Flaming Rib (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}), the G1 Commonwealth Cup second, has been supplemented to the G1 Darley July Cup by trainer Hugo Palmer. A listed winner last October, the 3-year-old colt ran sixth in the G3 Greenham S. in April, but returned to form with a 1 1/2-length victory in the May 6 conditions stakes at Chester. Back in action at Haydock later that month, Flaming Rib missed by only a neck when second in the G2 Sandy Lane S., his final start prior to his good run at Royal Ascot.
Palmer said of the £36,000 supplementary entry, “It was a great run at Royal Ascot. When these entries came out he'd just won a conditions race for us at Chester and those that were entered at the first stage I think paid around £7,000 [it actually costs a total of £7,500 to run for horses entered when the race closed in May].
“So while it was expensive for us at this stage, we'd rather pay £36,000 and go in there as an 8-1 poke than pay seven [thousand] only to get stuffed in the Sandy Lane. It's changed a lot since then, he ran a great race in the Sandy Lane and an even better one in the Commonwealth Cup.
“[Part-owner] Michael [Owen] was joking the other day when I told him that the supplementary fee was £36,000 as the horse only cost £35,000. It's proof that relatively inexpensive horses can make their mark felt at a high level on a big Saturday.
“We've got no reason to think he won't run a big race in the July Cup. He's the fifth favourite and the four horses ahead of him in the market have got reasons to be there. We've got to beat our twice conqueror in Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) and the horses that filled the first three places in the Platinum Jubilee as well. We can only worry about our horse and I'm really looking forward to running him.”
He added, “I think despite what the Australian and the Japanese guys seem to be telling us, Newmarket is a much sharper track than Ascot–you go down to the six furlong point at Ascot and you're staring at a mountain to the grandstand. At the six-furlong point on the July Course, you're going downhill all the way until you start to climb in the final furlong and a half or so.
“It's a much sharper track and it's a track that favours prominent racers and while Flaming Rib does not need to make the running he is also not a hold up horse. He likes to wear his heart on his sleeve and race on the front end and he's a horse who doesn't like to lie down when he's beaten.”
Palmer also spoke of the success he's enjoyed since taking up his new role at Michael Owen's Manor House Stables, and said, “I'm loving the role–the team I've brought up with me and the team I've met here have worked fantastically hard and everyone has really pulled together.
“There have been some tricky moments–nothing in life is easy–but the fact that the horses have, touch wood, continually run their races and are showing up on the big days makes the whole thing worthwhile. It's the reason we do it and it's thrilling.
“Michael owns a leg of this horse and it's lovely that he runs in his colours because they are the stable colours, which is tremendous. This is what racing needs–it needs the enthusiasm of owners and to have English owners with real enthusiasm and top-class horses is very exciting because for all that British racing is enormously grateful for the patronage from the Middle East and further afield, it does sometimes make racing seem a little bit fanciful for English people to be involved.
“A healthy thriving industry will have a huge amount of horses owned by natives of this country this well.”
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