Back to the Roodee

Chester's May meeting gets underway on Wednesday, with the G3 Chester Vase and Listed Weatherbys ePassport Cheshire Oaks offering the opportunity for Epsom hopefuls to enter the fray at the famous “Roodee”.

While neither has attracted a standout this year, the Derby and Oaks trials are at times fertile ground for the lesser-exposed types to flaunt their wares such as Godolphin's Wirko (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) in the Vase. Having already proven himself on Epsom's inimitable terrain when winning the Apr. 20 Listed Blue Riband Trial, the Charlie Appleby-trained bay could become a serious contender for the Classic on the first Saturday in June if he is able to back up that performance here. “He's got his golden ticket to Epsom, but firstly we want to give him some more experience and secondly, we hope the step up to a mile-and-a-half at Chester will see further improvement,” Appleby explained. “He did all his best work in the last couple of hundred yards at Epsom and he's a horse who we think, with his pedigree and the way he races, should be suited by a step up in trip. He's by Kingman, but he does have a German pedigree on the dam's side, so one would hope he'll be able to handle softer ground.”

With Chester being hit by 26mm of rain from Monday, the good-to-soft going description means that Aidan O'Brien has stripped his Vase team to one with the likely favourite Sir Lamorak (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and his pacemaker San Martino (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}) being left at home. He still has the Apr. 15 G3 Craven S. sixth Sandhurst (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to attempt to stretch his tally to 10 in this extended 12-furlong prize, having won six of those in the last seven runnings. Godolphin also have the John and Thady Gosden-trained Apr. 9 Leicester novice scorer Law of the Sea (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), whose stamina is assured unlike Michael Pescod's Listed Ascendant S. scorer Fancy Man (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) who steps up markedly in trip having finished one place behind the re-opposing Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) when fifth in the nine-furlong Listed Feilden S. at Newmarket Apr. 13.

“Law of the Sea has won well on his last two starts, firstly at Kempton and then at Leicester last time,” said trainer Thady Gosden. “He's a nice horse, who has already won over a mile-and-a-half, and he should handle the soft ground. It's a tough race, but hopefully he'll run well.”

In the Cheshire Oaks, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's G2 May Hill S. and G3 Sweet Solera S. runner-up Dubai Fountain (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) sets a clear standard and probably only needs to repeat that form or that of her fourth in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October which is looking very strong now. Shadwell's unbeaten Zeyaadah (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) could be a major Oaks contender and the form of her 1 1/4-length defeat of Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) in Newmarket's Listed Montrose Fillies' S. over a mile on heavy ground at Newmarket in October looks better now that the runner-up has won the Listed Pretty Polly S. “She's a nice, tough filly and she had a good year last year,” said Angus Gold. “She won on heavy ground at Newmarket and had to grind it out to do so. She's taken a bit of time to come to herself this spring. Roger [Varian] himself said we'll see her looking better than this, but she's done enough to start. Obviously the Oaks is approaching and we need to see if she's up to that class or not.”

One of the darker ones is Lord Lloyd-Webber's Darlectable You (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), but the full-sister to Too Darn Hot (GB) has to improve markedly on her return second in a 10-furlong Newbury maiden Apr. 16. “She ran well at Newbury first time out this year,” commented Thady Gosden. “When she hit the front she just got a bit lonely, as you would expect. They've obviously had plenty of rain at Chester, which she will hopefully be able to handle. It's a good race with Mark Johnston's filly [Dubai Fountain], who was fourth in the Fillies' Mile, and Roger Varian's filly [Zeyaadah], who won the Montrose. It's a tough race, but our filly is in good form and hopefully she'll run well.”

At Gowran Park, last year's G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}) looks to put a disappointing return effort behind her when ninth in the Listed Noblesse S. at Cork Apr.  3 as she tackles the 14-furlong Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Vintage Tipple. “I'm hoping that the ground stays yielding-to-soft and the extra two furlongs should make a difference as she's getting fitter all the time,” revealed trainer Tony Mullins. “This will be her last run before the Ascot Gold Cup and I'm hoping to see a big improvement from Cork. She's got to give away weight, but she's going to have to do that all the time now, apart from in Group 1s, and we can't avoid it. Gowran is our local track and the race is named after a horse my father trained to win a Classic, so it would be a lovely to win it.”

In the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Victor McCalmont Memorial over an extended nine furlongs, Ballydoyle's Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) goes up in trip after going a shade too quick in front before fading to 10th in Leopardstown's seven-furlong G3 1000 Guineas Trial Apr. 11. The full-sister to Minding (Ire) encounters older fillies and mares including Moyglare Stud Farm's progressive Listed Trigo S. winner and G2 Blandford S. runner-up Amma Grace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who as a full-sister to Search For a Song (Ire) and half to Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) et al is a fascinating prospect as a 4-year-old.

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Appleby’s Classic Colts Exit Guineas in Good Order

The Godolphin G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas team has excited the Newmarket showpiece in good order according to trainer Charlie Appleby. Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran second in the Guineas, is being freshening before returning in the June 15 G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot. Fourth-place finisher Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is also expected to be in action at the Royal meeting, although in the G3 Jersey S. on June 19. Rounding out the Appleby Guineas trio is One Ruler (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran sixth and is eyeing several targets.

“They've all come out of their races well,” said Appleby. “The whole team look good–they all had an easy canter this [Tuesday] morning, and everybody is very happy with them.

“It was a great weekend for racing, and we were delighted with the way all ours ran. We had a touch of seconditis–but as I always say to the team, I'd rather finish second than second-last.

“We know the horses are in the right races and they're in good condition–and if we keep knocking on the door those doors will open.”

He added on his colts' next targets, “Master Of The Seas has had three runs this years now, so he deserves to have a little break. Hopefully we'll turn up at Ascot with some fresh legs. We'll look forward to potentially having a rematch with the winner in the St James's Palace.

“Naval Crown has got a couple of options, and I would say most likely we will look towards the Jersey with him. He's got plenty of boot, but to be fair, two of his best runs have been over the mile–beating Master Of The Seas at Meydan, and in the Guineas. He's got two solid mile performances behind him now, but it does look the most logical option for him to head to the Jersey.”

“Everyone is testing their [Derby] credentials over the next week, with the races at Chester followed by Lingfield at the weekend and then on to York next week,” said Appleby of the Chester-bound pair of Wirko (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB})at Lingfield and Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who is returning in the G2 Dante S. at York.

“One Ruler is in the mix, for sure. The way he's bounced out of the Guineas, I'm very pleased with him. It's always hard to say where your horse is going to go immediately after the race, until you start to see how they've come out of it.

“The signs with all of them have been very good, so conversations will be had during the course of the week, firming up some plans for these horses.”

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Ubettabelieveit Again in Sigy

Chantilly hosts the G3 Prix Sigy for the 3-year-old sprinters on Tuesday, with the G2 Flying Childers S. winner Ubettabelieveit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) set to be a warm order to carry his momentum into his 2021 campaign. Coming to the fore with a short-head  defeat of Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in that five-furlong Doncaster contest in September, the Nigel Tinkler trainee was able to get to within 1 3/4 lengths of Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) when third after a slow start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November. Taking him on is the filly Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), a George Strawbridge acquisition following her success in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Prix Yacowlef here in November.

At Epsom, the Listed Blue Riband Trial sees some credible Derby and Oaks aspirants line up in a race that was previously demoted to minor status but is firmly on the way back. John Gosden has won four of the last five runnings, with Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) chief among them, and puts forward the unbeaten Chasemore Farm homebred Uncle Bryn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Successful by a cumulative margin of 7 1/4 lengths at Kempton and Wolverhampton in the autumn, he is being brought along gently according to Gosden Sr. “We looked at the Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday, but that looks a very good race this year,” he explained. “We've chosen to go listed in a race we've won before and bearing in mind that his only runs have been on the all-weather, it will be something of a learning curve for him.”

Charlie Appleby's stable has started the season brightly and Godolphin's Wirko (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) is another coming on to turf for the first time having broken his maiden at Kempton in November. “His homework has been nice and he has done well from two to three,” his trainer said. “As respects to the track, he travels well which helps there at Epsom with the undulations. He is another that comes into the mix that we are still trying to feel our way with and where we will be pitching him the first half of the year.”

The Gredleys' Too Friendly (GB) (Camelot {GB}) impressed when winning a 10-furlong maiden at Doncaster Mar. 27 and trainer George Scott said, “He is not a horse that shows a huge amount at home, but he is in great health and we feel the track shouldn't inconvenience him. He is a straightforward horse and we are looking forward to seeing where he sits. I'm pretty sure he will continue to improve physically. He was also in at Sandown, but the track doesn't come into play as much there as it does here and he is a pretty agile horse that should handle the contours.”

Martyn Meade saddles the sole filly in Mantonbury Stud's Jan. 26 Wolverhampton debut winner Technique (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and with the stable almost winning the G3 Fred Darling S. on Sunday she warrants respect. “It is a big ask, as it is a big jump in class,” Meade said. “We debated a bit about going for a novice race, but we thought if she is good enough let's throw her in the deep end. She is very well-balanced and coped with Wolverhampton well, so hopefully she should be fine on the track. If she runs well then we can have a look at running her in the Oaks and if she doesn't we have the option of dropping back and looking at a novice with her. She was head and shoulders above the rest of them at Wolverhampton and she won as she wanted.”

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