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Royal Ascot Planning For 4,000 Spectators a Day

Under the current spectator cap put in place by the UK Government for its Roadmap out of lockdown, the five-day Royal Ascot meeting will be held with just 4,000 spectators each day. Ascot Racecourse is planning for that eventuality, but there is a slim chance that the meeting could be used as a pilot event that would allow up to 10,000 daily spectators at the venue. Step 3 of the Government Roadmap out of coronavirus restrictions is in place until at least June 21. There will be no general admission.

“In accordance with Step 3 of the Government's Roadmap, the total max capacity for racegoers on all racecourses is 4,000 per day,” Ascot Racecourse tweeted. “We remain in dialogue with Government on the possibility of a larger crowd, but will begin the process to allocate to our current permitted capacity.”

In 2020, Royal Ascot was held without spectators due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

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GBRI Launches New Website

As spectators return to racecourses across much of Britain, Great British Racing International (GBRI) has launched a new website and promotional video aimed at encouraging international investment in the sport.

The website contains information about buying, owning, racing and breeding in Britain with links to relevant organisations within the industry. It also includes a map and guide to the country's racecourses and information on stallions standing in Britain.

“GBRI's new website houses all the information and tools necessary for it to become a go-to resource for any aspiring international racehorse owner and/or breeder,” said Minty Farquhar, acting general manager of GBRI.

“The website also explores the industry's credentials as a world-leader in racing, training, breeding, bloodstock sales and more, arming prospective participants with the statistics and information they need to make an informed decision about becoming financially involved in British racing.”

She added, “We are greatly looking forward to welcoming international owners back to our racecourses and sales in the months to come, and in the meantime trust that this enhanced GBRI website and promotional video will serve as a timely reminder as to why the British racing and breeding industry is worthy of the international investment it values so greatly.”

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Breeders’ Cup Champs Next Starts Announced

Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead), the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland last November, will head straight to Royal Ascot for her 2021 debut, the G2 Temple S. at Haydock having been ruled out. Both the G1 King's Stand S. and the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. are options for the 2020 G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. heroine.

“We're skipping the Temple S.,” trainer Kevin Ryan said. “We'll go straight to Ascot, or at least that's the plan. She's in both races and we'll decide a bit closer to the time which to go for.”

“We'll worry about that [the Breeders' Cup] when we get to the end of the year,” he added. “We'll think about her targets in Europe first, but she's in great nick at home.”

Another 2020 Breeders' Cup victress who will return to action even sooner than Glass Slippers is GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). The bay also saluted in the G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet last August for trainer James Fanshawe, who revealed that the G2 Prix Corrida on May 26th was the likely next start for the 5-year-old.

Fanshawe said, “She's in good form and I'm hoping to start her off next week, she's got a couple of options. She's in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud and she has a couple of other entries as well.”

Later in the season, the mare is also entered in Royal Ascot's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and the G1 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh and the G1 Coral-Eclipse with the Breeders' Cup on the horizon, too.

He added, “The race next week is for fillies and mares only and the conditions are good. There are good races across the country, but we'll get this one out of the way first.

“She's won two Group 1 races against her own sex. So we'll see how we get on and see whether we can take on the colts at some stage.”

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29 Remain in Cazoo Derby Reckoning

Fifty years on from Mill Reef (Never Bend)'s victory in the Blue Riband at Epsom Downs, 29 horses have stood their ground after the latest scratching stage for the 2021 G1 Cazoo Derby on June 5.

G3 Chester Vase scorer Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is doing well ahead of the Blue Riband. His best showing as a juvenile was a third in the G2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage S. and he was fourth in his seasonal opener-the Apr. 13 Listed bet365 Feilden S. at HQ.

Andrew Balding, the son of trainer Ian Balding who trained Mill Reef, said, “The Derby is still the plan for Youth Spirit. He seems fine after his run at Chester, he hasn't done a lot since but he's come out of the race well.

“The key thing to find out that day was whether he stayed the trip and he saw it out well. He'll go there with no stamina doubts, which there will be about some of the field and that's got to be to his advantage but it's a much stronger race than the Chester Vase was so he's got to up his game again.

“I don't think that the track will faze him. He's a very well balanced horse and he handled Chester well so he shouldn't have a problem with Epsom Downs. He's a different horse to [2020 Derby runner-up] Khalifa Sat, but both are very talented and if we can get the same result as last year with Youth Spirit we'd be delighted.

“It's great for the owner [Ahmad Al Shaikh] to have another contender for the race. He's a big supporter of racing and he's got plenty of horses in training with many yards so it's lovely for him to have another candidate for the Epsom Derby.

“It's the most important race of the year for any Flat trainer I think and to have a horse good enough to run in it is an achievement in itself–anything else on the day would be a massive bonus.”

There is, of course, a strong Irish presence in the Derby entries, with 14 horses coming over from the Emerald Isle. Aidan O'Brien, who is seeking a record-extending ninth victory in the 1 1/2-mile Classic, has an octet entered at this stage including current ante-post favourite Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the impressive six-length winner of the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. One-time Derby favourite, G2 Beresford S. victor High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also enters after running third in the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York earlier this month. Others representing the Coolmore partners include French Group 1 winner Van Gogh (American Pharoah) and G3 Chester Vase S. second Sandhurst (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Jim Bolger's Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), the 2020 G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy S. victor and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial fourth, also stands his ground.

Godolphin currently has a quartet of Derby aspirants, among them the undefeated Dante winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), group winner and Group 1 placed One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the group-placed Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

Group 1 winner Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), a winner of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and fifth in the Dante, represents Mark Johnston. Roger Varian fields listed winners El Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Third Realm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}, while Richard Hannon will send G3 Betway Solario S. winner Etonian (Ire) (Olympic Glory {Ire}). Listed Newmarket S. winner Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) steps forward for William Haggas. Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), successful in the G3 Zetland S. last October, is one of two for trainer Martyn Meade.

'TDN Rising Star' John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will also take part in the Epsom Classic. The Ed Dulop trainee broke his maiden at the second time of asking in a Newcastle novice on Apr. 30 and saluted in the Listed Betway Fairway S. at Newmarket on May 15. (Click here for a TDN video feature by Emma Berry).

The next confirmation stage is Monday, May 31st, while there is a final chance to enter with a supplementary fee of £63,750.

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