Apr. 23 Navan maiden winner Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) over Hans Andersen (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who beat the subsequent winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) over this seven-furlong trip and track July 16. “I would have gladly ridden him or Hans Andersen,” Moore explained on his betfair blog. “He has been pleasing us at home, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit were Hans Andersen to win this.” In the Debutante, Moore is on the June 17 G3 Albany S. winner Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) as the stable's July 21 G3 Silver Flash S. scorer Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) heads to Deauville for the G2 Prix du Calvados under the yard's go-to jockey Ioritz Mendizabal as Aidan O'Brien looks to split up his elite juveniles. Eric Long's Zoinnocent (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who was half a length second in the Silver Flash, takes on Meditate in a fascinating mingling of important form lines. Moore has no concerns about Meditate tackling a new trip. “I don't see the move up to seven furlongs being a problem at all,” he stated.

 

Holding Out For A Hero

What England wouldn't give for a Classic winner for The Queen in 2023? Step forward 'TDN Rising Star' Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) on Saturday as the June 30 Haydock novice scorer heads to Sandown for the G3 Fasig-Tipton Night Of The Stars Solario S. The sire's Reach For The Moon (GB) promised so much as he stole the show here 12 months ago, but the monarch gets a second chance with the William Haggas-trained relative of Dartmouth (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who has Derby stamped all over him on pedigree. Opposing is Man Bun Lee and Miss Sally Wall's impressive July 9 Ascot novice winner Defence Of Fort (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) who received a form boost after that race's fourth Kyeema (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) took a competitive York nursery on Thursday. Remarkably, Peter Chapple-Hyam has yet to win this prize and said of the £19,000 Tattersalls Ireland September purchase, “He could be a bargain–he was just a touch more than Dutch Art and we have been quite lucky buying horses over the years. When I saw him, it was just the way he walked that struck me. There was something about him. You could not fail to be impressed by the way he won last time, but this is a step up. I got the feeling early on he was a good horse and let's see if he can prove it.”

 

Thick And Fast

Also at Sandown, the G3 JRL Group Atalanta S. at a mile for fillies and mares plays host to the Gosdens' progressive Grande Dame (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who had the audacity to beat Oscula by 3 1/4 lengths in the course-and-distance Listed Coral Distaff July 2 and who shapes as a potential Group 1 performer for the autumn. The Clarehaven connection is evident back at York in the G3 Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall S., where Saeed Suhail's Mighty Ulysses (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) looks to continue to head upwards having enjoyed a break since his Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. win at Newmarket July 7. “He's a horse we have always liked and has plenty of talent,” Thady Gosden said. Other notables on show during the frantic afternoon are Sunderland Holding's May 20 Listed Height Of Fashion S. winner and June 16 G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Sea Silk Road (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Deauville's G2 Prix de la Nonette and Kirsten Rausing's July 26 G2 Lennox S. scorer Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) in York's seven-furlong G2 Sky Bet City Of York S.

 

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