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Ward Outlines Future Plans for Ascot Runners

Wesley Ward runner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who won the G2 Queen Mary S. on Saturday, is being targeted at the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville in France later this summer. Ward was not on hand at Royal Ascot due to the ongoing coronavirus, but instead watched from his base at Keeneland.

He said, “The Prix Morny is where we’re headed [with Campanelle]. She’ll come home now and have a couple of gallops on the beautiful grass here in Keeneland, and hopefully then she’ll be ready to ship to Deauville. It’s actually a good trip for a horse, because you can fly direct from Chicago to Paris. I’m certainly hoping I’ll be able to go, too.”

Another Ward runner, Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), the G2 Norfolk S. runner-up, will be trained with an eye to the G1 Nunthorpe S. versus elders in August. Ward has sent out two bridesmaids in the sprint feature–Acapulco (Scat Daddy) and Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy).

“I’ve spoken to the owners, and we’re going to aim for the Nunthorpe,” said Ward, who has a high-profile jockey booking in mind. “I’ve been second in the race twice, and it would be great to win it. Irad Ortiz, Jr. travelled over to ride Acapulco when she ran in it as a 2-year-old–because obviously the 2-year-olds carry a light weight. I would hope by the time York comes around, he’ll be able to travel over to ride Golden Pal–that’s the idea.”

G1 Commonwealth Cup S. second place finisher and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Kimari (Munnings), who was also runner-up in the 2019 Queen Mary, will not return to European shores and will instead be prepared with a Breeders’ Cup bid in mind.

“Kimari missed the break, and when you’re running at Royal Ascot that’s a severe disadvantage,” he added. “That’s her done in Europe this year. The Breeders’ Cup is in Keeneland this year–my local track–and we’ll work back from that. I might run her on the dirt at Del Mar and then aim to take on the boys on the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup.”

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Pyledriver on Course for Derby

Group 2 winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) remains on course for the G1 Investec Derby as long as he continues to please trainer William Muir ahead of the premier Classic on July 4.The Harbour Watch colt put himself in the picture for the Epsom showpiece with a convincing victory in the King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot. Muir reports his stable star to have taken those exertions in his stride, so far.

“He’s been fine since the race, he’s absolutely wonderful,” said the Lambourn handler. “As I’ve said to everyone from day one about the Derby, he will go to the Derby if he tells me all is well and at the moment all is well. Sometimes horses come out of a race and they are bouncing for a week and then they hit a bit of a lull the following week. As long as he keeps going the way he is and all is well, we will give it a go.

“He’s just moseying around doing a bit of lobbing canters and enjoying life. He’s eating really well, he looks well. We weigh them once a week so he’ll be weighed again on Wednesday and as long as he’s put his weight back on we’ll be ready to go.”

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Fabre Likely to Divide Classic Colts

Andre Fabre’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Ocean Atlantique (American Pharoah) may head to next month’s G1 Investec Derby at Epsom, with stablemate and fellow ‘Rising Star’ Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) likely to contest the French version. Fabre has no intention of stepping Victor Ludorum up to a mile and a half yet, and the G1 Prix du Jockey Club has always been his aim. American Pharoah colt Ocean Atlantique is owned by Coolmore, whose chief Epsom hope Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is out to 10-1 for the Derby following his Royal Ascot defeat. Ocean Atlantique finished second to the smart Pao Alto (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in the G3 Prix La Force, before winning a listed race by five lengths at Deauville on May 31.

“It is possible that Ocean Atlantique could join Victor Ludorum in the Jockey Club. He will either run there or at Epsom,” said Fabre. “Ocean Atlantique would have more stamina, so he’s a possible for Epsom, but I have to talk to the owners and see what they want to do regarding their 3-year-olds.

“The [Epsom] picture is still a bit murky. You have the Guineas winner Kameko (Kitten’s Joy), and then the horse who won at Lingfield [English King {Fr}] looks a nice horse. Victor Ludorum is in good shape, and everything is building nicely toward the Jockey Club.”

Last year’s French Guineas winner and ‘Rising Star’ Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) was surprisingly beaten on his return to action by stablemate Magny Cours (Medaglia d’Oro)- but that was his first run for more than a year since finishing second in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club.

Fabre said, “Persian King will improve for his run. He needed it badly having not run for a year. He will go to Saint-Cloud next week for a gallop. I’m hoping to run him in the G1 Prix D’Ispahan [July 19], which unfortunately for him will be run at Chantilly rather than Longchamp. I would have preferred Longchamp, but there’s not much we can do about that.

“Magny Cours is a good horse, too. He’s a real miler–he has to go forward. He will run in the G2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud this weekend.”

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Dettori Called Up for English King in the Derby

Frankie Dettori has been given the ride aboard G1 Investec Derby favourite English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) at Epsom on Saturday week, trainer Ed Walker has confirmed. The son of Camelot stamped himself as a leading contender for the premier Classic with a hugely impressive display in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial earlier in the month and is now a best priced 7-2, ahead of Andrew Balding’s G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas hero Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) at 5-1. Tom Marquand was on board English King at Lingfield, but is set to be replaced at Epsom by Dettori, who steered the remarkable Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) to a third Gold Cup success at Royal Ascot last week for English King’s owner, Bjorn Nielsen.

Walker told PA, “Frankie is going to ride English King in the Derby. I feel desperately sorry for Tom, and it is absolutely no reflection of our faith and trust in his ability. Bjorn and I mulled it over and watched all the trials, and it became increasingly clear John [Gosden] wasn’t going to have a Derby runner. After Tom won on the horse at Lingfield he asked if he’d keep the ride in the Derby, and I said to him ‘your only danger is Frankie’.

“Frankie obviously has a wealth of big-race experience and raises his game to stratospheric heights for the big races. We feel very privileged to have him on board.”

Stradivarius was one of six Royal Ascot winners for the popular Italian, who will be bidding for a third win in the Derby following his previous triumphs aboard Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) in 2007 and Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in 2015.

Walker added, “The Derby is the Derby, and Frankie is Frankie. It’s very tough on Tom–but he has never ridden in a Classic around Epsom before, and I hope he’ll have other big days with us in the future, very possibly on this horse.

“It will be my first runner in the Derby–fingers crossed we get there–and having Frankie Dettori on board will just give me a bit of confidence as well, and obviously Frankie and Bjorn have the connection through Stradivarius. It wasn’t an easy decision. I’m sure it won’t be too long before Tom is jocking people off left, right and centre.”

English King enjoyed a Monday morning workout in Lambourn and is reported to be in fine fettle by his trainer.

“He’s in cracking form–really well in himself. I just hope we can keep him in the same form for the next 12 days,” said Walker. “We haven’t organised when it will happen yet, but Frankie will come and sit on him between now and the Derby.”

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