Big race countdown, w/c: 26 May | 2 June | 9 June | 16 June | 23 June | 29 June | 7 July

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Sunday 6 July 2008

Jersey Stakes winner Aqlaam has suffered a pelvic injury and is likely to be on the sidelines for two months.

Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: "He's had a bit of a setback. Long-term it's not serious it's just very bad timing. He's got a tiny crack somewhere in his pelvis which we are going to re-scan tomorrow just to have it confirmed. We are told it's not too bad as these things go. Until we know the details we don't know enough, but he's out of action for the next couple of months."

Kingsgate Native heads the runners for the Darley July Cup. Raven's Pass, Sakhee's Secret and Fleeting Spirit are among those not taking up their place in the Group One.

Marchand D'Or and War Artist will attempt to turn around Golden Jubilee Stakes form with he winner.

James Eustace said of War Artist: "The plan is to run and War Artist is working very well. He has come out of Ascot really well and he did his one piece of work that we had always planned between Ascot and Newmarket on Friday morning and he went well and seems in good form this morning.

"We'll certainly try to beat Kingsgate Native and while these things never actually come down to mathematics, he is 1lb better off with Kingsgate Native so I reckon that we have about half a length to find. He certainly hasn't gone back since Ascot and is just as good so hopefully he can run at least to form."

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Friday 4 July 2008

Juddmonte homebred Zacinto (Dansili - Ithaca, by Distant View) justified a tall home reputation with an emphatic eight length success in the Cushman & Wakefield EBF Maiden Stakes at Sandown on Friday.

Ryan Moore challenged two furlongs out and the Dansili colt rocketed clear to win by an eased down eight lengths. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Zacinto is now 14-1 for next year's 2000 Guineas.

The Hughie Morrison-trained Sakhee's Secret will not defend his crown in next Friday's July Cup at Newmarket. The four-year-old had won impressively last year, when he beat Dutch Art by half a length.

Sakhee's Secret was last in the Golden Jubilee Stakes on 21 July and has not sparkled at home since.

Morrison told PA Sport: "I think he's a doubtful runner at the moment. He ran too bad to be true the other day and though he is clinically fine, he had a temperature last weekend and I just think there was something simmering there.

"I think he's fine now but he appears to have had some sort of viral shock and we need to give nature a chance to let him fully recover and build up - even though outwardly you would think he was fine. He was muscularly sore for the whole of last week."

Royal Hunt Cup beaten favourite Bankable could run in the Group Three Keeneland International Stakes at the Curragh on July 12.

Sir Michael Stoute's Papal Bull bids for a repeat win in the Princess Of Wales's WBX.com Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday. The five-year-old heads an entry of 17 that also includes Galactic Star and Gulf Express and St Leger winner Lucarno.

Godolphin's stable star Ramonti is nearing his return to competitive action. The six-year-old has not been seen since winning the Group One Hong Kong Cup in December.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor told PA Sport: "It is still the plan to bring him back in the Summer Mile at Ascot.

"He is working very well - he worked three days ago and he's in good form - and I'm happy he's on his way back. It will be his first race since Hong Kong so I'm sure that he'll need the race and he will improve for it.

"He was the champion miler last year but he proved in Hong Kong that he stays 10 furlongs - he was really impressive then.

"The stiff mile at Ascot will suit him really well for his first run and whatever happens there, he will be running in all the big races after that.

"There are many Group One races over a mile, and a mile and a quarter for him - maybe races like the Irish Champion Stakes - so we need to make sure he is ready for them.

"We'll see how he runs this month but then we will know more about him - I hope he's the same horse."

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Thursday 3 July 2008

Zambezi Sun, fourth behind Youmzain at Saint-Cloud at the weekend, is to be dropped in trip in the Group Three Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville, bypassing a run in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, said on At The Races: "That [the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud] was one of the strongest races of the year. It was a very high-class race and he finished fourth. He had some pretty good horses behind him and three pretty decent horses in front of him. We are thinking where we ought to be going with him and there are various possibilities.

"I would doubt he would go for the King George. I would think he might go back to a mile and quarter for a Group Three in Deauville and then assess him thereafter."

Grimthorpe also confirmed that Derby fourth Doctor Fremantle will run in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris on July 14.

Finsceal Beo is reported to be fine after her exertions in the Pretty Polly Stakes, where she finished last, and the filly heads 14 acceptors for the Falmouth Stakes. Also engaged is stablemate Saoirse Abu, New Zealand mare Seachange, French raider Darjina and the German-trained Briseida.

Ascot Gold Cup runner-up and Yorkshire Cup winner Geordieland has the Arc de Triomphe as a possible target.

Jamie Osborne told At The Races: "We have always thought we would like to drop him back in distance. He would be able to travel in behind the the top class mile and half horses on the bridle as he does not lack pace and deserves a shot at a shorter trip.

"He is in the Arc at Longchamp and owner Martin Myers is keen to have a go so the race has not been discounted. The plan would be to go first for the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury and lower the trip gently."

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Wednesday 2 July 2008

Henry Cecil is targeting the Group Two Prix Eugene Adam over 10f at Maisons-Laffitte as the next target for the Craven Stakes winner and St James's Palace Stakes third Twice Over.

Jockey Tom Queally was aboard Twice Over this morning as he enjoyed a workout in company with Kandahar Run and one other.

Cecil told henrycecil.com: “Twice Over is back in work and will be got ready for the Prix Eugene Adam on July 27.

“He ran very well at Ascot although the mile was a bit sharp for him and a mile and a quarter could be his best distance.”

Passage Of Time, last seen out in bottom-less ground at Sandown, was also on the gallops and moved sweetly in the hands of Shane Featherstonhaugh.

Cecil added: “Passage Of Time has done really well and started back working properly again this morning. I was delighted with her.”

Kandahar Run showed showed himself to be in good form on the gallops ahead of his shot at the Prix Jean Prat on Sunday July 13.

The Rock Of Gibraltar colt didn’t stay in the Derby on his last start and is being significantly brought back in distance.

Cecil said: “Kandahar Run is on course for the Prix Jean Prat. He worked very nicely this morning and I’m happy with him.

“I feel he should have enough speed for the mile and his maximum distance is definitely a mile and a quarter.”

Sir Michael Stoute has seven entries in this year's Ladbrokes St Leger, headed by Dante Stakes winner Tartan Bearer. The multiple champion trainer has saddled the runner-up of the final Classic of the season five times, but has never won the 1m 6f contest.

His contingent also includes Group Three Queen’s Vase runaway winner Patkai (4/1 favourite) and unlucky Group Two King Edward VII runner-up Conduit (7/1), whom are all under consideration for the race.

"The Great Voltigeur is traditionally a good trial for the Ladbrokes St Leger and both Patkai and Conduit have been entered for that race as well, so we’ll probably make a decision about them after it," explained Peter Reynolds, manager of Ballymacoll Stud.

"Tartan Bearer has arrived home but I haven’t spoken to his trainer about how he is. I would imagine that it will take him a while to get over the race - his brother Golan was a bit the same in that he needed plenty of time between races. It will probably be a while before you see Tartan Bearer out."

Trainer Ralph Beckett confirmed that his Juddmonte Oaks heroine Look Here (7/1) is on target in her bid to become the first filly since User Friendly in 1992 to win the Ladbrokes St Leger. Her next outing is likely to be in the Group One Yorkshire Oaks on August 21 and, all being well, she will then travel to Doncaster.

"Look Here is very well. She’s doing her own thing quietly at the moment and we’re aiming for the Yorkshire Oaks and we’ll see how it pans out after that. The York race comes first, obviously, and three and a bit weeks later, if she’s alright, she’ll run," said Beckett today.

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Tuesday 1 July 2008

Aidan O'Brien is to rely on a single runner in Saturday's Eclipse Stakes in the shape of Mount Nelson. The trainer reports that of his other entries King Of Rome will probably run in the German Derby and Plan will be given more time before his next race.

Henry Cecil has Phoenix Tower and Multidimensional entered in the Sandown showpiece and told the Racing Post: "They are second and third favourite in the betting, so they are entitled to take the chance. Phoenix Tower likes fast ground. For Multidimensional, I would like there to be no jar. As long as the ground is good, it should be fine."

The lightly raced Aqlaam, the winner of the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he beat Il Warrd by two lengths, is likely to head to France to contest the Group One Prix Jean Prat.

Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, told the Racing Post: "I'm not sure if he goes for the Prix Jean Prat, but I think that's what William Haggas would like to do.

"The Jersey is always a hard race to win and I think it's not far off theSt James's Palace in terms of quality," Gold continued. "It's great to go and win it like that with an unexposed horse."

Connections are to continue withtheir plans for Myboycharlie after his fifth at the Curragh on Sunday. Fozzy Stack said: "He came back out of Sunday's race fine and he was just on his head a bit early on over the five furlongs. He stayed on a bit again at the end and it was not that big a surprise, we never really thought he was an out-and-out five-furlong horse.

"His main targets now will probably be the Prix Maurice De Gheest and the Haydock Sprint Cup, and maybe the Prix de la Foret, so we'll gear him around those."

Dermot Weld is aiming Casual Conquest at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with a probable prep run in the Irish Champion Stakes. The Hernando colt will not run in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

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Monday 30 June 2008

Khalid Abdulla's improving filly Treat Gently won the Group Two Prix de Malleret on Sunday, and is likely to run - without a penalty - in the Group Three Prix de la Nonette at Deauville on 24 August ahead of a tilt at the Group One Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on 14 September.

Mick Channon was delighted with Youmzain's win in the Group One Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday. He said: "I'm very happy and absolutely delighted with this. He did it very well and certainly deserves this. I knew he was going there with a big a chance as he had been working well.

"We will now aim for the King George - the Arc will also be on his agenda.''

No plans have been laid for New Approach following his withdrawal from the Irish Derby. Jim Bolger is expecting to learn more about the colt's condition following tests today.

The trainer said: "We will take him for scans and X-rays [on Monday] and we will know more after that. He wasn't sound enough for racing but we left it to the last minute and made the decision at eight o'clock on Sunday morning. But I can categorically say it's not a stone bruise as we don't have any stones."

Stallion prospect Papal Bull has the King George as his major target this year, but he could attempt to win a second Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket's July meeting en route to the Ascot showpiece.

Luca Cumani admits he is struggling to find a suitable race for Bankable, the beaten favourite in the Royal Hunt Cup. Cumani said: "I'm not sure what we are going to do with him. I was thinking of the Summer Mile at Ascot but it looks like Ramonti and Archipenko may run there so we will have to find something else. There is not a Listed race to be found. If someone would like to sponsor one, we'd be happy to run!"

Cumani ran Curtain Call in the irish Derby where he finished fifth after suffering interference from Alessandro Volta. If he comes out of the race well the Grand Prix de Paris on 14 July is reported to be a possible target.

Winker Watson hasn't been on the racetrack for almost a year, but he galloped well on Saturday and is likely to have a racecourse gallop ahead of his intended comeback in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.