Gregory To Be Rested, But Will Return For 4-Year-Old Campaign

Wathnan Racing's Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), who won the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, is headed for some time off, with connections opting for a 4-year-old staying campaign, according to racing advisor Richard Brown.

The John and Thady Gosden trainee won his first three starts, before running third in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. and fifth in the G1 St Leger, both times to Heart's Cry (Jpn) colt Continuous (Jpn).

“I think he's going to be better on top of the ground and he still ran an admirable race,” said Brown, reflecting on the colt's St Leger performance.

“He's a big colt and by the far the biggest, most scopey horse in that field and he's only going to get better from three to four. He still ran with credit, but we'll put him away now and we'll look at turning him into a Cup horse next year.”

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Doncaster: St Leger Holding Out For A Hero

   It would be brave to call the winner of Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger and at this stage difficult to even decide what will start favourite for a wide-open renewal of the Doncaster Classic. There is very little separating the obvious trio of Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), Arrest (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), while even Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) could yet threaten for pole position in the market given his Royal status. Each one has yet to prove themselves at this level, with Continuous and Arrest well-beaten when contesting the European Classics this summer before staging their comebacks in their preps. Doncaster's unforgiving final Classic of the season will stretch the elastic and only one will truly stay the course.

Ballydoyle know what it takes to win this and the number one is Continuous, who comes from the race's premier trial, York's G2 Great Voltigeur S. While the race was set up perfectly for his hold-up style, there was much to like about the fluency with which he dealt with Gregory and co. and Ryan Moore was never going to ride anything else.

“People talk about the tactics that day, but just focus on the fact that he won the best trial for this Classic by nearly four lengths, with Gregory back in third, and he was very strong at the line,” he stated. “Of course, you never know they stay until you try and maybe quicker ground may have been ideal with stamina in mind, but he won on soft ground in France at two and he has very strong credentials.”

Gregory was carrying a three-pound penalty returning from a break in the Voltigeur, having won Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase, and probably set off too fast on the Knavesmire but that performance has obviously failed to keep Frankie interested. This is a big day for the soon-to-be-retired figurehead of the sport, so it is significant that he opts instead for Juddmonte's Arrest.

Siding with Arrest is a gamble, given he was beating probably a substandard field in the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. at Newbury last month, but if it gets softer there is the memory of his heavy defeat of Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the G3 Chester Vase on testing ground in May. Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon is aware of the gravitas surrounding Frankie's decision. “It would be special and it's a hot race, it's certainly hard to dismiss much in the race. They are all of a similar level and it's definitely quality over quantity,” he said.

“In fairness to the horse, his record is pretty solid and we made two bad calls with the horse running him on good-to-firm ground at Epsom and [Royal] Ascot. We know he likes an ease in the ground and if you forget those two runs, then his record is pretty outstanding. Over a mile and five and a half at Newbury he looked comfortable enough, so we just have to be hopeful he gets the extra furlong.”

Arrest's trainer John Gosden also has Gregory and Qatar Racing's Melrose H. winner Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion) and he started with Wathnan Racing's representative. “He's got a great mind and he is a pretty laid-back character,” he said. “I trained both the mother and father and he's inherited all the good traits of their mental attitude towards racing. We gave him all the time he required and he's done nothing but shine this year. I think he'll enjoy the distance, although we are perfectly aware it looks like being a vintage St Leger.”

Of Middle Earth, he added, “He's proven he stays the trip and the long straight here tests the tactical speed and the stamina, so he looks like he should be able to answer those two calls. If you'd won a handicap in the style he did at York, that was a tougher race than some of the trials. If you've got the right horse at the right time and he handles the ground, then he has every right to be there.”

The King & The Queen's G3 Gordon S.-winning TDN Rising Star Desert Hero would be the first winner in the Royal colours in this since Dunfermline in 1977, so it would be some landmark. Trainer William Haggas told QIPCO British Champions Series, “I think it would mean the world to everyone in our industry. We have been fortunate for so long to have such stoic Royal patronage, and anything that can enhance that will be good. He won on soft ground at Goodwood and on faster ground at Ascot, so I don't think the ground is a worry. Soft ground will put more emphasis on stamina, but if he relaxes he should stay.”

 

Rosallion Kicks Off Action In The Champagne

Doncaster's action starts with the G2 Betfred Champagne S., where Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's impressive Listed Pat Eddery S. winner Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) has command on all known form. His four-length defeat of Al Musmak (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) looks even better now that the runner-up has won the Listed Ascendant S. and we could be dealing with one of Britain's leading 2000 Guineas hopes. Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud's G2 Vintage S. runner-up Iberian (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is the main threat, having finished ahead of Ballydoyle's Mountain Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) in that Goodwood contest, but anything other than a convincing win for the Richard Hannon trainee will be an anti-climax.

Hannon said of Rosallion, “We were delighted with his run at Ascot and he's come forward a good bit since then. Al Musmak won very well at Haydock and he looks a nice horse, so that was very pleasing. We've won it with Threat, Chindit and Estidhkaar. It's a nice race and it comes at a good time for the big races in the autumn and hopefully this is a nice race on the way to the Dewhurst.”

Charlie Hills said of Iberian, “He ran a good race at Goodwood, but second time out round that track from a bad draw, a combination of track, inexperience and ground caught him out that day. He was a bit on and off the bridle. I was really pleased with how he finished up the straight and I've always liked him. His work has been really good leading up to this race and I would say this racecourse is going to suit him better. He is a very straightforward horse to train at home and his temperament and everything about him is really good.”

 

 

Cachet Confirmed For Sceptre Return

Sunday's card at Doncaster has been boosted by the first sighting of last year's G1 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) in the seven-furlong G3 Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies' S. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's star has been off since finishing fifth in the G1 Coronation S. last June and trainer George Boughey is happy to get her back on the track. “She's in as good a form as I could have her considering the lay-off she's had,” he said. “She's been away to Chelmsford and we worked her at Kempton on Thursday morning. She's worked in between on fast ground at home in Newmarket.”

Also on Sunday, Frankie Dettori continue his farewell tour as he takes to Bro Park to partner the defending G3 Stockholm Cup International winner Hard One To Please (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) in his defence of the feature contest.

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Keatley Aiming Ballymount Boy At The Jean-Luc Lagardere

Adrian Keatley is preparing Ballymount Boy (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) for a tilt at the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp.

Bought by the emerging force of Wathnan Racing after finishing second to Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G2 Richmond S., Ballymount Boy  went on to fill the runner-up spot in the G3 Acomb S. at York. 

Connections are now eyeing Group 1 glory on Arc weekend and the Classic-winning trainer has reported the colt to be training well.

Keatley said, “He's doing very well after York, we're very pleased with him and our plan is to go over to France for Lagardere. I think that will suit him, seven furlongs on the track there, and when you look at the form, he has some of the best form there so we'd like to think he'd go very close.”

Reflecting on the Acomb, he added, “The way the race was run, he was just behind the pace. He was only really getting going and he ran the fastest final furlong, which shows you that was when he was doing his best work.

“He still ran a good race and now we can position him in the first few as he does take a while to hit top gear. We're really looking forward to running him.”

 

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Gregory Favourite as Nine Remain in St Leger

Nine horses have stood their ground for the Betfred St Leger, which takes place at Doncaster on Saturday.

While much attention will focus on the presence of a royal runner, Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who bids to give King Charles III his first Classic success 46 years after Dunfermline (GB) won the St Leger for his late mother, there is also the matter of Frankie Dettori's last ride in a British Classic.

The Italian, who is set to retire from race-riding at the end of the year, will renew his partnership with race-favourite Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), on whom he won the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot. Owned by Wathnan Racing, the colt is one of three potential runners for John and Thady Gosden, along with Qatar Racing's Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion) and Juddmonte's contender Arrest (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Aidan O'Brien has four remaining entries, led by the G2 Great Voltigeur winner Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), who could be joined by Tower Of London (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Alexandropoulis (Ire) and Denmark (Ire). The last two named are sons of Camelot (GB), who narrowly failed in his Triple Crown bid in 2012 when beaten in the St Leger by Godolphin's Encke (GB).

This time around Godolphin has just one potential runner, Chesspiece (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who is trained by Simon and Ed Crisford and was runner-up to Desert Hero in the G3 Gordon S. at Goodwood. 

The King and Queen's runner completed a gallop in Newmarket on Tuesday, with trainer William Haggas reporting that Desert Hero worked well.

“He was impressive at Goodwood with cut in the ground and he won on top of the ground at Royal Ascot, so I don't think that bothers him too much,” Haggas told Sky Sports Racing. 

“Obviously the softer it is the more accent it puts on stamina and he may not be a strong stayer at a mile and six and a half [furlongs], but we'll see. I think he will.”

He added of Desert Hero's royal connections, “Everyone who is involved in horse racing in any shape or form would like to win a Classic, whether they breed it, own it, train it, ride it or look after it. The Classic is everyone's dream, so they're no different to everyone else.”

Haggas continued, “There doesn't look to be too many that shouldn't be there. John has got the strongest hand with Gregory, Middle Earth and Arrest, and Aidan's horse [Continuous] was very impressive in the Voltigeur.

“I suppose Gregory and Continuous are the two, but they're the front two in the market. Chesspiece is very solid and we're pretty solid too, so I think it's a good renewal and it will be a good, fun race.”

Oisin Murphy will ride the Melrose H. winner Middle Earth and was also aboard his late sire Roaring Lion for all four of his Group 1 wins. Speaking on Sky Sports Racing, Murphy said, “He has to step up on his Melrose victory, but the form has been franked.

“Sheikh Fahad has won the race before with Simple Verse, so hopefully he'll be bang there. It doesn't look like it's going to be a very big field, but there's some good horses in there.

“Time will tell, but I think he's a horse with the right profile and I'd be very excited about his future in general anyway.”

 

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