Big race countdown, w/c: 29 June | 6 July | 13 July | 20 July | 27 July | 3 August

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Saturday 25 July 2009

Brian Meehan could run his smart juveniles Radiohead and Arcano in next month's Prix Morny at Deauville.

Meehan said: "Radiohead could possibly run in the Morny. We were looking at the Papin but that's a Group Two and we would be going from a Group Two to a Group Two. He has done that already.

"The ideal race would have been in Ireland [Phoenix Stakes], but the ground is too testing there and there's no rush with him. It's the same with Arcano. We'd look at the Morny with him too."

Of last year's Racing Post Trophy winner and this year's Derby sixth Crowded House Meehan told At The Races: "We're just hanging back a little bit with him as he had the Derby as his big target early on and I'm happy to sit back with him for a while.

"It's going to be later on the season for him now so we'll maybe aim him at the Champion Stakes and the Breeders' Cup was always on the agenda. We'll go that way with him and then give him an early campaign as a four-year-old."

Coventry Stakes winner Canford Cliffs will be another British raider lining up in the Prix Morny.

Trainer Richard Hannon told rinchardhannonracing.tv: "We toyed with the idea of running in the Prix Robert-Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on Sunday, but we have decided to stay at six furlongs and the Morny looks the ideal race.

"I have been very pleased with Canford Cliffs since his spectacular success in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, and, though he made all there, it would be nice to think that someone else would take up the cudgels in France as Richard Hughes has always been adamant that he'll be even better when he gets a lead and is able to settle in a race.

"My inclination after Deauville would be to run once more this season, in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in September. He is also entered in the £300,000 DBS St Leger Yearling Sales race, which is run at York's Ebor meeting, and the owners will have to decide whether to go for the prestige or the money.

"Canford Cliffs has proved himself a proper horse, and I'd be in favour of sticking to the Group One route and waiting for Newmarket."

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Thursday 23 July

Godolphin's Gladiatorus, a disappointment on his British debut in the Queen Anne Stakes, will miss the Sussex Stakes in favour of an overseas assignment in August.

Racing manager Simon Crisford told www.godolphin.com: "We decided Gladiatorus needed more time until his next race.

"He is quite likely to run in the Arlington Million but, if he doesn't travel to the USA, he will be aimed at the Jacques le Marois."

Crisford added that Godolphin have purchased Smart Strike colt Atomic Rain in America with the intention of racing him in Dubai next year: "We have purchased Atomic Rain to race in Dubai this winter, but we will make a decision shortly with regard to his more immediate future," added Crisford.

Luca Cumani has decided not to run Cima De Triomphe in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The trainer told The Times: “I can't see how we can reverse Eclipse form with Conduit. Tartan Bearer is not far behind Conduit, if at all, and Golden Sword finished closer to Sea The Stars in the Derby than we managed in the Eclipse. The first three places look beyond us.”

Cumani's rebutted criticism of the race, which has been led by John McCririck, adding: “People like McCririck say these things only because Sea The Stars is not running. When you look at the race, I just don't understand how anyone can believe that.

“There's a St Leger and Breeders' Cup Turf winner [Conduit. “There's an Oaks winner [Look Here], a Coronation Cup winner [Ask], an Irish Derby winner [Frozen Fire], and an Irish Derby second and third [Golden Sword and Tartan Bearer]. There's nothing below-par about it.”

Sea The Stars is reported to be in good form ahead of the Juddmonte International Stakes at Yoprk next month. He has been given a surprise entry in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in September.

Aidan O'Brien has made eight entries, headed by Irish 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes victor Mastercraftsman and Rip Van Winkle, who was runner-up to Sea The Stars in the Eclipse at Sandown earlier this month.

Other entries include Ghanaati, winner of the 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes, Prix Jean Prat winner Lord Shanakill, Queen Anne Stakes winner Paco Boy, Lockinge winner Virtual, the French-trained Goldikova and Naaqoos, South African sprinter J J The Jet Plane and German challenger Irian.

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Tuesday 21 July 2009

Ralph Beckett is anticipating a big run from Look Here in Saturday's King George. The trainer told At The Races: "Sometimes you go for a race and feel you are up against it and at the Curragh it was one of those days. It was her first time abroad, it rained, there was no gallop and in the end I came away delighted that she'd managed to finish third only beaten a length.

"I just think the King George is the right race for her. It's not that we're worried about Conduit, or Tartan Bearer or anything else, I just feel that a mile and a half at an even clip round Ascot will see her in a good light.

"Obviously the formbook tells us we can't beat Conduit but it's a horse race and stranger things happen. We're going there hopeful."

Mick Channon is set to run Eva's Request in the Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next week. Channon told his website, www.mickchannon.tv: "I'm delighted with Eva's Request. I think her Newmarket run is best forgotten and I'm half-tempted to run her in the Lennox."

Luca Cumani plans to run Greek sprinter Ialysos in the King George Stakes (Audi Stakes) at Goodwood.

Cumani also cautions that Cima De Triomphe is not a definite starter in Saturday's King George.

Godolphin's Kite Wood worked well on the Newmarket gallops on Tuesday morning. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor told PA Sport: "He's in very good form and worked well today over six furlongs. The St Leger is his main target and we will give him one more race before Doncaster."

Tommy Stack's smart filly Walk On Bye has been supplemented for Sunday's Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, where she will take on the colts.

The Anglesey Stakes winner could take on Norfolk Stakes winner Radiohead in the Group One. Aidan O'Brien has five of the 12 entries.

Eric Libaud is planning to run Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Vision D'Etat in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October. The trainer told PA Sport: "He came out of his race at Ascot very well and the plan is for him to run in the Prix Foy at Longchamp on September 13. That is a good preparation race for the Arc and then he will run in the Arc itself.

"We were thrilled to see him win at the Royal meeting and he could still be improving. He is certainly a much tougher horse as a four-year-old than he was as a three-year-old and that is always important for a race like the Arc.

"He is not bothered by any going as he has won on heavy ground and firm ground. He won the Prix Niel on quite fast going last season and it was very soft when he won a small race at Fontainebleau so that is not a problem for him."

Coronation Stakes runner-up Reggane will run in the Prix Rothschild (Prix d'Astarte) at Deauville a week on Sunday.

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Monday 20 July 2009

Hughie Morrsion plans to run Stimulation in the Group Two DFS Park Stakes at Doncaster in September. "He had a set-back in the winter and he is now back in training. He has only just started cantering so we will have to be optimistic to make it but that is our initial target," said Morrison.

"After Doncaster, we would then look at the Challenge Stakes again or the Group One Prix de la Foret, depending on how we get on. There are not that many seven-furlong races to aim at and most of those are at the end of the season. In that respect, it has not really mattered that he has taken time to come back. Having said that, it would have been nice to have won the Lockinge and the Queen Anne and now be looking at the Sussex Stakes!

"The DFS Park Stakes will be his first outing of the season, if we can get him there."

Tommy Stack's Aine won the Listed Belgrave Stakes on Sunday, and could run in the Sweet Mimosa Stakes at the Curragh next weekend.

Getaway, now trained in Germany by Jens Hirschberger, won his first Group One on Sunday, winning the Deutschland Preis, and will now be pointed to the Grosser Preis von Baden and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Cima De Triomphe has been confirmed as an intended runner in Saturday's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. The Arlington Million had been under consideration for the Luca Cumani-trained Italian import.

Enroller is set to step up to two miles in the Goodwood Cup a week on Thursday. The colt was demoted from fourth to sixth on his last start in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket.

Muir told PA Sport: "He's great, in fantastic form. I knew the Newmarket race would tell me about his distance. When Martin (Dwyer) came back after we finished fourth in a very good race - though we went back to sixth - he said the ground wasn't a problem.

"But we want to go further with him, which is what I've always thought. He said if it was soft ground we could drop back to a mile and a half because it takes the speed out of the other horses. We've decided to step up and go for the Goodwood Cup. We'll crack on and go there."

Richard Hannon is delighted with Monsieur Chevalier's bounce back to form in the Weatherby's Super Sprint. The trainer told richardhannonracing.tv: "Hughesie [Richard Hughes] was adamant that he got the tactics wrong at Ascot and that he would be eight lengths off them after three furlongs, but when I saw that he was more like 12 or 15 lengths adrift of the leaders I thought that we were in big trouble on Saturday.

"However, Monsieur Chevalier showed us yet again what a decent horse he is, and we'll definitely step him up to six furlongs now, with the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood and the Gimcrack at York very much on the agenda."

James Eustace plans to run War Artist, a decent fourth in the Hackwood Stakes on Saturday, in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp in October.