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Big race countdown for 9 June 2008Filed on 9 Jun 2008 @ 13:55
Subscribe now to Graham Richards' Royal Ascot Newsletters - with five daily newsletters, midday email updates, look back and analysis of each day's racing, plus an update on his Flat Guide. Order online for just £12 now. Big race countdown, w/c: 7 April | 14 April | 21 April | 28 April | 5 May | 12 May | 19 May | 26 May | 2 June | 9 June | 16 June Sunday 15 June 2008Queen Anne Stakes runners (Group One)Ascot, 2:30pm Tuesday 17 June 2008. One mile.
King's Stand Stakes runners (Group One)Ascot, 3:05pm Tuesday 17 May 2008. Five furlongs.
St James's Palace Stakes runners (Group One)Ascot, 3:45pm Tuesday 17 June 2008. One mile.
. The Paul Cole-trained Percolator won the Listed Prix la Fleche at Longchamp with ease on Saturday, follwoing up on a six length romp at the track last month and giving his sire Kheleyf a first black type winner. Percolator could well be seen again as soon as next Wednesday, in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. Setbacks have meant that Roger Charlton is without two well-fancied runners next week. The Beckhampton trainer said: "Cactus Rose, who has been mentioned by quite a lot of people for the Royal Hunt Cup, will have to miss the race, unfortunately, as he is lame. "And Genki has also suffered a small setback which means he will not be able to take his place in the line-up for the Wokingham. It's a real shame." Solario Stakes winner Raven's Pass could run in the St James's Palace STakes in preference to the Jersey Stakes,w hich had been reported to be the colt's target. John Adger, racing manager to owners' Stonerside Stable, told sportinglife.com: "I haven't spoken to John but we had always planned on the St James's Palace Stakes with the Jersey as a back-up. However we have the utmost confidence in John and whatever he decides, we'll do. "The long-term goal - if he's doing well and things are moving in the right direction - will be the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita in October. John won the first Breeders' Cup Mile with Royal Heroine at Hollywood Park and it would be nice for him to double up with our horse!" Stonerside also own Michita, who could run in the Ribblesdale after her run in the Oaks at Epsom. Adger continued: "I saw the race and she is a big, leggy filly with quite a bit of ability. However coming down the hill, around Tattenham Corner, she didn't handle the track but made a nice run through the stretch and finished well. "John has a couple of races planned, either the Ribblesdale or Lancashire Oaks. She will run in one of those two races next." Johnny Murtagh is favourite to be leading rider at the Royal meeting, with rides on Henrythenavigator, Duke Of Mrmalade and Yeats awaiting him. Royal Ascot Top Jockey, totesport bet: Evens Johnny Murtagh, 9-4 Ryan Moore, 5-1 Frankie Dettori, 11-1 Jamie Spencer, 14-1 Jimmy Fortune, 28-1 Richard Hills, Richard Hughes, 40-1 Steve Drowne, Christophe Lemaire, Kevin Manning, Kerrin McEvoy, Olivier Peslier, Philip Robinson, Seb Sanders, Pat Smullen. Royal Ascot Top Trainer, totesport bet: 4-7 Aidan O'Brien, 4-1 Sir Michael Stoute, 7-1 Saeed Bin Suroor, 11-1 Jeremy Noseda, 16-1 Richard Hannon, 20-1 Jim Bolger, 25-1 Mick Channon, 33-1 Luca Cumani, John Gosden, Mark Johnston, 40-1 Henry Cecil, Peter Chapple-Hyam, Michael Jarvis, 50-1 James Fanshawe, Hughie Morrison, Alain De Royre-Dupre. Friday 13 June 2008Rosa Grace stayed on well to land the Listed Ballymacoll Stud STakes at Newbury on Thursday, prompting trainer Rae Guest to say: "The ground was the worry today as it was not as quick as she likes it. She's still in the Irish Oaks and if the owner is keen, it might be worth a chance." Also at Newbury Ghaidaa, a half sister to Oaks winner Eswarah, impressed her trainer Michael Jarvis with an emphatic win in her maiden. "I was more surprised in the way she ran on her debut than how she went here. She is coming on in leaps and bounds," said Jarvis. "She is not in the Irish Oaks, although she could be put in if the boss wanted it. Otherwise there are lots of good races later in the season." Guineas fifth Nahoodh has transferred from Mick Channon to Mark Johnston and the Middleham trainer could run the filly in next week's Coronation Stakes. The trainer told sportinglife.com: "We're just getting to know her as fast as we can and I think it's unlikely we'll have decided either way by the six-day stage so it's likely she'll be left in and we will make a late decision over her. "When you take over a horse like her at this stage of the season, and with a short space to her first run for you, it's hard to put a personal stamp on the filly. I have to admit if we run her in the Coronation Stakes it's going to be predominately Mick Channon's training. There's not an awful lot I can change in the time." Connections of Prix Morny winner Myboycharlie are expecting a strong performance in the Golden Jubilee Stakes after the colt was a below par fifth to Astronomer Royal in the Greenlands Stakes. Trainer Tommy Stack's son and assistant Fozzy said: "He's fine and he'll probably run in the Golden Jubilee. It's all going according to plan. He looks a lot lighter now than he did going to the Curragh. He needed the race for a lot of reasons. All being well he seems in good form and we're happy with him." Thursday 12 June 2008John Oxx is to run Oaks third Katiyra in the Irish Oaks. The trainer said: "She'll next run in the Irish Oaks. We were thinking about the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Derby meeting but I think we'll wait now. She's not a filly we are going to be too hard on this year. "She has a potential four-year-old career as well so I think we'll freshen her up now and wait for the classic. It's the most obvious race, especially with Look Here likely to give it a miss. If she isn't going there is even more reason for us to go." Dual Guineas winner Henrythenavigator is an odds on chance to land Tuesday's St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, for which 17 have been entered. Nonetheless, henry Cecil expects a big run from his Craven Stakes winner Cecil told the Racing Post: "He wasn't ready to run in the Guineas but I've got no regrets about not running him in the Derby. He was unwell after the Dante and his blood count was not right. "Henrythenavigator is a class horse but you've got to take him on, haven't you? Our horse is very well and has improved a lot, even though he hasn't had much racing. He's a better horse now than when he won the Craven." Alain de Royer-Dupre has supplemented the Aga Khan's Sageburg, winner of the Prix d'Ispahan last time out, for the Queen Anne Stakes. Godolphin's Creachadoir, who had been market leader for the race, sustained a fracture on the gallops on Wednesday and is out for the remainder of the season. Aidan O'Brien's runs Haradasun, of whom half owner "He was very fresh before the start in the Lockinge, sweating and really agitated. During the run he was interfered with by the third and fourth. "The Coolmore representatives in Australia have told me that he is going really, really well and that Aidan is very happy with him, particularly since the Lockinge. We are looking forward to next week and expecting him to run a nice race." Fellow Australian Joe Janiak is pleased with Takeover Target ahead of Tuesday's King's Stand. "I am very happy with him, his work has been good and the track rider reckons he's bigger and better than last year - I hope he's right," said Janiak. "If he can repeat what he did in Singapore, he's got a good chance. He has lost a bit of early pace so I'm not sure the King's Stand is ideal but he had to have a big chance in the Golden Jubilee." Favourite for the King's Stand is Temple Stakes winner Fleeting Spirit, of whom trainer Jeremy Noseda said: "It's a hard call to run a three-year-old sprinter against older horses and it takes an exceptional one to beat them. I hoped she would win the way she did at Haydock, but the King's Stand is the acid test." Wednesday 11 June 2008Prix de Sandringham winner Modern Look is on course for the Coronation Stakes, with trainer David Smaga telling the Racing Post: "All is well with the filly and she will have some work on Saturday with one lead horse. She finds things a little too easy in the morning so needs to race. I think the filly has been improving all season and she has been in great form since the Sandringham." The Juddmonte homebred was second to Natagora in the Prix Imprudence and fourth in the French Guineas before her Group Two success at Chantilly. Jean-Claude Rouget will be represented at Ascot by a single runner in the shape of dual Listed winner War Officer, who has been pointed at the race for some time. Tuesday 10 June 2008Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam was working his Royal Ascot hopes at Newmarket this morning. The work location was the Short Gallop where McCarthy sat on Tariq for a seven-furlong spin. John Lowe led the gallop aboard Aeroplane and Tariq came to join him in front of the on-looking Tony Nerses, racing manager to Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar. Tariq is second favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes, having finished second in the Lockinge last time out. After the change-over Brave Prospector looked in grand order as he blew out in company with Fat Boy. Munro was in the saddle as the Oasis Dream colt tuned up for the valuable Betfair Sprint at York this Saturday. Jeremy Noseda looks set to have a sizeable team for Royal Ascot, headed by Fleeting Spirit will be looking to serve it up to her elders once more in the King's Stand after a successful seasonal return in the Temple Stakes. Noseda said: “From our point of view, we are just hoping for a clear run. Realistically, with a team of this size, it’s sadly almost guaranteed that we may bump into the odd hiccup or two – touch wood, we don’t.” Yorkshire Cup winner Geordieland has had his final serious piece of work ahead of the Gold Cup next week. Trainer Jamie Osborne told Racing UK: "He did his last bit of galloping this morning and I couldn't have been happier. Everything's fine for him, he's no problem and we're looking forward to a week on Thursday." Godolphin's Rio De La Plata is sore after the Derby, but the team are hopeful he will line up in the St James's Palace Stakes. Frankie Dettori told At The Races: "He pulled a shoe off coming out of the stalls which didn't help. At the back of my mind we always thought he was a doubtful stayer. But we tried, he ran a good race and he took me to the two-furlong marker. "He was a bit tender on his foot after the Derby but hopefully he'll come back for the St James's Palace. Henrythenavigator is a worthy favourite, but Rio has got to take his chance and why not? He's a good horse, he ran very well in France and I've got high hopes for him." Artimino, second favourite behind Bankable, is a doubtful runner in the Royal Hunt Cup after pulling off a shoe and bruising his foot, which forced him to miss four days' exercise. Aidan O'Brien has been outlining his team for Royal Ascot. The trainer told the Racing Post that dual Guineas winner Henrythenavigator will head to the St James's Palace Stakes., saying: "when running him in the Derby was ruled out, the Ascot race looked the obvious next step for him." O'Brien continued: "Another Gold Cup bid with Yeats has always been the plan, and that is what we are looking at. Septimus is also in the race, but he hasn't had a run this year and, while he is in work, we are not sure about plans for him just yet. "Duke Of Marmalade is being aimed at the Prince Of Wales's and we are looking at running Haradasun in the Queen Anne Stakes. Astronomer Royal and US Ranger are intended runners in the Golden Jubilee Stakes." The Racing Post also reports that Alain de Royer-Dupre might supplement Group One Prix d'Ispahan winner Sageburg for the Queen Anne Stakes. The move would give owner the Aga Khan to runners in the race, as Darjina is already engaged. De Royer-Dupre also plans to run Sabana Perdida in the Windsor Forest Stakes. Monday 9 June 2008The Andre Fabre-trained Getaway, a disappointment when fourth in the Coronation Cup on Friday, could run in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Paul Harley, racing manager to owner Baron Georg Von Ullmann, told At The Races: "Of course we were disappointed. We would be lying if we said any different, but that's racing. To be fair, without making too many excuses, we felt he didn't handle the track that well, but I don't want to take anything away from the first two, they are very good horses. We'll have to see what happens when we meet them again. "We haven't given up yet. Let's get on another level playing field and see what the result will be next time or the time after. Royal Ascot is out. All being well it will either be the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at the end of the month or the King George. He won't take in both of them. "The Arc is all go with the him in the autumn and we don't want him to have many hard races in the early part of the year. Peter Chapple-Hyam's July Sakes winner Winker Watson hasn't run for 11 months, but could make his comeback in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Part-owner Andrew Black told PA Sport: "Pete knows best but obviously we keep in pretty regular contact with him and the current feeling is that we are more likely than not to go to Ascot. The St James's Palace is the race that we're targeting and a clash with Henrythenavigator, probably. "We get there if the horse gets there, but there's no certainty with him. The path to full health with him is not straightforward but he's odds-on to get there." Of the Chapple-Haym-trained dual Derby runner Bouguereau, Black added:"Bouguereau is essentially a Leger horse. I'm not quite sure what we'll do but he's better than people think and at least proved he wasn't a mug horse at the weekend. We were written off after the Italian Derby but he finished virtually lame that day and pulled a shoe off and lost half a hoof, so you can strike that race off. "I think Peter will look at the Great Voltigeur as his short-term target and run maybe in France in between." The Oaks winner could also line up at Doncaster in the final Classic of the season. Ralph Beckett has almost ruled out running Look Here in the Irish Oaks, telling At The Races: "She's not very big, she's not very robust and she's only had three starts. "There's the ground as well. Although it was quick at Lingfield, she probably is better with a little dig in the ground and my concern would be that at this stage of her life she'd run her race on the trip over. For all those reasons at the moment we are edging away from it." Of the St Leger, Beckett continued: "Quite apart form the time scale - who knows what the ground will be like in mid September - she's obviously going to get a mile and six, or at least you'd have to more than hopeful. "The track would suit her, it's often a race that is not beyond the realms of possibility for the likes of her and I'd love to win it apart from anything else. "The obvious race if we didn't take her to Ireland would be the Yorkshire Oaks." Filed on 9 Jun 2008 @ 13:55
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