Tag: Wesley Ward

Thursday Insights: High-Priced Colts Do Battle At Ellis

2nd-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:14 p.m.
Two high-priced maidens will kick off their careers at Ellis Park Thursday. BC Stables paid $1.35 million for DAILY GRIND (Medaglia d'Oro) at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the bay colt is out of SW Walk Close (Tapit), who also produced his full-brother Anneau d'Or, second-place finisher in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Lambo (Uncle Mo), trained by Steve Asmussen, brought $950,000 from the Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm at OBS March after posting a :10 flat move during the under-tack show. He previously brought $360,000 as a KEENOV weanling and RNA'd for $575,000 as a FTSAUG yearling. His unraced dam Sunshiny Day (Bernardini) is out of champion 2-year-old filly & MGISW Storm Song (Summer Squall), who produced Another Storm (Gone West), dam of MG1SW Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). TJCIS PPS

1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:05 p.m.
COALVILLE (Into Mischief), a $675,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by William H. Lawrence, Jeff Drown, Don Rachel, Don Alberto Stable and Bridlewood Farm, makes his first start for Chad Brown with Jose Ortiz in the irons. The bay gelding, bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp. and Bridlewood Farm, is out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss). TJCIS PPS

4th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 2:13 p.m.
DAI VERNON (Good Magic), a $500,000 KEESEP graduate, debuts for Besilu Stables and Brad Cox. His dam is a half-sister to GSW and late sire Laoban (Uncle Mo). This is also the female family of Canadian champion 2-year-old colt Mr. Hustle (Declaration of War) and MGISW I'm A Chatterbox (Munnings). TJCIS PPS

5th-BEL $90K, Msw, 2yo, 5fT, 3:10 p.m.
Repole Stable purchased NOTED (Cairo Prince) for $200,000 at last year's KEESEP sale. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the gray colt's dam counts GIII Peter Pan S. hero Mark Valeski (Proud Citizen) as a half brother. Also entered are a pair of Wesley Ward-trained firsters–Dark Vintage (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (320,000gns TATOCT yearling) and Culprit (Justify) ($675,000 KEESEP yearling). The latter, favored at 5-2 on the morning line, has been working bullets on the grass over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track. TJCIS PPS

 

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Plays And Lays: Who Are The Juveniles To Side With And Against At Ascot?

It never ceases to amaze how much debate the two-year-old races at Royal Ascot generate each year. A quick scan on racing Twitter over the past few days confirmed as much. 

For all the fascinating puzzles that the royal meeting will serve up this week, including whether Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) can cope with Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the St James's Palace, what will reign supreme in the Prince Of Wales's or if any of the Australian sprinters can land a blow in the King's Stand S., it's the juvenile races that seem to be generating the most chatter.

TDN Europe's Brian Sheerin has taken a look at the main juvenile races to be run at Ascot and tried to decipher who to be on and who to side against this week. 

G2 Coventry S. – Tuesday

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The Coventry features a battle between TDN Rising Stars River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Asadna (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and it's hard to argue that the market has not got this one right. 

Favourites have a good record in the Coventry, with five of the past 12 doing the business, and River Tiber does not appear to have many chinks in his armour. 

A 10-length winner on soft ground at Navan on debut, Aidan O'Brien's charge proved just as effective on good ground when carrying a winner's penalty in a conditions event at Naas. 

The form of that race has worked out well since, with the fourth home, Supersonic Man (GB) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), now a 16-1 chance for the Windsor Castle after winning nicely at Tipperary last time. 

Wootton Bassett has had a couple of high-class juvenile performers, including Al Riffa (Fr) and Chindit (Ire), and River Tiber has already posted some decent figures. 

It's unoriginal but there's very little not to like about the Ballydoyle colt and he may well prove another winning favourite of the Coventry. 

Lay

Asadna put in one of the most visually impressive two-year-old performances of the season so far when streaking 12 lengths clear of his rivals on debut at Ripon but the case could be made that odds of 7-2 about him in the Coventry look skimpy. 

For all that he was mightily impressive, the form of that race has not worked out, and he obviously hadn't been showing connections that brilliance at home given he was allowed to go off a 4-1 chance on the day. 

Compared to River Tiber, who has gone on and beaten better opposition after his wide-margin debut win, the George Boughey-trained Asadna has not been tested since that emphatic Ripon success. 

Asadna could well be a freak, but River Tiber represents an altogether different test to what he faced on debut and he could be worth taking on at the prices. 

Dark horse

Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) could be the one who is slipping in under the radar in the Coventry. 

Amo Racing may have had the runner-up in the Derby this year but the modus operandi of the operation has been to unearth classy two-year-olds, and this guy looked just that when winning the opening juvenile maiden of the year in Ireland at the Curragh. 

Not seen since then, Bucanero Fuerte will need to overcome the fact that 11 out of the past 12 Coventry runners had run within a month of Royal Ascot, but fitness shouldn't be a worry given he hails from such a professional operation. 

He's drawn beside the speedy Asadna so should get a good tow into the race. At odds of 16-1, this brother to Wooded (Ire) could represent better each-way value than the Boughey runner. 

G2 Queen Mary S. – Wednesday

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Beautiful Diamond (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) would appear the one to be on. Karl Burke is operating at a whopping 26% strike-rate with his juveniles this term and he probably doesn't have many more exciting young fillies in his yard than this daughter of Twilight Son. 

Snapped up by Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock for £360,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale from Tradewinds Stud, Beautiful Diamond made a perfect start to her career at Nottingham. 

There was a lot to like about the performance given she won by over three lengths going away at the line without having to be asked for maximum effort. 

Hailing from a stable who won this race last year and carrying the yellow and black silks of Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, which have been synonymous with Royal Ascot winners, it's hard to get away from Beautiful Diamond in the Queen Mary. 

Lay

Like Bright Diamond, Born To Rock (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}) was snapped up from breeze-up sales and made an immediate impact when landing a Yarmouth maiden in good style. 

However, the form of the race has not worked out as well as one might have hoped and, given she was installed as a 10-1 chance immediately afterwards, it's hard to be too enthused by the 9-2 on offer. 

Not only have the second and third from that Yarmouth maiden disappointed on their subsequent starts but the fourth home, Mantra (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), who was beaten just over five lengths by Born To Rock, was then beaten by over 15 lengths by Beautiful Diamond at Nottingham.

Given Mantra had the advantage of a run under her belt, one would have thought that she ought to be getting closer to Beautiful Diamond than she did. At roughly the same prices, Beautiful Diamond would have to represent the better value. 

Dark horse

Conrad Allen is not a trainer that one would associate with Royal Ascot-winning two-year-olds and, prior to Princess Chizara (Ire) winning on debut at Brighton, the stable was 0-28 with its juveniles in the past five years. 

Admittedly, that is a small sample size, but the point stands that Princess Chizara is clearly one of the smartest juveniles the trainer has got his hands on in a very long time. 

It may only have been a Brighton maiden but there was a lot to like about how Princess Chizara  accounted for a Richard Hannon-trained 2-9 favourite to win by over four lengths at the line. 

The Cotai Glory (GB) filly was clearly well-produced by Stevie Byrne of Knockgraffon Stables at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale, where she was knocked down to Allen for 65,000gns after recording one of the fastest times. 

What she lacks for in size, Princess Chizara more than makes up for in ability, and she could well out-run her 33-1 odds in what looks a deep race. 

G2 Norfolk S. – Thursday

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Elite Status (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) looked the real deal when landing a listed contest at Sandown last month and is another high-class juvenile that Karl Burke can look forward to running at the royal meeting. 

Unbeaten in both of his starts to date, Elite Status was described as a 'potential superstar sprinter' by his trainer after Sandown and it was easy to see why given he has such an honest and natural way of galloping. 

Of all the juvenile favourites running this week, Elite Status probably has the most rock-solid credentials, and he looks the one to be on in the Norfolk. 

Lay

In a normal year, American Rascal (Curlin) may well have been expected to go off favourite but the presence of Elite Status in the race means that will be unlikely. 

It's also worth noting that Wesley Ward's runners tend to be over-bet at this meeting, for all that he has enjoyed colossal success down through the years.

American Rascal looked very good when winning on debut at Keeneland but he'll need to be up there with the best of what Ward has targeted at this meeting with to give Elite Status something to think about. 

Dark horse

This is not just about the top two in the betting as Donnacha O'Brien's Devious (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) needs to be respected. 

He showed natural speed and talent when landing the odds on debut over the minimum trip at Naas where he looked a bona fide Norfolk horse and earned a TDN Rising Star in the process. He's smart.

Others to note

It is interesting that Donnacha O'Brien has secured Frankie Dettori to ride Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) in Friday's G3 Albany S. She looked good when winning a five-furlong Curragh maiden on debut and was even better when winning a Group 3 at Naas over a furlong further last month. She's clearly a filly on the up and could well go off shorter than the 8-1 that is available now. 

There are no entries for Saturday's Chesham S. but, if Pink Satin (GB) turns up, which was reported to be the plan after she won on debut at Windsor, she would have to be respected. There was plenty of each-way support around for Pink Satin at Windsor and she put a well-regarded filly to the sword to win going away by just over a length in the finish. 

She will have a relatively quick turnaround to overcome, given that debut win came just last Monday, but Paul and Oliver Cole didn't appear to be too worried about that in the winner's enclosure at Windsor. 

She looks to be another strapping daughter of Churchill (Ire) and, given it is not too uncommon for fillies to pop up in the Chesham every now and again [Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2011 and September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in 2017], she could be one to keep on side. 

 

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American Fingerprints on British-Trained Royal Ascot-Bound Inquisitively

Typically, the names Sangster, Manton, Tattersalls, and British-bred runner at Windsor don't scream `American connections,' but in the case of Inquisitively (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), peel back the onion a bit and you'll find more than a few stars and stripes among the connections.

Inquisitively, a barely-beaten second at Windsor in his May 29 debut, is entered in Wednesday's Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot, and will carry his owners' hopes as well as a bit of history on his back.

Inquisitively sold for 40,000gns euros at the 2022 Tattersalls October yearling sale from the Glenvale Stud consignment to trainer Ollie Sangster.

“He was a very nice yearling,” said Sangster. “It's easy to say that now. Flash Conroy had bought him as a foal, and he actually had a setback the week before the yearling sale, and was lame at the sale. But he was a very nice model and I know Flash and I liked the horse, so I bought the horse under the condition that if I wasn't happy, they would take him back. But the issue was something of a nothing, something he had done right before the sale, and in a few weeks would right itself. In that respect, he's a horse I never would have been able to afford working with a limited budget, and I was able to buy a much nicer physical that I would have been able to buy.”

American bloodstock agent Justin Casse was at the sale, and had inspected Inquisitively, and also had liked him, but left before Book 2.

“He looked like a very precocious type, great hind quarter, good balance, a very good mover,” said Casse. “And Flash is a tremendous judge with whom I've had a bit of luck. He's actually who I bought (G1 Fillies Mile winner) Pretty Gorgeous from.

He was a nice horse and I thought there was value there. And I'm trying to align myself with young people in the industry who I know who have spent time with great trainers or who have learned from the right people.”

So Casse called Sangster and offered to buy half of the horse from him.

In Sangster's case, those great trainers and right people included Wesley Ward, the first American trainer to ever saddle a winner at Royal Ascot, and who has dominated there in recent years, winning 12 races. Sangster spent several formative years with Ward, working at Keeneland in the spring, taking his Ascot horses over, and then coming back with Ward to Saratoga. He has helped Ward out at every Ascot since 2018.

The family connection between the Casses and the Sangsters goes back even further. Justin's father Norman Casse was the breeder of Beldale Ball, who won the 1980 Melbourne Cup for Sangster's grandfather Robert, and he considered it one of his greatest breeding achievements, said Justin, who was born the year of the win and keeps the plaque given to his father for the achievement hanging in his office today.

“To me, the whole thing is interesting,” said Casse. “I've traveled all over the world. I've won the richest race in South Africa. I've won a Group 2 in Australia. And all these things have come full circle in my life to this connection between young Ollie Sangster and my father who has passed away, and our families, and is still going on. And here we are. We have American connections through Australian connections to running at Ascot and it really is a dream come true. My first experience at Ascot, literally the first race on the first day of the first time I was at Ascot was Tepin winning.” Tepin, who won the 2017 G1 Queen Anne S., was trained by Justin's brother Mark. “That experience was extremely special and continues to grow in significance,” he said.

But if Inquisitively isn't quite Tepin, at least not yet, Sangster is serious about giving him a chance.

“His first start was particularly pleasing because he had a very difficult draw,” he said. “Windsor has a bend in the track and he had drawn 14 and had to move a good few lengths to get across, and did the hard work at the front that day. If he had had a nicer draw, he would have won the race nicely. It was visually quite impressive, the times were good and and subsequently the third and fourth finishers out of that race have won their next start. That has confirmed what the times were showing us. He deserves to have a chance there, and the winner of the race (Chief Mankato {GB} {Sioux Nation}) is going to Ascot himself.”

Sangster will also be the trainer of record for Bledsoe (Iqbaal), who Wesley Ward trained to win the opening race of the spring meet at Keeneland. Ward is also the horse's owner and breeder, and owns and stands his sire. Sangster said that Bledsoe arrived at his training center, Manton, in April with the intention of getting a prep in, and while that hadn't worked out, he'll now go into the Windsor Castle off the Keeneland maiden win.

Sangster said he realized how special it was to have two starters at the meet in his first year of training.

“I think Inquisitively is about 25-1, but if someone had asked me at the beginning of the year what my chances of getting to Ascot were this year, they would have been significantly longer!” he said. “It means everything. The reason we get up at the crack of dawn is to have the winners, and hopefully–not that I've had it yet–but a winner on a big stage. We're a close-knit team, and everyone works really hard, and we're looking forward to having a runner. I think we have a little bit of an each-way chance and it's exciting. Hopefully a few people will notice us.”

Casse said it was hard to imagine how emotional a win would be for him.

“You can't put a price on these experiences even though we try to regularly through the auction ring or private sales. But that doesn't always mean that you're going to get there. So I'm just going to try to make the most of it. And listen, leading into the race, the horse is training well against winners. He has not really put a foot wrong to this point. And from the videos that Ollie sends us, I really couldn't be happier. And then of course, these other horses winning flatters our form. So although I think we're going to go in there probably 25 or 30-1, I just get the feeling that we're going to run a big race.”

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‘We Have Come Here to Win’: Internationals Take on Ascot

NEWMARKET, UK– They've arrived. The young, the fast, the young and fast. From America, Australia, and Sweden, members of the international contingent for this year's Royal Ascot are now safely ensconced in temporary lodgings, their presence in the UK adding an extra sparkle to what is always one of the most special weeks of the sporting year. 

Cannonball (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}) and Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) have separate sprint engagements, in the G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. respectively, and with no fear of rivalry next week, the two made happy companions as they strolled along Newmarket Heath on Thursday morning.

A day after Cannonball's strong work on the track at Ascot, his co-trainer Peter Snowden remains delighted with the colt's preparation for his first start outside Australia next Tuesday. It's hard to fault the three-year-old. With a gleaming deep chestnut coat and relaxed demeanour, he looks to have taken the travel and change of scenery in his stride, and he will have Brett Prebble, who won the G3 Maurice McCarten S. on Cannonball in March, back in the saddle.

A year apart in age, Artorius and Cannonball previously shared the same training duo Anthony and Sam Freedman, with the latter having been moved to the Snowdens after his last start of 2022. For the next couple of weeks they are stabled alongside each other in a wing of Charlie Fellowes' Bedford House Stables. 

Sam Freedman has returned to Newmarket with Artorius, who spent a fair portion of last year in Europe, finishing third in both the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup before going on to Deauville to run sixth  behind Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.

There's talk of “unfinished business” from Freedman, who says that the four-year-old colt is thriving. He currently tops the market for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. a week on Saturday. He's not the only Aussie challenger for that prize as The Astrologist (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}), who has been in town for a while at Marco Botti's yard, will make his third British start at Ascot, having most recently finished runner-up to Jumbly (GB) in the G3 John of Gaunt S. at Haydock last weekend.

Coolangatta (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) has kept her distance from Newmarket despite it being the former home town of her co-trainer David Eustace. His father James was spotted on board his hack as Cannonball and Artorius sauntered past on Thursday, perhaps keeping tabs on one of the filly's main opponents for the King's Stand on Tuesday.

Artorius and Cannonball on Newmarket Heath on Thursday | Emma Berry

 

Over on the other side of town in the Heath Stud yard at the National Stud are George Weaver's two juveniles No Nay Mets (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), each of whom won their respective Royal Ascot qualifying races over five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on May 13. Under the watchful eye and guiding hand of Blair Golen, riding the saintly Angus, borrowed for ponying duties from Jamie Lloyd, the filly then the colt had a gentle canter on the 'Between the Ditches' turf gallop and seemed unfazed by their new surroundings.

More on his toes on his first morning out on the Heath was the Kenny McPeek-trained Classic Causeway, ridden by the evergreen 72-year-old Danny Ramsey. Last year's G1 Belmont Derby winner looks set to take on Adayar (Ire), Luxembourg (Ire)  and co in what will be an intriguing edition of the G1 Prince of Wales's S., some 23 years after his late sire won the St James's Palace S., ushering in a run of five Group 1 victories through the summer of 2000.

Meanwhile, No Nay Mets is set to take part in what looks to be one of the hottest contests of the week, the G2 Norfolk S., a race his sire won a decade ago. Prior to that, he has an engagement in the Goffs London Sale on Monday.

“We have just been getting him accustomed to things,” said Golen. “Everything we run on in America is pretty much flat, so we have been taking him out on the seven-furlong stretch here to get him used to things.

“We have come here to win. In American racing, there is very rarely a big field, so that is a big challenge. Luckily, we have Frankie Dettori riding him and, if anybody knows how to ride the course, it is definitely him. So I think that is to our advantage. It means everything to have him riding and, if that makes Wesley Ward jealous, then even better.”

While McPeek arrives in the UK on Friday, Ward touched down on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before his horses arrived at Stansted airport and made the brief onward journey to Chelmsford City Racecourse, where they will stay until early next week. 

The quartet of runners, which was joined by a stable pony who is reportedly named Shanahan, contains one whose progress from his dazzling debut will be of huge interest next week and beyond. American Rascal (Curlin) is of course a son of the much vaunted Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy), a dual winner at Royal Ascot in the G2 Queen Mary S. and G1 King's Stand S. Her firstborn has big shoes to fill.

Keeping Norfolk S. entrant American Rascal company is the Chasemore farm-bred Fandom (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who has returned to not far from where he was born to run, most probably, in the Windsor Castle S.

The maiden Bundchen (Gun Runner) is Queen Mary-bound with the help of Joel Rosario, while Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}), who was runner-up in that race two years ago, returns for the King's Stand. 

Ward has stolen a march on all visiting trainers for Royal Ascot by saddling 12 winners at the meeting since his first–and second 24 hours later– in 2009. No Nay Never was his next four years later. 

Recalling his meeting the late Queen in the royal box following that victory in 2013, Ward said, “What was great about it was she did most of the chatting. When you first get up there you are nervous and she just starts firing questions at you and it puts you so at ease. She was just picking my brain and asking all these questions about how I train, how I came here and asking about all the success I had.

“It was unbelievable how much knowledge she had, not just of racing but myself–I couldn't believe the Queen of England even knew who a trainer like myself from a different country like America was and what I had accomplished.

“You would think she would just be coming to the races and focused on English racing and everything else she had going on in her life. She was just a wonderful person.”

She was indeed. The final Group 1 race of the meeting will be named in perpetuity in memory of the monarch who, for almost 70 years, cleared her diary for the week of Royal Ascot. The pandemic interrupted Queen Elizabeth II's attendance in recent years, and her absence from the royal procession next week will be keenly felt. The show goes on, however, and from the opening race named to commemorate Queen Anne, who founded the racecourse that is now one of the most famous in the world, right through to the longest Flat race in the calendar, the Queen Alexandra S., action of the highest calibre will be played out in front of a global audience.

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