Goodwood to stage ‘race of the season’ as Frankel takes on Canford Cliffs
The racecourse executive at Glorious Goodwood will be keeping everything crossed that racing’s star milers Canford Cliffs and Frankel both make it to post for what promises to be a sensational renewal of the Group 1 Qipco Sussex Stakes at the picturesque South Downs circuit on July 27, writes Elliot Slater. The prospect of the outstanding four-year-old Canford Cliffs, recent winner of an epic dual with French legend Goldikova in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, taking on the unbeaten three-year-old...
July 6th, 2011
Ted Spread could head for the Ebor
Newmarket handler Mark Tompkins could barely hide his pleasure at the return to form of his useful performer Ted Spread who ran his best race for some time when only just failing to land the spoils in the listed Totepool Pontefract Castle Stakes at the West Yorkshire track earlier this week, writes Elliot Slater. The gelded son of Beat Hollow had been considered a classic contender at one stage last term when beating Icon Dream in a fine finish to the Group 3 Chester Vase after which he took his...
June 24th, 2011
Brown Panther team eyeing St Leger bid
Manchester United and England striker Michael Owen was quick to nominate a possible crack at the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster in September as a possible target for his hugely impressive Brown Panther who toyed with opposition when trotting up in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot on Thursday, writes Elliot Slater. Owen, who owns and bred the rapidly improving three-year-old colt, is also the owner of Manor House Stables in Cheshire from where trainer Tom Dascombe sent out his second winner...
June 17th, 2011
O’Brien hands Bewitched green light for Jubilee bid
Progressive four-year-old filly Bewitched looks almost certain to take her chance in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot after her trainer Charles O’Brien expressed his satisfaction at the way the daughter of Dansili has recovered from her recent win at Leopardstown, writes Elliot Slater. A winner twice last term in listed company, Bewitched then stepped up in grade last autumn and showed that she is improving rapidly, first winning the Group 3 Michael Kinane Renaissance Stakes...
June 9th, 2011
Rainy forecast a dream scenario for Ahead team
Last season’s joint-top rated juvenile Dream Ahead could make his belated return to action this term in the Group 1 S James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the race currently dominated by the mighty Frankel, the horse with whom the David Simcock-trained colt shared top billing last term, writes Elliot Slater. By the time the two top juvenile colts in Europe went head-to-head in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last October, Dream Ahead was almost certainly ‘over the top’ and...
June 6th, 2011
Coolmore sires handsomely represented in Derby line-up
For the winning connections victory in the Epsom Derby isn’t just about getting your hands on the trophy for the best horse race in the world. It’s also about potential bloodstock value, and with a remarkable five representatives amongst the candidates for Saturday’s Investec Derby, bloodstock empire Coolmore appears to have particularly good chances of landing anther breeding coup, writes Elliot Slater. Coolmore has come to dominate the world of high-class thoroughbred breeding...
June 1st, 2011
Disappointing Dunboyne still a Derby possible
Kevin Prendergast’s Dunboyne Express, only fifth of the eight runners in Saturday’s Group 1 Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, could still be set to take his chance at Epsom on June 4 in the Investec Derby, writes Elliot Slater. The Shamardal colt raced on the heels of the front-running winner on Saturday but couldn’t quicken with the Ballydoyle colt from the two furlong from home marker, Prendergast being adamant that his charge found the ground far too fast and wasn’t...
May 24th, 2011
Irish Guineas winner Roderic may yet run at Epsom
Aidan O’Brien’s admirable Roderic O’Connor could line up at Epsom on June 4 having atoned for a bitterly disappointing run at Newmarket on his seasonal bow with a tough as teak display to beat the luckless Dubawi Gold in Saturday’s Group 1 Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, writes Elliot Slater. Given a great ride by the winning trainer’s son Joseph, who displayed maturity well beyond his 17 years, the Ballydoyle colt made every yard of the running as his teenage...
May 23rd, 2011
Al Zarooni continues on the rise as Bunting lands 1000 Guineas
It is little more than a year since Sheikh Mohammed introduced a second trainer to oversee his huge Godolphin string to complement his long standing handler Saeed bin Suroor, but with a first British Classic victory in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket courtesy of the brave Blue Bunting, Mahmood al Zarooni has well and truly come of age on the international stage, writes Elliot Slater. Many observers had already noted that al Zarooni has achieved much since he was given charge of many of Godolphin’s...
May 3rd, 2011
Sikeeb a Brittania Handicap horse in the making
Veteran trainer and jockey combination Clive Brittain and Philip Robinson enjoyed their first turf success since teaming up again at the start of this term when Sikeeb made an impressive seasonal return in the Dubai Duty Free Full of Surprises Handicap at Newbury on Friday, writes Elliot Slater. A race that has thrown up a number of winners who went on to prove themselves Group class performers, this year’s renewal may well be no exception as Sikeeb won in the manner of a horse who is some...
April 18th, 2011
