The Major Talking Points From Day Three at Royal Ascot

There has been no shortage of talking points at Royal Ascot this week but, perhaps the most controversial incident of them all came in the opening race on Thursday, when Paul Hanagan received a 10-day careless riding ban for veering halfway across the track en route to victory in the G2 Norfolk S. aboard The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}).

From that controversy to another forgettable afternoon's work for Frankie Dettori, out of luck aboard Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Gold Cup and The Queen's 2-5 favourite Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Hampton Court S., Brian Sheerin dissects the main talking points from Thursday's action.

 

Listen To Heffernan – Racing Needs To Wake Up

What needs to happen in Britain and Ireland for the stewards to start protecting riders? Let's not pretend that this is a problem confined to British racing because it is not.

Just last autumn, Shane Foley found himself on the receiving end of a five-day ban for careless riding when partnering No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) to victory in the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend.

Race-favourite Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was one of the worst affected by Foley edging to his left aboard the winner and there was genuine dismay from the international audience looking in on our product that the result wasn't changed.

Lessons haven't been learned and there was an element of groundhog day at Ascot when Paul Hanagan veered halfway across the track aboard The Ridler, inconvenienced a number of big-race rivals, but was allowed to keep the G2 Norfolk S.

What you permit, you promote, and the rules, as they are interpreted, meant that The Ridler was never in any real danger of being chucked out.

Seamie Heffernan gave a candid interview to TDN Europe in the immediate aftermath of the farcical contest where he raised the point that riders should have to forfeit their winner's cheque if found guilty of dangerous or careless riding.

In Hanagan's case, he was handed a 10-day riding ban for careless riding, and one can only assume he took that punishment with a smile.

Put simply, there is no deterrent for riding dangerously and, as Heffernan described, a “win-at-all-cost mentality” has crept into racing in recent times.

It begs the question; what needs to happen for the interference rules to be brought into line to reflect what happens in America, Australia and France?

Kia Joorabchian, whose Amo Racing silks were carried by the second and the third–Walbank (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Crispy Cat (GB) (Ardad {Ire})–was rightly fuming after the race. So, too, was Crispy Cat's trainer Michael O'Callaghan, not to mention the international bettors who got involved on the World Pool.

The damage caused by these farcical decisions pose a serious risk to the sport and Thursday's race should be the wake up call racing needs.

The problem is, this is an alarm bell that has been ringing for a while.

 

Forgettable Day For Frankie

Yesterday we spoke of how Irad Ortiz's week went from bad to worse and, unfortunately for Frankie Dettori, one of the all-time greats of the weighing room, he had a similarly forgettable day at the office.

John Gosden is not a man who goes around ruffling feathers for no reason but he was clearly disappointed with the ride Dettori gave Stradivarius in the Gold Cup, feeling the legendary rider was too far out of his ground in a slowly-run contest.

“I was a bit surprised that being in the box seat we dropped back so far,” Gosden told ITV Racing. He added, “It would have been nice to be a touch handier, to say the least.”

Dettori was once again out of luck in the Britannia S. when, in another stride or two, he almost certainly would have clinched victory aboard The Queen's Saga (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

At least there was a 2-5 favourite to steer home, eh? Wrong. Reach For The Moon ensured this was a day that would be remembered for all the wrong reasons when, despite being sent off at prohibitively short odds, Gosden's charge fluffed his lines in the G3 Hampton Court S.

It should also be noted that Reach For The Moon represented the third odds-on favourite of the week at Royal Ascot after Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) got the meeting underway as a 1-6 jolly in the G1 Queen Anne S and Bay Bridge(GB) (New Bay {GB}) got turned over at odds of 10-11 in the Prince Of Wales's S. on Wednesday.

Alfred Munnings (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who runs in the L Chesham S., and short-priced G2 Hardwicke S. fancy Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), are set to start at odds-on for their respective races on Saturday.

That will bring the total number of odds-on shots at this year's Royal meeting to five. There was consternation over the fact that there were five odds-on shots at Cheltenham back in March. Where is the outcry this week?

 

Stradivarius Going Nowhere

There seems to be an unhealthy obsession, certainly in some quarters of the media, in feeling the need to bring up the prospects of retirement as soon as any top horse appears to be on the wane.

Stradivarius is clearly not the force of old, yet he ran a gallant race to finish third in the G1 Gold Cup behind Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and many felt he was unlucky not to have won.

The most pleasing aspect of the performance, however, was that the old boy seemed to retain all of his enthusiasm for the game, which was evidenced by the live pictures of him strutting out of the parade ring afterwards like the champion that he is.

So why this constant talk of retirement? Stradivarius is a racehorse and, to these eyes at least, he still loves to run.

Judging by his fine effort in defeat, he will go close to winning the G1 Goodwood Cup and there is also the option of travelling to Paris later in the season.

Stradivarius has been masterfully handled by John and Thady Gosden. They will know when the time is right to bring the curtain down on his career. Judging by Thursday's performance, that time doesn't appear to be any time soon.

 

Brilliant Boughey Continues To Build

It is hard to believe that George Boughey has only recently turned 30. Since sending out his first winner in 2019, Boughey has bagged a breakthrough Classic success this year and sugar-coated what has been a memorable season by adding a Royal Ascot victory to his CV when Inver Park (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) landed the Buckingham Palace S.

Boughey got his training career up and running, by and large, with early 2-year-olds, but the standard of his Newmarket operation has risen dramatically with each season, as we saw when Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) won the G1 1000 Guineas.

Things could get even better for Boughey on Friday when Cachet lines out in the G1 Coronation S., which is shaping up to be one of the races of the week. His stock is not just on the rise, it's sky-rocketing.

Also, it would be remiss not to mention the exploits of Jane Chapple-Hyam this week. Twice the trainer's unmissable white bridle has been carried to victory at the royal meeting, with Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) running out a gritty winner of the G3 Hampton Court S. just 24 hours after Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) bolted up in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S.

Chapple-Hyam's only other runner this week, Intellogent (Ire) (Intello {Ger}), also ran a cracker to finish second in Wednesday's Royal Hunt Cup.

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Paddy Kehoe: ‘I’ve Backed Princess Zoe to win €50,000 – I got the Value’

He didn't crack the code to the Irish Lottery, have his colours carried by the record-breaking Grabel (GB) (Bold Owl {GB}), invest eye-watering sums in the stock market and battle with the bookmakers on an almost daily basis by being short of an opinion or two. 

Now, Paddy Kehoe is preparing to back his latest theory that his pride and joy Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) can land the G1 Ascot Gold Cup on Thursday and, if correct, the 75-year-old businessman and renowned racehorse owner will net himself a cool €50,000 to go on top of the winner's cheque for the £500,000 Thursday showpiece. 

“This mare is going to win,” says a confident Keogh, as he sips through his fourth pot of tea in Dublin's Burlington Hotel on Sunday morning. 

“She has the form in the book. Tell me another horse in the race with better form than Zoe? Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was a brilliant horse but he's gone. One of my biggest bets of the week will be on Zoe to beat Stradivarius in a match bet and I could get odds of 2-1 on that. I'll definitely get 6-4. 

“That is an absolute house job. If we can't beat Stradivarius we may as well give up. If he is to win the Gold Cup this year, he'll want to start on Wednesday.

“He was a great horse, it's not like he hasn't done it, because he has, but he's an 8-year-old now and we beat him easily last year. 

“That's despite the fact that we were blocked in our run. Joey [Sheridan, jockey] was too far back because he was watching Stradivarius even though I told him that he wasn't the one to be worrying about. 

“If we rode our own race last year, we'd have won the Gold Cup, and I think we're bringing a better mare to Ascot this year. Where is Stradivarius going to find the improvement to beat us? I can't see it.”

This may sound like pub talk but, then again, so, too, is the idea of devising a plan to win the lotto. But that's exactly what Kehoe, along with mathematical genius Stefan Klincewicz, did back in 1992 when they beat the system and landed the most audacious gambling coup in Irish history, changing the way the National Lottery is run as a result.

“There was every sort of obstacle put in our way,” he says, almost tired of telling the story. “I remember driving out the South Circular Road and the Gardai, the people from the Lotto and the press were all following me. It was world news at the time.”

He added, “One of the lads was on holiday and he picked up a newspaper in Spain and who was on the front of it? Me! He phoned home to Jamesie O'Donnell [another friend] and said, 'what's Kehoe after doing now?' That was a couple of years after Grabel won the richest jumps race ever run in America. It was mad stuff altogether.”

That Irish lotto coup will go down as one of Kehoe's greatest payouts and, the man who understands odds more than most, is all too aware that there is more than just probability to overcome at Ascot next week. 

Having said that, the County Wexford native is confident that his trainer Tony Mullins, who was in the plate aboard Grabel on that fateful day in Kentucky back in 1990, has Princess Zoe in even better shape than 12 months ago, when the mare finished a gallant second to Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). 

“I've a lot of money on her,” he says. “I have her backed to win €50,000. We've backed her each-way at 16-1, 12-1 and I'd another €500 each-way on her the other day at 12-1 when she should have been 8-1. We have the value and we have the horse, the jockey and the trainer. If she wins, great, but if she doesn't, it won't be the first time it's happened and I'll put it down to bad luck. I know in my heart and soul that she's a better mare this year so we're confident.”

Kehoe added, “You have to give Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) the respect that he deserves but it doesn't look like he's going to run now because of the ground. What does that leave as favourite? Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})? And what has he beaten? 

“He beat Search For a Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at Navan and she has been well-beaten since. Fair enough, he won again at Leopardstown [the G3 Saval Beg Levmoss S.] but that was an egg-and-spoon race because he started as a 1-10 favourite which tells you what he had to beat. 

“Kyprios hasn't won beyond 1m6f either so he's not certain to get the trip. For my money, the Gold Cup is a two-horse race between Zoe and Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the horse who won the G1 Prix Royal-Oak last year, and now I see that he's a doubt to run because of the ground as well.”

Kehoe likes a bet as much as he does a pint of Smithwick's, hates referees as much as he does jockeys, has never married and never intends to either. It's an all-singing, all-dancing operation, which begs the question, where does he find the time to fund the whole thing?

“I get up at four every morning, five at the latest-when I'm not drinking-to price jobs so that I'd have it all done. You'd be finished your work at 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning and you'd have it all done. I could never sleep. The way I look at it is, when you get to 75 years of age, every minute of the day that you're alive is a bonus. What the f*** would you be lying in the bed for?”

Kehoe makes no secret about the fact that he's fond of a good night out-and when Wexford won the All-Ireland in 1996, rumour has it there were several-but he also runs a hugely successful business that specialises in suspended ceilings, travels to race meetings and sporting events all over the world, which goes some way in explaining why sleep falls falls down the pecking order in his list of priorities. 

“A fella was slagging one day, telling me that I can remember everything that is said on a night out, and I told him I can remember the day I was born!”

It's at this point where Kehoe's phone lights up for the seventh or eighth time within the space of an hour, each number different to the last, none of which have been saved under a name. No need.

“I don't bother saving them. I know every number in there, I'd have them all in my head. I'm not big on computers. Never was. Sure my mother [Ina] is 96 years of age and she can tell me everything that's going on. I was talking to her this morning and she was talking about tennis, the results from the soccer matches, everything.

“The first thing I do every morning is check the stock markets and switch back over to Sky News to see what's happening in Ukraine. My mother would have all the sports news and everything for me. She's even booked in for the Galway races again this year.” 

It's at Galway where Princess Zoe shot to prominence, winning two premier handicaps at the summer festival before returning to Ballybrit later in 2020 to win the Listed Oyster S. and she has since confirmed herself as one of the most talented stayers in the business. 

Princess Zoe has netted Kehoe €238,500 in career earnings, not bad for a mare who cost just €39,500, but he doesn't subscribe to being labelled lucky to be associated with such a money-spinner.

“If I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck,” he says, only half-joking. “Take Antarctic Bay as an example. He won the SunAlliance in 1985 and was favourite for the following year's Gold Cup. He never set foot on the track again after his Cheltenham win. Abbey Glen (GB) (Furry Glen {GB}) was beaten a neck in the Arkle, went for the Irish Grand National and pulls up entering the straight after breaking down. He was also favourite for the following year's Gold Cup. Two ante-post favourites for the Gold Cup. Both gone. And people tell me I'm lucky? Stop.”

A night on the town with camp Kehoe is not for the faint-hearted. It may be easier to predict the lotto numbers than to forecast the outcome of Thursday's race but the greatest certainty of them all is that the travelling contingent of Irishmen and women will make the most of the occasion.

“There'll be 15 or 16 of us heading over to Ascot and we'll be back in Cassidy's Pub in Dublin by 11.30pm on Thursday night. There's lads coming over from Paris, New York-all over the place-and they all believe that she will win. 

“I've told them not to be disappointed if we're beaten because we'll drink as much if she loses as we will if she wins. It won't make any difference.”

The money is secondary. 

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Trueshan Gold Cup Bid Unlikely Due to Unsuitable Ground

Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}), the long-time ante-post favourite for the G1 Ascot Gold Cup, has taken a walk in the betting for the Thursday showpiece after connections said he was unlikely to run at the royal meeting due to unsuitably quick ground. 

A general 5-2 favourite for the race on Sunday morning, Trueshan could be backed at odds as big as 15-2 after the 6-year-old's trainer Alan King revealed that the quick ground was likely to scupper plans of running in the Gold Cup. 

The ground at Ascot was described as good to firm, good in places on Sunday and, with no sign of rain in the forecast, coupled with drying winds and soaring temperatures, King feels Trueshan will not get his desired conditions.

He explained, “I am hugely concerned about the ground and I can't see any rain coming either, looking at all the forecasts. We might hang on in there, but if the forecast is right, I can't see us running.”

Kind added, “It is frustrating, but last year the ground came right for us at Goodwood, in France and at Ascot later in the year.

“Ascot should be run on fast ground, it is high summer at the end of the day. But if I call it wrong once, I could finish him. We are going to try to get it right. We have to try to get it right. It will be a last-minute call, but I would say he is very unlikely to run.”

The field could be further reduced as connections of Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who won the Listed Noel Murless S. at Ascot before taking the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp in October, have also indicated he will be held back.

With doubts around some of the leading players in the Ascot Gold Cup, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) hardened into a general 6-4 chance for the race with Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won the race three times on the trot from 2018, available at odds of 2-1 in his bid to regain his crown.

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Seven Days: Abundance

Can we have too much of a good thing? When it comes to racing in the spring the answer is almost certainly not, but the rapidity with which all the decent action takes place can make it difficult to take it all in. For example, in the last 11 days we have had three Derby favourites. First the horse who had held that honour all winter, Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who was then replaced by his stable-mate Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), all the rage after his Derby Trial victory at Leopardstown following the defection of Luxembourg from Epsom. But Stone Age held his position for only four days before he was pipped by the Dante S. winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), about whom the dogs had apparently been howling that Sir Michael Stoute was on his way to claim the Derby for a sixth time, 41 years after Shergar (Ire) galloped his way into the history books. 

By Derby day itself, Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) will almost certainly shorten merely for the fact that Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride him, but there is plenty to suggest that he would not be unworthy of that support. We'll see.

In the meantime, thoughts have turned to the Prix du Jockey Club, a great stopgap between the Guineas and Derby since its distance was shortened to 2,100m back in 2005. On Sunday, Charlie Appleby said of his Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), “I always had it in the back of my mind that he might be a French Derby horse.” With that colt having become the first British-trained winner of the race for 17 years, it would be no surprise to see him attempt to emulate the last one, Shamardal, by snaring a French Classic double. It would also help to alleviate one problem faced by Appleby in attempting to keep Modern Games, Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) apart. But let's face it, as problems go, it's high on the first-world list.

Jean-Claude Rouget has also been waxing lyrical about the Prix des Suresnes winner Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), drawing flattering comparisons to Sottsass (Ire), and seemingly not just for the very similar pattern of his breeding. Then there is the good-looking Lassaut (Fr), from the first crop of Jockey Club winner Almanzor (Fr), whose running-on fifth in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains can be regarded as a decent trial for June 5.

It would also be folly to overlook the claims of G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Onesto (Ire), the colt by Frankel (GB) who returned to Europe after being an unlikely candidate for a Florida breeze-up sale. But he breezed with ease, earning himself a $535,000 price tag and a place in Fabrice Chappet's Chantilly stable. We'll be hearing more about Onesto later this week in TDN, but a viewing of him during Chappet's second lot on Monday morning was enough to leave a strong impression that he is a horse with a perfect temperament for the big day.

Mosse Pockets His Plans

The indefatigable Gerald Mosse, impeccably bedecked in his trademark white gloves and a silver brooch of two horses' head at the collar of his silks, rode his 15th French Classic winner at Longchamp on Sunday. It was his first since winning the Prix du Jockey Club on Reliable Man (GB) in 2011.

Of his latest, Mangoustine (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}), he said, “She really kicked strongly and fought all the way to the line. She kept something in the pocket for the end.”

Mangoustine was not the only one. The 55-year-old jockey has already passed the necessary exams to start a secondary career as a trainer but, understandably after the elation of his second win in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches following Zalaiyka (Fr) (Royal Academy) 24 years ago, he said thoughts of retirement are far from his mind.

“For now I'll keep my training licence in my pocket,” added Mosse.

Born To Run

Somewhat unusually, four of the top five lots at last year's Arqana Breeding Stock Sale have remained in training this season, and three of them have enjoyed a real purple patch of late.

On Saturday, Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), the sale-topper at €3 million, made a triumphant comeback in her new home country of America, where she was the impressive victrix of the GIII Beaugay S. for Peter Brant, Michael Tabor and trainer Chad Brown.

Brant and Brown also teamed up with Speak Of The Devil (Fr) Wootton Bassett {GB}), a €1.95 million purchase, to win the GII Longines Churchill Distaff S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Meanwhile Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), now six, has remained in training in France with Gianluca Bietolini for her new owner Haras de Hus, and she has added the Listed Prix Zarkava and G3 Prix Allez France to her tally of wins this season.

The World's Gone Mad

It would be churlish to present a round-up of the action of the past week and not mention the mighty Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who won his third G2 Yorkshire Cup. It seems extraordinary that the horse who last week set a new European record for the number of Group wins (18) should have an invisible question mark hanging over him with regard to his future stud career. 

Too small and the wrong colour for a National Hunt stallion, some say, but frankly that option shouldn't even be in the reckoning. Wouldn't it be refreshing if a son of one of the best horses most of us have ever seen, from a Wildenstein dynasty deep with talent, who has proved his own abundant ability and soundness year after year, be afforded the respect he deserves by Flat breeders. After all, who among us would not love to race a horse such as this?

Too much to ask? Let's hope not.

Titannia Upholds Family Honour

Two years ago we noted the Danish Classic double of Tassmania (Den), the filly whose existence is largely owing to her dam Transsylvania (Den) (Le Havre {Ire}) having won a nomination to Sir Percy (GB) as part of her prize for landing the Listed Lanwades Stud S. in Norway in 2015.

Transsylvania's owner/breeders Dean and Mette Olsen duly bred her to Sir Percy, resulting in victory in the Danish 1000 Guineas and 2000 Guineas for her daughter Tassmania. Now the family is at it again. 

Transsylvania's current 3-year-old Titannia (Den), by Appel Au Maitre (Fr), won the Danish 1000 Guineas on May 7 and is now poised to attempt to emulate her half-sister by taking on the colts. The filly, who was retained by the Olsens, also provided Lars Kelp with his first Classic victory since returning to the training ranks with just five horses under his care.

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