Melbourne Cup Hopeful On Song For Leger
- Saturday, 14 September 2013 01:59
Trainer-jockey Johnny Murtagh believes Royal Diamond is in even better form now than he was a year ago as the admirable stayer prepares to defend his crown in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on Sunday.
The seven-year-old clinched victory in a thrilling climax to the Curragh Classic last September, with Niall McCullagh getting Royal Diamond home in front by a head for then-trainer Tommy Carmody.
Murtagh, who was a major of the operation before taking over the licence at his Curragh yard, watched on from Doncaster 12 months ago but will this time be on board and admits it will be even more special if Royal Diamond can strike again.
"He's in good form and came out of the last race very well. I'm very pleased with the way he's progressing since that and hopefully he'll be there to defend his crown," Murtagh told Irishhorse.tv.
"The rain I don't think will do him any harm. He won it last year on good to yielding and I don't think it's going to be soft.
"I think it is (a better race than last year). Everybody is coming into the race in much better shape, it's a much tougher race and there are better horses in it."
Royal Diamond was only confirmed for this race midweek, as connections considered missing the race to instead head to Australia for next month's Caulfield Cup.
A trip Down Under for the Melbourne Cup in early November remains very much on the agenda, however.
"If all goes well he'll be going to Melbourne," Murtagh said.
"He's got two weeks of quarantine before he leaves, he's got two weeks quarantine out there and then he's got nine days before the race.
"He's a horse I think could run very well in the Melbourne Cup. He's good from the gates, he's got tactical speed, which is what you need, and he stays the trip well."
Treve And Dettori Set For Prix Vermeille
- Saturday, 14 September 2013 01:45
Frankie Dettori finally gets to put his potential Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe mount Treve through her paces on the racecourse during a glittering afternoon of trials at Longchamp on Sunday.
Criquette Head-Maarek's unbeaten filly is one of the shiniest jewels in the Italian's arrangement with Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, and he has already been to Chantilly to get acquainted.
Treve has only run three times so far, but graduated to Classic honours in the Prix de Diane and will be a leading contender for the Group One Prix Vermeille.
"Everything has gone well since the Prix de Diane, she worked very well with Frankie Dettori on board two weeks ago. He liked her, and said she has got a great turn of foot," said Head-Maarek.
"We'll see on Sunday. If she wins, or runs well, we might then go for the Arc. It is raining here, but I don't like to make excuses as I think a horse can win on every ground if they are good enough.
"She won on soft ground as a two-year-old, and I don't think it will be too bad.
"She has a good draw in stall three. She's a very easy filly to train, she's like a little bicycle - you can put her anywhere you want."
Lady Cecil Duo To Clash In Yorkshire Oaks
- Wednesday, 21 August 2013 01:15
Lady Cecil will be represented by Wild Coco and Riposte in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on Thursday, a race her late husband Sir Henry Cecil won five times.
Wild Coco has been a rare visitor to the racecourse, but the talented five-year-old makes the most of her chances and she made a successful seasonal debut when winning the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood for the second year running.
Riposte gave Lady Cecil an emotional triumph in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot but was only fifth in the Irish Oaks on her only start since.
Also among a field of eight for the Group One over a mile and a half are Irish raiders Venus De Milo from Aidan O'Brien's stable and Jim Bolger's Scintillula, who were second and fourth respectively in the fillies' Classic at the Curragh last month.
Ralph Beckett has declared English Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture and taken out the Epsom heroine, Talent.
John Gosden will be hoping last year's runner-up The Fugue can bounce back after a below-par effort in the Eclipse.
Luca Cumani's Emirates Queen, the sole supplementary entry, and the David Simcock-trained Moment In Time complete the eight-runner line-up.
Brown Panther Out Of Irish St Leger
- Friday, 13 September 2013 08:59
Brown Panther has been ruled out of Sunday's Irish St Leger at the Curragh with illness but the Melbourne Cup is still a hope if he recovers in the next few days.
Owned and bred by former English football great Michael Owen and trained by Tom Dascombe, the five-year-old spiked a temperature on Thursday.
He failed to eat anything during the entire day and Dascombe had no choice but to rule his Goodwood Cup winner out of a trip to Ireland this weekend.
"Unfortunately, he won't be running on Sunday," Dascombe said.
"We've had him out for a canter this morning and he seems fine, but he didn't eat for some reason and we can't take any chances.
"It's disappointing, but these things happen. Things could be worse, we've still got a horse left and we'll just have to see how long it takes him to recover and aim for something else.
"He's in the staying race at Ascot on Champions Day (October 19) and the Melbourne Cup and both are still options for him.
"If he is going to go to Australia, he doesn't have to go into quarantine until September 26, so we've got a few days for him to recover."
Leading Lights Stand Their Ground In Ebor
- Tuesday, 20 August 2013 02:15
Ante-post favourite Opinion is among 53 confirmations for the Ebor at York on Saturday.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained five-year-old, carrying the Highclere colours, was successful in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot but could not get a clear run when fifth in the Old Newton Cup at Haydock last time.
The majority of the leading fancies in the betting market have stood their ground, including Sheikhzayedroad, Pallasator, Sun Central, Tiger Cliff, Well Sharp, Caravan Rolls On and Ted Veale.
The only horses anywhere near the top of the betting taken out of the valuable staying handicap are Silver Lime and Mubaraza.
Connections of Genzy will consider running the five-year-old in the Ebor following a good effort in Group company at Newbury at Saturday.
The former French-trained gelding put in his best work at the finish to take fourth place behind Royal Empire in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes.
"We were delighted and all is in order. We will make our mind up about the Ebor later," said trainer Ian Williams.
The Fugue Wins The Yorkshire Oaks
- Thursday, 22 August 2013 23:59
Trips to Paris and California are on the agenda for The Fugue after she bounced back to her brilliant best in the Yorkshire Oaks.
With Scintillula having set a fierce pace, William Buick appeared keen to play his cards late on the market-leader, but she ranged up menacingly in the straight.
Smart three-year-old Venus De Milo did her best to fend off her older rival, but was simply not in the same league as The Fugue breezed clear for an emphatic four-length verdict.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is now firmly in trainer John Gosden's sights, as is a trip to the Breeders' Cup.
The Fugue finished a luckless third at Santa Anita in last November's Filly & Mare Turf over the turning mile and a quarter (2000m), and this year could take on the boys over a mile and half in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
"The Vermeille (Longchamp, September 15) would come into consideration for her next run and after that there is the Arc and I do think she is that level," Gosden said.
"If the ground is good or faster, or even good to soft, that would be a strong possibility, but she hates bottomless ground.
"She went to the Breeders' Cup last year and didn't have much luck, but we'd be keen to go back.
"There is the Filly & Mare, but the mile-and-a-half race (Breeders' Cup Turf) could be more suitable for her."
High Hopes For Al Kazeem Juddmonte Chances
- Tuesday, 20 August 2013 01:59
Al Kazeem's owner-breeder John Deer feels his horse's proven ability over a mile and a quarter can be the difference in his clash with Toronado in Wednesday's Juddmonte International Stakes at York.
Richard Hannon made the announcement just before declaration time that Toronado would be involved in what is suddenly a far more competitive Group One event on the Knavesmire.
It will be a first attempt beyond a mile for Hannon's High Chaparral colt, who finally avenged two defeats by Dawn Approach when mastering the chestnut in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Al Kazeem, trained by Roger Charlton, is around an even-money favourite as he tries to extend his four-race unbeaten streak.
After his first Group One triumph over Camelot in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, he was the unequivocal highlight of jockey James Doyle's Royal Ascot treble in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and cemented his position at the top of the European pecking order in the Coral-Eclipse.
Al Kazeem will have to compete without the on-course support of the man who has played the most important role in his life. Deer, who bred the son of Dubawi from his Oakgrove Stud in Chepstow, is required on a family holiday in Normandy.
"Unfortunately we booked it a long time ago, so I'm going to have to watch it on the laptop," he said.
"It's going to be an interesting race. I know Roger's very happy with him, he has come back from his break and he did a nice piece of work last week which James was happy with.
"Our fellow has solid form over a mile and a quarter and the course should suit him, so hopefully James should be able to wind him up for the last couple of furlongs.
"Toronado will be going into unknown territory then, and hopefully we can come out on top.
"We were hoping for a bit of rain so there was some give in the ground, but he does have form on good to firm anyway."
Declaration Of War Wins International
- Wednesday, 21 August 2013 23:30
Declaration of War got the better of fellow Irish raider Trading Leather to gain revenge on two of England's top colts in the International Stakes at York on Wednesday.
The Group One feature on the opening day of the Ebor Festival was billed as a match between Al Kazeem, who beat Declaration of War in the Eclipse Stakes, and Toronado, who had him in his slipstream in the Sussex Stakes.
But with favourite Al Kazeem seemingly not fully at his best on the fast ground and Toronado failing to shine on his first attempt at the trip, it was left to Aidan O'Brien's 7-1 chance to scoop the STG425,000 ($A746,137) first prize.
Irish Derby winner Trading Leather set out to make it a true stamina test but despite his efforts it was Declaration of War who ran on the stronger to prevail by a length and a quarter.
Al Kazeem came in third in the race won by Frankel 12 months ago, with Toronado coming in last of the six-runner field.
"This lad is tough and hardy," winning jockey Joseph O'Brien said.
"He's been running consistently well and a mile and a quarter (2000m) on hard ground suits him lovely. He travelled very well, relaxed great and toughed it out to the line."
The first two are due to renew rivalry in the Irish Champion Stakes next month while Toronado will revert to his favoured mile trip.
The International result sent a ripple through the pre-post betting for October's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with Al Kazeem pushed out to 10-1 from 6-1, leaving Germany's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes winner Novellist heading the market on 4-1.
Afsare Among Celebration Mile Contenders
- Tuesday, 20 August 2013 01:45
Afsare will attempt to build on his recent Salisbury success in Saturday's Celebration Mile at Goodwood.
Luca Cumani's gelding, who was second in last year's Arlington Million, has had well-documented issues with the stalls but showed his undoubted ability when coasting clear in last week's Group Three Sovereign Stakes.
"Afsare has come out of Salisbury in good form and is likely to run in the Celebration Mile," Cumani said.
Trade Storm, not disgraced in the Queen Anne and Sussex Stakes this season, is entered for a slight drop down in class while among the 14 remaining at the confirmation stage are an interesting trio from Aidan O'Brien's Irish stable.
He can pick from Jersey Stakes winner Gale Force Ten, Cristoforo Colombo, who has not been seen since finishing fifth in the 2000 Guineas and Most Improved, the hero of last year's St James's Palace who did not make much of an impression on his Ballydoyle debut at the Curragh.
Premio Loco, who beat possible rival Thistle Bird in this race last year and had a confidence-boosting victory at Newmarket, is in the line-up once again while Chil The Kite and French raider Shamalgan have decent Group form too.
Aesop's Fables, Boom And Bust, Educate, Gabrial and Stipulate complete the list of possible starters.
Saptapadi Trainer Sweats On Ebor Clearance
- Wednesday, 21 August 2013 01:30
Trainer Brian Ellison is confident the well-travelled Saptapadi is capable of making his presence felt if he makes the cut for the Ebor at York on Saturday.
The seven-year-old was a leading contender for the race two years ago, but was upstaged by lesser-fancied stable companion Moyenne Corniche.
Saptapadi still ran a respectable race, beaten little over three lengths into fifth, after which he headed to Australia to compete in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
He enjoyed an extended stay in Australia after joining trainer Jim Conlan, but returned to Ellison's care earlier this year.
Saptapadi couldn't find his form in two starts for Conlan and the eight-year-old returned England after running worse than midfield in the Coleraine Cup.
The Indian Ridge gelding has hinted at a return to form in recent months, notably running well at York on a couple of occasions.
"He worked this morning and he seems in really good form," North Yorkshire-based Ellison said.
"You can forget his last run, I'm really happy with him at home and I'm hoping he'll run a big race.
"Hopefully he gets into the race."
De Kock Retains Faith In Shea Shea
- Monday, 19 August 2013 03:30
Mike de Kock believes York will bring the best out of Shea Shea when the South African sprinter goes for glory in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday.
The six-year-old has been out of luck in both the King's Stand Stakes and the July Cup since he took the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March, but De Kock is optimistic the Group One tide will turn.
The trainer suffered the loss of the Arlington Million in Chicago on Saturday when The Apache was relegated to second on protest.
"I think it's the right course for him - flat and fast. I'm not so sure he's that effective over further than 1000 metres (five furlongs). He wants it fairly firm and fairly flat," De Kock told At The Races.
"He needs to get there late. Although he has won at five furlongs from start to finish it hasn't been at this sort of level. Certainly, we could do with change of luck altogether."
De Kock said he was quick to snap up Frankie Dettori for the ride once Christophe Soumillon lost his appeal against a riding ban which ruled him out of the Nunthorpe.
"Christophe got suspended for three days in France which he appealed against and lost. Frankie would be in the stands. He's won this race a few times, there was no hesitation (in booking him)," he said.
Soumillon also rode The Apache and De Kock said he was not surprised his horse lost the race.
"When I initially saw it on the internet and they showed the head-on I thought they would review the race," he said.
"There was one movement off the fence and then he kept on going, with his stick in the left hand. It definitely unbalances the other horse.
"If it happened to me I'd have felt aggrieved and it was very close to the line as well. For that reason I thought maybe they would overturn it."