Big race countdown, w/c: 1 June | 8 June | 22 June | 29 June | 6 July | 13 July

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Friday 3 July 2009

The Brian Meehan-trained Gallagher, thrice second in juvenile Group Ones and Group Twos, ran out a comortable winner of the Sunley Conditions Stakes at Newbury on Thursday evening, beating Plum Pudding by two lengths.

The Lennox Stakes (Betfair Cup) over seven furlongs at Glorious Goodwood is the probable target for the colt.

Richard Fahey has been impressed with Rose Blossom on the gallops, but the filly could only manage seventh in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. At Haydock on Thursday she bounced back to form, winning the EBF Gretsch-Unitas Novice Fillies' Stakes, making all to win by a length and three-quarters from Avonrose.

Fahey said: "Her work at home is unbelievable, exceptional, I have never seen anything like it and I don't know what happened at Ascot.

"We would have preferred to have a lead and I thought she would win by 10 lengths, but there was nothing quick enough to lead her and she had to go on. She will run in the Lowther Stakes at York now."

Richard Hannon has stated that Paco Boy will not run in the July Cup next Friday if the ground is firm. Showers are expected early next week, but with plenty of sunshine these are not expected to lead to a substantial softening of the going on the July course.

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Thursday 2 July 2009

A high-class entry of 11 for the Group Two Cherry Hinton Stakes nest week includes Habaayib, trained by Ed Dunlop and successful in the Group Three Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot. Several of the other entries ran with credit at the Royal meeting including the second, third and fourth from the Queen Mary Stakes - Misheer, Ceedwell and Capercaillie.

Little Scotland ran with distinction when fourth against the colts in the Windsor Castle Stakes while Lady Darshaan, Raddy ‘Ell Pauline and Swan Wings were all eye-catching winners last time out.

South African sprinter J J The Jet Plane worked on the July Course at Newmarket on Thursday ahead of his engagement in next week's July Cup. Juan Nel, assistant to trainer Mike De Kock, told PA Sport after the spin: "He had a really good workout and we're extremely happy with him. He was really put through his paces and is looking extremely well, better than before Ascot. We are really looking forward to the race and I think you'll see a different horse at Newmarket."

Mike de Kock also trains Archipenko, who will miss Saturday's Group One Eclipse Stakes at Sandown with a swollen fetlock.

Naaqoos is another high profile absentee from the weekend's sport - the Group One winner will miss the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly after coughing and scoping badly.

Henry Cecil plans to run King Edward VII Stakes winner Father Time in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, following which a decision will be made whether to aim at the St Leger.

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Wednesday 1 July 2009

Aidan O'Brien is to give Irish Derby winner Fame And Glory a break ahead of an autumn campaign taking in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

The Ballydoyle handler told PA Sport: "We are going to give Fame And Glory a little break and then bring him back for the autumn, when the plan will be to run in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc."

Of his midsummer plans, O'Brien added: "We are looking at the King George for either Yeats or Golden Sword, while Mastercraftsman is a possible for the Juddmonte International."

Freddie Head is looking forward to running Naaqoos in Sunday's Prix Jean Prat. Last year's leading juvenile was beaten by subsequent Prix du Jockey-Club winner Le Havre on his return in April and then finished third in the Frecnh Guineas, before being demoted by the stewards.

Head told At The Races: "He's a very good horse. He was third in the French 2000 Guineas last time, and was very badly demoted, but he is very well.

"He was the champion two-year-old after winning the Prix Jean-Luc de Lagardere. To be beaten by the Derby winner is pretty good and he's going to run in the good races - he's never had a bad race.

"I don't think he will get much more than a mile but he is very effective over that trip. He was very keen that day in the Guineas. He came with a good chance and just stopped a bit in the last 100 yards. I think he has a first-class chance on Sunday."

Kevin Shea is hoping for better from South African star sprinter JJ The Jet Plane in the Group One July Cup after his fourth in the Golden Jubilee stakes, which disappointed connections. Shea said: "He came out of his run well and it's hard to say what went wrong, if anything did.

"Whether it was because it was his second run after a lay-off or because it was his first time at Ascot, or something like that, but I think he ran a little bit below-par. He's in good form and we're happy with him. He'll be running at Newmarket and taking on the ones that won at Ascot."

Another to disappoint in the Golden Jubilee was Luca Cumani's Ialysos, who drops in class to run in Saturday's Group Three Coral Charge at Sandown.

Of his Golden Jubilee run, Cumani told At The Races: "On Saturday the ground up the stands rail was watered and he is used to racing on fast sand in Greece and he was changing his legs all the time.

"Also in all his races in Greece he has always had plenty of daylight, and that was the first time he was in a bunch. He doesn't necessarily have to lead as long as he is not in a bunch. He does most of his work on his own and we have to judge him by the feeling he gives his rider."

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Tuesday 30 June 2009

Luca Cumani reckons his Italian import Cima de Triomphe has a major task on his hands in Saturday's Eclipse Stakes, but is hopeful of a good run. The trainer told At The Races: "He's very well, he did his last bit of work this morning where he went six furlongs in company with two other horses.

"We are happy, he's in good form and we are going there hopeful of a good run but under no illusions as to the difficulty of the task against horses like Conduit, Sea The Stars and Rip Van Winkle.

"We still have 12 furlongs as an option for him at another time - he is versatile enough to be effective at both - but this will be a tough 10 because there will be plenty of pace in the race.

"He was beaten only six lengths in the Arc which was a creditable run. We were slightly disappointed with his run in the Ganay with how the race worked out but the form has been boosted by Vision D'Etat."

Henry Cecil's Twice Over bids to break through at Group One level in Saturday's Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. Owner Khalid Abdulla's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe rebutted the charge that the colt has been unlucky, telling PA Sport: "I don't think he's been unlucky. Last time he looked like he'd done enough to win the Prince Of Wales's and then in the last five strides he is passed by three others and finishes fourth. There was nothing unlucky about it, he ran a super race.

"He is an intended runner [in the Eclipse] at this stage, he's been in very good nick and came out of Ascot really well but will have to step up again to win."

Abdulla's Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Spanish Moon will continue to be campaigned overseas as he serves a ban in Britain for refusing to enter the stalls.

Grimthorpe continued: "He doesn't give any trouble at all at home, he's a bit of an enigma. I went to see him do an unofficial stalls test the other day and he went in 10 times without a bother. He races genuinely too so there is no questioning his attitude. After this performance we can genuinely say he is a Group One horse, definitely.

"We'll have to look at the options for him. We'll sit down and give it some thought and I don't see why the Breeders' Cup should not come under consideration along with Hong Kong and Dubai again."

The Dermot Weld-trained Famous Name, second in the French Derby last year, registered a confidence-building Listed win on Sunday, and could be campaigned towards the Irish Champion Stakes.

Clive Brittain is to run Listed winner and Queen Mary runner-up Misheer in the Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket's July Meeting. Brittain told PA Sport: "She's in very good form at the moment. She'll do her work for next week tomorrow and the Cherry Hinton is her race.

"She'd missed a bit of work the week before Ascot and she usually has tremendous speed at the start, in the middle and the finish but she just ran a bit flat and the winner got away from her before she started to grind her down.

"I've no doubts she's by far the best English filly around at the moment."

Henry Cecil's improving three-year-old filly Apple Charlotte is to run in Sunday's American Oaks at Hollywood Park. Dermot Weld's Irish 1000 Guineas fourth Rare Ransom is the other European raider.

Mike de Kock is eyeing the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot with Criterion Stakes winner Imbongi. The trainer won the Summer Mile with Archipenko last year.

Harry Dunlop had to withdraw Three Moons from the Oaks at a late stage, but plans to get the filly's campaign back underway in August. He said: "I'm very pleased with her progress and she is just beginning to come back into normal work.

"We had to give her some time off for a muscular injury and we envisage getting her back on the track in August. She's in the Yorkshire Oaks but we felt we had to put her in that as she was going to run in the Oaks and we still don't quite know here we are with her. She hasn't won a Listed race yet so there are lots of options and we won't tie her down to anything."

Dunlop also plans to run recent Haydock Listed winner Festoso in Wednesday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse.

1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Ghanaati has yet to have her next target confirmed, but could take on the colts in the Sussex Stakes, although the Falmouth Stakes is also an option.