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Friday 22 May 2009

Clive Brittain has decided to bypass the Irish 1000 Guineas with his dual Listed winner Nashmiah and head straight to the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Last year's Oaks winner Look Here had a racecourse gallop at Salisbury on Thursday night, quickening up nicely ahead of her engagement in the Coronation Cup early next month.

Connections believe that 2000 Guineas winner Sea The Stars will stay a mile and a half at Epsom. John Clarke, racing manager to the Tsui family, told the Racing Post: "Sea The Stars is a very classy horse and I do think that he will stay the Derby trip. I think Cape Cross will not hinder his ability to stay 12 furlongs. I have been getting good reports from Mr Oxx since Newmarket, and he is very happy with the horse."

Aidan O'Brien trains nine of the 20 colts remaining in the Investec Derby after the first scratchings deadline, but he has yet to finalise riding plans. The trainer told At The Races: "The horses have run well and the ones who ran early improved from their first run to their second run. The ones that didn't win their trials still ran well so it's so far so good. We'll just see what will happen in the next week to 10 days.

"Everyone is saying that Fame And Glory was the most impressive winner and obviously we see the same as everybody else sees."

Of the Dante Stakes, O'Brien continued: "We liked Black Bear Island a lot last year. He had a run in France first time this year and Johnny was very happy with him in what was a very slowly run race.

"We thought that he would come forward from that and he did. The horse Johnny rode in the Dante, Freemantle, he ran a great race as well and he should come forward from that run, too."

Of the Lingfield and Chester form, O'Brien added: "We were very happy with Age Of Aquarius at Lingfield. We knew there wasn't going to be much pace and Johnny gave him a lovely ride from the front. We were over the moon with that and he came out of it great. There could be a big jump from him from that run.

"We're very happy with Masterofthehorse and last year we felt we'd maybe trained him a little bit too hard for the Racing Post Trophy, so this year we trained him more cautiously and rode him back a little bit. We were very happy with his run behind Golden Sword at Chester - we were really happy with both of them."

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Thursday 21 May 2009

Aidan O'Brien has yet to decide whether Yeats will bid for a fourth Gold Cup at Royal Ascot next month.

The Ballydoyle handler told PA Sport: "Yeats is fine, and we feel privileged to have such a horse. For him to win one Gold Cup, then two, then three, was unbelievable. We never thought that could happen," said O'Brien.

"Everyone knows that he's older and wiser and it's great that he's around at all. He needed to have a day out at Navan, the race was little bit slow and I suppose he didn't really wake up.

"We're hoping that we'll be able to get him back to Ascot and if he gets back there that would be great. Like all of us, he does get older and he is only flesh and blood. He's an eight-year-old colt and we're delighted to be training him. We'll just have to wait and see what will happen and when we do try and crank him up, we'll have to see if he does respond."

The Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday was won by the John Gosden-trained Alwaary, and the son of Dynaformer looks set to run in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. Gosden reported after the race: "We went to Lingfield to just get him back on the track and he suddenly blossomed after it. The race got his whole metabolic rate tuned up and we wouldn't normally run back this quick but the owner gave us special permission.

"He is in the Derby but I think that would be unwise so I would like to say - if it is OK with the owner - that he has run a fabulous prep for the King Edward VII. Debussy will go to the Derby and Nehaam is more likely for the Hampton Court at Ascot."

The Queen's Free Agent was beaten into fourth place and will be entered in the King Edward VII Stakes over a mile and a half and the two-mile Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot.

Robin Bastiman is hoping for a big run from Borderlescott in Saturday's Betfred.com Temple Stakes at Haydock Park. The trainer told Betfred: "He's been OK since Newmarket and he's come on for it. Henry Candy will know how much his horse [Amour Propre] has improved, but Borderlescott needed that run and we'll see how we fare on different going. It should be good to soft and it was very fast ground at Newmarket. The conditions don't really bother Borderlescott but we'll see how Amour Propre fares with some cut.

"Borderlescott needs a few runs to reach his peak and is usually at his best around July and August. "I wanted to give him two runs before the King's Stand Stakes, his main target in the first half of the season.

"The key to keeping horses like him going is not to push them too hard, give them time and don't run them too much on firm ground to preserve their legs."

Richard Hannon is making plans for Major Cadeaux. The trainer told his website richardhannonracing.tv: "Major Cadeaux had been off since Hong Kong in December, and while he always runs well fresh, there is no substitute for a prep race and it was just a pity that he was not ready in time for last month's Sandown Mile. Ryan (Moore) thought he might even win two furlongs out, but the horse just got tired.

"Ryan reckons that races like the Prix de Meautry and the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville are made for him, and, being French-bred, he qualifies for a generous bonus if he wins out there, so we will have to give those serious consideration.

"There is a Group Three race over seven furlongs at Longchamp on Saturday week, which also looks tempting, while we have not ruled out the Diomed Stakes at Epsom on Derby day, though he is a big horse and you'd have to wonder how he would cope with those undulations.

"However, they always say that if you travel around Epsom you'll handle the track, and the Major certainly travels."

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Wednesday 20 May 2009

Trainer John Oxx is delighted with 2000 Guineas winner Sea The Stars, who is being trained for the Investec Derby. Oxx told At The Races: "We're very happy with him and he's had two weeks cantering now. He seems very fresh and well in himself and he's beginning to step up in his work again. He's in good order and I couldn't be more pleased with him."

Oxx hopes to have Arazan, who misses this weekend's Irish 2000 Guineas after running a temperature late last week, back in action for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.

Oxx added that he is inclined to run last week's Group Three winner Beauty O'Gwaun in the Investec Oaks, saying: "She's an inexperienced filly as she's only had the two races and she did well to win last week in what was a tough enough race.

"She was quite green and ideally you would like to have a more experienced filly going into the Oaks, but she has come out of it well and it might be hard to pass it by.

"She'll develop into a good filly as the year goes on and will stay the distance, so I would say we are leaning towards running her rather than not running her."

The Queen's Enticement, well beaten behind Sariska in the Musidora Stakes last week, is likely to run in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot rather than the Investec Oaks.

Sir Michael Stoute plans to run Oaks hope Leocorno in the Panmure Gordon Stockbroking Fillies' Handicap at Sandown on Thursday.

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Tuesday 19 May 2009

Michael Bell is to step last Friday's Listed Braveheart Handicap winner Allied Powers up to Pattern company. The trainer told www.michaelbellracing.com: "He quickly went clear in a manner that suggests he is probably ready to tackle Group company now. His next target could be the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown later in the month as long as the ground is suitable for him.

Cheshire Oaks winner Perfect Truth has been well supported in the investec Oaks market. Paddy Power, spokesman for the Irish bookmaker, said: "We have seen a lot of what I'd call very wise cash for Perfect Truth for the Investec Oaks, and have been forced to cut her to 9-1 from 20s.

2000 Guineas second Delegator is among 17 entries for Saturday's Boylesports.com Irish 2000 Guineas.

Trainer Brian Meehan told his website brianmeehanatmanton.com: "Delegator seems to have taken the Guineas very well. We had originally considered giving the Curragh a miss and heading for Royal Ascot, but he did his final piece of work this morning and went very well under Sean Mulvey, his regular work rider, who was very pleased with him.

"We shall have to monitor the ground, but it looks as though it will be easier than the surface at Newmarket and that should suit him."

Meehan added that he intends making a late decision as to whether to supplement Super Sleuth for the Boylesports.com 1000 Guineas. "Myself and the owners have been discussing it and we will decide on Tuesday morning whether to supplement Super Sleuth for the Irish 1000 Guineas," the trainer said.

"She ran a fabulous race on ground that we feared may be plenty sharp enough for her at Newmarket, and we feel she may try her luck at the Curragh.

"She has taken her Newmarket exertions very well and she will appreciate the easier ground. We think she will ultimately stay further so she should also appreciate the stiff mile."

James Fanshawe hopes to give Spacious a first run of the season in the TRI Equestrian Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. The trainer told PA Sport: "There is a good chance she will run there. She has taken a while to come to hand, but worked nicely on Saturday. She has won on soft ground before, but it's very soft in Ireland at the moment."

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Monday 18 May 2009

Jean-Claude Rouget plans to run Prix Saint-Alary winner Stacelita in the Prix de Diane next month. The Pau trainer told PA Sport: "She was very impressive and she now goes to Chantilly for the Diane. I think she is better on the soft ground, but I don't know how she will handle the better ground. She won really well on Sunday and she was all the time on the pace, so it was a very good performance."

Rouget intends to send his other Group One winner from Sunday, Never On Sunday o Royal Ascot for the Prince of Wales's Stakes.

Meanwhile all plans are on hold for Freddie Head's Goldikova following her disappointing return.

1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati will run in the Coronation Stakes in preference to the Investec Oaks at Epsom on June 5, The Times has reported. Angus Gold, racing manager for her owner, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, told the paper: "We have always inclined towards running her next at Royal Ascot, and that is her target. She may well go over farther later in the season, but a mile looks ideal at this stage."

Musidora second Star Ruby is unlikely to be supplemented for the Oaks. Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam told his website peterchapplehyam.com: "The filly ran very well at York. She has come back a little sore, but she is OK. She would need to be supplemented for the Oaks, but I think we were beaten fair and square by Sariska so I don't really see any point in doing it.

"I will try and find a Listed race. If she were to run in an Oaks it would be the Irish Oaks (July 12) - or there is the Ribblesdale (June 18) at Royal Ascot."

Sir Michael Stoute plans to tun Harbinger in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot rather than the Investec Derby, saying the colt lacks sufficient experience to run at Espom.

Dante third Sans Frontieres is another to have the King Edward VII Stakes as a target, with owner Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager, Barry Simpson, telling www.racingpost.com: "Having listened to Mick Kinane and discussed it with Sir Robert, we feel Epsom will not especially suit the horse, and neither will the hustle and bustle of the race."

John Gosden has reported that Rainbow View is in "great order" ahead of the Investec Oaks, and balems the fast ground at Newmarket for her lacklustre performance in the 1000 Guineas. The trainer told Racing UK: "Jimmy (Fortune) said he had gone precisely a furlong and a half and he knew he was going to get nothing, she had changed her legs three times and hopped off the ground.

"That was just bad luck, they didn't water, they had a drying wind, there was rain forecast, it didn't come and it was like a road - that's life.

"She's in great order, she worked very well a couple of days ago, she'll be out cantering and we'll go to Epsom for the Breakfast With The Stars (May 28) and have a nice canter around the track there.

"Andrew (Cooper, clerk of the course at Epsom) produced the most gorgeous ground for the City And Suburban meeting and if he produces that we'll be really happy.

"There was one thing I was pleased about after the Guineas and that was that she came out of the race in good order."