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Classic countdown for 20 April 2009Filed on 20 Apr 2009 @ 10:09
Classic countdown, w/c: 7 April | 13 April | 20 April | 27 April | 4 May | 11 May 2000 Guineas entries | 1000 Guineas entries | Derby entries | Oaks entries | Coronation Cup entries Saturday 25 April 2009Michael Tabor has a useful looking filly in Star Ruby (Rock Of Gibraltar), who is likely to run in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained three year old was ridden put to beat Hidden Brief by two and a quarter lengths, with the pair eight lengths clear of their rivals. Chapple-Hyam said: "She is not in any of the big races but I will put her in the Ribblesdale next week and hopefully she can pick up some black type through the season." There has been a market move for Mastercraftsman in the 2000 Guineas market, with the dual Group One winner displacing stablemate Rip Van Winkle as the premier Ballydoyle hope. MAstercraftsman is 4-1, behind the 7-2 favourite Delegator. Jersey Stakes winner Aqlaam is to miss an engagement at Leicester and will make his seasonal return in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes next month. Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, told PA Sport: "He will probably go to the Lockinge now. We just didn't want to run him up that hill at Leicester on fast ground Jeremy Noseda is preparing to run Sans Frontieres inthe totesport.com Dante Staes at York on May 14. The colt was second to Delegator in the Craven Stakes, and Noseda said: "Sans Frontieres will head to the Dante. He has taken his race at Newmarket very well and I am happy with him. For what was only the second run of his life we were delighted with the level of his performance. "He will be suited by the step up to a mile-and-a-quarter and although it is shaping up, as usual, to be the premier and most competitive Derby trial - with Crowded House and Kite Wood scheduled to run - it's a race that will tell us where we stand and also what his future programme is likely to be." Friday 24 April 2009Last season's Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere winner Naaqoos is to bypass the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in favour of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. The Oasis Dream colt was beaten by Le Havre on his seasonal return in the Prix Djebel on Good Friday. Trainer Freddie Head told the Racing Post on Friday: “We have finally decided to stay in France and run Naaqoos in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp. “He knows the track well and we just didn’t want to take the risk of going to England at this stage of his career. The colt has been entered in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot and he worked very nicely this morning.” The Marcus Tregoning-trained Molecomb winner Finjaan is working well ahead of the 2000 Guineas, leaving his potential stamina as the major headache for his connections. Tregoning told PA Sport: "I'm pleased with him. He's by Royal Applause, and obviously there is a question whether he will get the mile, but he appeared to get the seven furlongs very well in the Dewhurst. "His work has been very good, and I've actually worked him over a mile to convince myself he has a good chance, and he worked very well over that distance. We're confident he'll run a very big race, he's got the class it's just a case of whether he'll get the extra furlong. "He's done all his racecourse gallops now. Richard actually rode him in a racecourse gallop when we took him over a mile and a very strong piece of work it was. He looks ripe and ready to run tomorrow but we've only got just over a week to wait now!" Karl Burke is to gallop Mill Reef Stakes winner and Dewhurst second Lord Shanakill during racing at Ripon on Saturday - the 2000 Guineas hope had to miss last weekend's Greenham Stakes with a temperature. "He will need this piece of work as he missed two or three days last week. I wanted to give him that run to put him spot on but hopefully this gallop tomorrow will put him there. It will be good to firm but they do a good job at Ripon. They look after the ground so I've no worries that way," said Burke. Burke also had news of Derby hope Popmurphy, who was third behind Debussy in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on Wednesday - the Montjeu colt's second racecourse appearance. Burke said: "He's come out of the race fine, no problems whatsoever. We'll give him a chance to get over that run. We were pleased with him, he didn't do anything wrong. "I think he was probably a bit out of his ground and when they quickened up going down the hill they just caught him out having to chase the others. In my opinion green horses are always better off being chased rather than doing the chasing. "He will have learned from that effort it can only stand him in good stead for the future. He's a lovely animal, he's got the pedigree. He's got a fair amount of ability and he will improve." Richard Hannon reckons Paco Boy will handle a mile in the Sandown Mile tomorrow and will shrug off his Group One penalty. The trainer told his website richardhannonracing.tv: "Paco Boy worked really well last Sunday and again on Tuesday, and, though he was tired for a few days when he got back from Dubai, he is in great nick again now. "The race definitely looks within our compass, and it would be nice to put the Nad Al Sheba experience behind us and go to Newbury [for the Lockinge] on a high rather than head for another Group One on a retrieving mission." Aidan O'Brien is likely to rely on O'Brien told the Racing Post: "The present plan is to send Westphalia back to Longchamp for the French Guineas and Set Sail may also go for the same race. "Mastercraftsman and Rip Van Winkle are on schedule to run in the 2,000 Guineas. "They will probably do their last bit of work early next week." Marcus Tregoning is hoping for a bold show from Taameer in the Bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown tomorrow. The trainer told PA Sport: "I'm happy with him and obviously he goes with a good chance and we hope he runs really well. We hope the trip won't be a problem. He's always given us the impression that's what he wants. Hopefully there will be a nice bit of pace on. With just a few runners there might not be, but he's versatile enough." Thursday 23 April 2009The Mick Channon-trained Too Much Trouble could run in a recognised Derby trial after routing his rvals by 12 lengths in a conditions race at Catterick on Wednesday. Channon told his website: "We think he's a nice horse and the plan will be to take in one of the trials and see whether he's good enough. It's all up in the air, but he certainly impressed us yesterday." Mike de Kock is happy with the progress made from a leg injury by Hong Kong Cup winner Eagle Mountain. Outlining plans for his British-based team this summer, De Kock told PA Sport: "We still haven't started working him again but the leg looks completely normal to the naked eye. He'll be amongst a team of 15 that leave Dubai in a week to go to Newmarket. We're going to be looking at races like the Breeders' Cup and the Hong Kong Cup again with him." De Kock added that Archipenko is likely to run in the Prince of Wales's Stakes over 10f rather than the Queen Anne over a mile. Of dual South African Group One winner JJ The Jet Plane, de Kock continued: "JJ The Jet Plane is probably my best chance of a good run at Royal Ascot. He'll be entered in the King's Stand and the Golden Jubilee but for me he's going to be more effective in the six-furlong race." The John Oxx-trained Mourayan could manage only htird in the Ballysax Stakes last Sunday, but could run in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown next month. Oxx told PA Sport: "He had a bad run round the bend, which cost him his chance. I'm sure the winner won with a bit up his sleeve but I think it would have been very close if we had got a clear run. But then the winner was giving us 5lb, so it was a big effort from him. "There isn't a lot between the two of them, I'd say, and it just depends how they go on from here. He's in good form and we hope to run him in the Derrinstown race in three weeks." Wednesday 22 April 2009The Hughie Morrison-trained Palace Moon, a Fantastic Ligth half brother to Sakhee's Secret, is to run in the Stan James Heritage Handicap at Newmarket on May 3. Bigger targets are in mind for later, with Morrison telling PA Sport: "He is in good form and the plan is to take him to Newmarket a week on Sunday. He was pretty fit first time out and has gone up a stone for that run. "I hope he can progress towards the top sprints through the season as he is the best I have got, but we need to see how we go next Sunday first." Triple Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats will make his customary return to action in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan on Sunday. "The plan is to start Yeats off on Sunday," O'Brien told www.racingpost.com. "He started in this race in the past and I'm happy with him and he's ready to start off again." Connections of Naaqoos will decide at the end of the week whether to run in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. The son of Oasis Dream was beaten in the Prix Djebel on Good Friday, prompting most bookmakers to take him out of their Newmarket betting. Trainer Freddie Head told PA Sport: "No decision has been made yet. I expect I will sit down with the Sheikh's (Hamdan Al Maktoum, owner) team at the end of the week to decide as it is not far away now. "Nothing has come to light, it was just one of those days, maybe the horse needed the race but I haven't made up my mind yet. The horse is very well, I'm very happy with him. "Of course Zafonic got beat in the Djebel and won at Newmarket." Tuesday 21 April 2009The Andre Fabre-trained Proviso, winner of the Group Three Prix du Calvados as a juvenile but a disappointment last season, resumed winning ways with victory in a minor event at Longchamp yesterday. The four-year-old filly could now be aimed at the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot. Richard HAnnon is set to run Group One winner Paco Boy over a mile for the first time in Saturday's Bet365 Mile at Sandown. The trainer said on his website richardhannonracing.tv: "Paco Boy has 8lb in hand of Pipedreamer, who is the second highest rated horse in the race, so we could well run. "He was tired for a few days when he got back from Dubai, but he has bounced back and we'll see how he works in the week before committing him to Sandown. "The Lockinge remains his main target before Ascot, and I was delighted to read this morning that the race has increased in value by £50,000, making it the richest race run at Newbury." Hannon is giving the Queen's Chesham Stakes winner Free Agent more time to come to hand and Chester is a likely target for the Derby hope. The trainer continued: "Free Agent has not quite come in his coat, so we have decided to give him another couple of weeks. We'll talk again before confirming for Chester, but I quite fancy a tilt at the Dee Stakes. "That is always a good Derby trial, and horses learn plenty around the Roodee. Free Agent worked really well on Sunday, and I couldn't be happier with him." William Muir is raising his sights with Saturday's John Porter Stakes winner Enroller. The trainer told PA Sport: "He came out of his race absolutely fantastically, he licked his food out and is moving brilliantly. If I didn't have an equine spa we'd have been in trouble because, with bruising, you can just keep them on the move. We were lucky, he'd done his last piece of work. "We did have a plan. It was Martin Dwyer's decision to drop back to 12 furlongs. We knew he stayed, but Martin remembered him having a good turn of foot over that trip. "Winning as he did has put the cat among the pigeons, and we are now looking at the Ormonde and the Yorkshire Cup. "What we were originally thinking was the John Porter, Henry II and then the Gold Cup at Ascot, because I thought he was that staying type of horse. "He still may well be, but all it has done has given us a bit to think about - in a good way. I said at the start of the year that Enforcer was good, and he competed in all the Group Ones, but this horse has got more class so I'm looking forward to the season with him. The family get better with age - he goes on all sorts of ground and he doesn't run bad races." Khalid Abdulla's Cityscape, second to Vocalised in the Greenham Stakes, is set to run in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket rather than in the French equivalent. Monday 20 April 2009John Oxx has yet to decide whether to run Arazan in the 2000 Guineas. The colt worked at Leopardstown yesterday, and the trainer told the Racing Post: "It was a nice piece of work and we're happy with both colts. [Sea The Stars was another to work yesterday.] We still have almost two weeks to go to Newmarket and, hopefully, all will continue to go well. "The ground remains an issue for Arazan, he wouldn't want it too fast. It will probably be a last-minute decision as to whether he'll run." The Group Three PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes was won by Aidan O'Brien's Fame And Glory (Montjeu), who is now an 8-1 chance for the Derby after a taking perfomance under a 5lb penalty. O'Brien said: "I was delighted with that performance carrying his Group One penalty. The horse should come on a lot for the outing as most of mine have done so far this season. I wouldn't mind coming back here for the Derrinstown Stud Trial but that's only a possibility as we've got lots of options. I'm very happy with him." Jockey Johnny Murtagh was delighted with the performance, telling At The Races on Monday: "I was happy with him, it was a good, solid run and they went a good pace. He stays really well. It took him a while to get into top gear, but he stretched out to the line well and I think there's a bit of improvement there. "He has strengthened up over the winter - you could see that before the race at home. Being by Montjeu, he's a big, strong-looking colt with lots of scope. He's a good size and he's got a good temperament. "He's not a flashy worker at home, he goes and beats the lead horse but he wouldn't be setting you alight in his work. He wasn't even the number-one string for his debut at Navan, but he comes alive on the track. He's an easy ride, he stays a mile and a half and the dream is still alive. "I think he needs one more run. I wasn't sure if he was 100% fit, and he had the penalty, but I think one more run would do him good and put him spot-on.
A horse that travels that well will always handle Epsom
"A horse that travels that well will always handle Epsom and that is one thing you have to do - you have to be able to cruise down the hill. He has everything a top horse needs," O'Brien's Stately Home (Montjeu) won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden by two and a half lengths and received a 25-1 Derby quote. At Frankfurt on Sunday, the Andreas Wohler-trained Monsun colt Soberania, whose dam is a half sister to German Derby winners Samum and Schiaparelli, was an eyecatching eight length winner of a 10f conditions event. More can be expected from the Gestut Karlshof homebred three-year-old. Saturday's Greenham Stakes winner Vocalised is to head to the French Guineas. Trainer Jim Bolger will rely on Intense Focus at Newmarket. The colt was beaten first time out this season, but Bolger told The Times: “It was a last-minute decision to run him and it was the wrong one. I ran him a week too soon and he paid the penalty, but he has come on nicely for it.” The trainer continued: “Intense Focus and Vocalised are entitled to run in any classic, but I'd be sweeter on Gan Amhras. He is my only middle-distance colt, and he might just do.” Michael Bell was pleased with Sariska, fourth in the Fred Darling, and will prepare the filly for the Oaks. Mick Channon reckons a mile will be no problem for Lahaleeb. He told www.mickchannon.tv: "She went into the race as our number one for the Guineas, and has done it well, looking like a filly that is crying out for the Guineas mile. "As long as she comes out of it OK, we'll let her take her chance at Newmarket." Filed on 20 Apr 2009 @ 10:09
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