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Jukebox Jury’s Princess Zoe Prevails in Sagaro Thriller

Winless in seven starts since capturing ParisLongchamp's 2020 G1 Prix du Cadran, last term's G1 Gold Cup runner-up Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) bounced back in style on seasonal return to claim a thrilling victory in Wednesday's two-mile G3 Longines Sagaro S. at Ascot. The 7-year-old mare claimed a rail position after the early strides and raced third passing the judge first time. Biding her time throughout, the 17-2 chance was bustled along to find an open lane off the home turn and stayed on relentlessly under a drive inside the final quarter mile to hit the line with a head advantage from Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) with Queen's Cup winner Enemy (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) a further neck adrift in third. Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was bidding to provide his sire with a world record 348th stakes winner, went off as the 2-1 favourite and finished another neck away in fourth.

“I think she likes to come into her races, she is just a warrior and loves a battle and I will never have the like of her again,” commented trainer Tony Mullins of his stable star. “When you have trained ordinary horses for 25 or 30 years and then you have one like this it is special. She is just part of the family. I was anxious about the ground and was a little surprised they didn't water last night as it would still have left it good-to-firm, but not quite as quick as that. Everyone believes she is a heavy-ground mare and I'm bringing her here on good-to-firm. I know if she was well beaten that everyone would say I was wrong and made a big mistake. We came here today to win, she was fit enough to win and she is going to improve for Royal Ascot. The extra half-mile [of the G1 Gold Cup] is going to make a difference and I feel there is more in the tank. Hopefully, she will be fine in the morning and then the whole build-up to the Gold Cup begins.”

Princess Zoe is one of five winners, from six foals, produced by a multiple-winning half-sister to MGSW sire Peppercorn (Ger) (Big Shuffle), G2 Oettingen-Rennen victor Pepperstorm (Ger) (Big Shuffle), G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Peppershot (Ger) (Big Shuffle) and the dual stakes-placed Pepperjuice (Ger) (Big Shuffle). The March-foaled grey is a half-sister to MGSW G1 Deutsches Derby runner-up Palace Prince (Ger) (Areion {Ger}). Her second dam Pasca (Ger) (Lagunas {GB), broodmare of the year in 2003, is a half-sister to G2 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Padang (Ger) (Ile de Bourbon).

Wednesday, Ascot, Britain
LONGINES SAGARO S.-G3, £80,000, Ascot, 4-27, 4yo/up, 15f 209yT, 3:26.41, g/f.
1–PRINCESS ZOE (GER), 125, m, 7, by Jukebox Jury (Ire)
1st Dam: Palace Princess (Ger), by Tiger Hill (Ire)
2nd Dam: Pasca (Ger), by Lagunas (GB)
3rd Dam: Palmas (Ger), by Neckar (Ger)
O-Patrick F Kehoe & Mrs P Crampton; B-Gestut Hony-Hof (GER); T-Tony Mullins; J-Joey Sheridan. £45,368. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Mare-Eng & Fr at 14f+, G1SW-Fr, SW & GSP-Ire, G1SP-Eng, 29-8-8-3, $516,352. *1/2 to Palace Prince (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), Hwt. Older Horse-Ger at 7-9.5f, MGSW & G1SP-Ger, SW-Fr, $462,429. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Quickthorn (GB), 128, g, 5, Nathaniel (Ire)–Daffydowndilly (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Lady Blyth; B-Lemington Grange Stud (GB); T-Hugh Morrison. £17,200.
3–Enemy (GB), 128, g, 5, Muhaarar (GB)–Prudenzia (Ire), by Dansili (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€420,000 Ylg '18 ARAUG; €92,000 4yo '21 ARQAUT). O-Tracey Bell & Caroline Lyons; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & Skymarc Farm Inc (GB); T-Ian Williams. £8,608.
Margins: HD, NK, NK. Odds: 8.50, 3.50, 4.00.
Also Ran: Wordsworth (Ire), Tashkhan (Ire), Nayef Road (Ire). Scratched: Calling The Wind (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Heron S. Next For Inspiral

Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who will miss the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas on May 1, will instead make her next start in the Listed Coral Heron S. at Sandown Park on May 19. Four-for-four at two including a victory in the G1 bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October, Inspiral missed several days of training in the lead up to the Guineas. Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. in June is the long-term target for the Cheveley Park homebred.

John Gosden, who trains the filly with his son Thady, said, “In the case of Inspiral, all being well, she will run in the Heron S. as a prep for the Coronation S. at Royal Ascot.

“She missed those critical eight to 10 days of training during trials week here and from that point of view I couldn't run her at 80% as that wouldn't be very clever.

“It was a straightforward decision in the end not to run in the Guineas when you miss that period of training. You have got to be at full match fitness for a Guineas.

“You can't miss two critical bits of work and think you are going to be there so to that extent it was not a difficult decision. You do the right thing by the filly and the right thing was not to run.

“I was just going through the book last night and there are no fillies' race for her in this country. She can't [go] for the Michael Seeley Memorial S. at York as she is not eligible and consequently the Heron comes at the right time.”

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International Cast Eye Royal Meeting

Entries from nine countries appear on course for the eight Group 1 races at Royal Ascot, headlined by the world's three highest-rated sprinters: Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) (Australia, 124), Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) (USA, 121) and Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) (Australia, 120). The Australian pair–who may face Golden Pal in the G1 King's Stand S. or contest the G1 Platinum Jubilee S.–are joined by fellow Australian invader Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) (Anthony & Sam Freedman), set to run on the final day of the meeting.

Last year's G1 Everest winner Nature Strip has annexed eight Group 1 victories, including the G1 T J Smith S. at Randwick Apr. 2. Home Affairs took the G1 Lightning S. at Flemington in February. The race has been a key stepping-stone for Australia's five Royal Ascot winners–Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast and Black Caviar all winning the five-furlong King's Stand.

“We have nominated both Nature Strip and Home Affairs for the King's Stand S. and the Platinum Jubilee S. This is to keep our options open as anything can happen with horses but we should have an exciting Royal Meeting, that is for sure,” said Chris Waller's assistant trainer and racing manager Charlie Duckworth. “Nature Strip has just come back into the stable after a short break following a busy racing preparation, while Home Affairs is back in work and going well. The plan is for both horses to do the majority of their work on home soil prior to travelling to England.”

Standing in the way of the Australian runners in the King's Stand is Golden Pal, sparkling winner of last fall's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. The four-year-old kicked off this season with a win in the G2 Shakertown S. at Keeneland Apr. 9.

“Golden Pal is doing great, he really is,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “It was a powerful performance from him in the Shakertown–but it was a comeback and I really think his next run is going to be something special. He is a once in a lifetime horse–certainly the best I have ever had–and I think he will stamp that with his performance at Ascot if he runs like I am expecting him to.

“Physically, he is an awesome specimen now and mentally he is really coming into his own. I am just so excited to get him back over there.”

Also slated to contest the Royal meeting for Ward, Platinum Jubilee S. contender Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will bid to join a select group of horses to have won three different Royal Ascot races in successive years. The 4-year-old captured the G2 Queen Mary S. in 2020 and last year was second past the post in the G1 Commonwealth Cup before the placings were reversed due to interference.

“Barbara Banke [owner] and her team are so excited to get Campanelle back over there,” added Ward. “She had a strong performance on her comeback win at Keeneland the other day. If you watch that race against some of the fastest fillies in the country, what she did was pretty impressive.”

Representing Japan in the G1 Prince of Wales's S., G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner, Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) may accompanied from Japan by fellow Group 1-winning contender Grenadier Guards (Frankel {GB}), who will target the Platinum Jubilee.

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer of Shahryar, said: “I discussed with the owner [Sunday Racing Co Ltd] about future plans after Shahryar won the Dubai Sheema Classic and we agreed that the next target for Shahryar must be the races with the highest profile in the world. I believe the Prince of Wales's S. is the ideal spot for the horse.”

There are 16 entries representing the USA at today's Group 1 entry stage. Among them is a host of runners trained by Graham Motion (Spendarella (Fr) (Common Grounds {GB}), G1 Coronation S. and Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}) (G1 St James's Palace S.) in addition to Brad Cox (Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (G1 King's Stand S.) or G1 Commonwealth Cup). Christophe Clement, who is responsible for last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), is targeting the Coronation S. The 3-year-old filly is owned by celebrity chef, Bobby Flay.

Clement said, “All options are open for Pizza Bianca after her second at Aqueduct last weekend. I am yet to have a discussion with the owner and suspect we will make a decision in the next two or three weeks. There is another stakes race in four weeks at Pimlico that she could go for and then from there you can go to Ascot. The filly will tell us what she wants to do but at the moment all options are wide open.”

Clement may also be represented by Slipstream (More Than Ready) and stakes winner Derrynane (Quality Road).

“Slipstream is very much on course for the Commonwealth Cup,” he confirmed. “He won [the Listed Palisades S.] impressively at Keeneland in April and I don't think I will run him back before Ascot. This horse has a very good mind and goes on any ground. He is very mature as well having been a good 2-year-old last year. I think he is a good horse.”

“I have also nominated a very fast filly called Derrynane. She is top-class but needs the ground on the firmer side. Similarly with Pizza Bianca, there is a stakes race for her [in the US] in late May and we may go there before deciding about the Commonwealth Cup.”

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Tour of Royal Yards to Celebrate Platinum Jubilee

Royal trainers William Haggas, Michael Bell and John and Thady Gosden will open the doors of their stables for a series of Royal Yard Tours this summer to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Discover Newmarket will host the tours, which offer visitors a behind-the-scenes look at Somerville Lodge, Fitzroy House, and Clarehaven, where Her Majesty has horses in training. The royal trainers will also take guests to the Gallops– the training grounds around Newmarket. The full-day tour includes a visit to the National Stud, where a stallion parade will be conducted by the former manager of The Royal Studs in addition to a visit to the National Horseracing Museum, which The Queen opened in 2016 on the original site of Charles II's Palace and Stables.

Discover Newmarket is also providing the Newmarket's Racing Royalty Tour, which explores the town's connections with the monarchy for over 350 years, since Charles II's horse won the very first recorded horse race in history. A guided tour of Palace House is also included.

Royal Yard Tours cost £165 per person and are available May 31 (Somerville Lodge), July 1 (Fitzroy House), and a date to be announced (Clarehaven).

The Newmarket Racing Royalty Tour is offered at £40 per person and is available May 7, June 20, Sept. 3 and Oct. 14, or as a private tour for a £50 supplement.

For more information, visit https://discovernewmarket.co.uk.

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