Ascot juveniles
Ian Heitman reviews the juvenile action at Ascot and beyond
Ian Heitman makes his pick of the youngsters at Royal Ascot
With temperatures hitting the 30°C mark, Royal Ascot was bathed in sunshine for the opening day of one of the world’s best Flat meetings.Ribchester got favourite backers off to the perfect start in the Queen Anne Stakes with a trackrecord winning win and he looks set to continue his domination of the mile division for the rest of the year.
Six two-year-old races took place during the five-day meeting, with the first four covered in this column.
The Group Two Coventry Stakes over 6f was the second race on the opening day and the first chance for the two-year-olds to compete. A field of 18 faced the starter with runners from England, Scotland, Ireland and America.
With nine of the 18 going into the race with unbeaten records and 13 last-timeout winners it was a wide-open renewal with the market headed by one of the unbeaten runners, Jessica Harrington’s BROTHER BEAR at 4/1 with DE BRUYNE HORSE well supported at 5/1. The interesting market move was the weakness of Aidan O’Brien’s MURILLO who drifted out from 6/1 to 8/1.
The front two in the betting both brought a good level of form into the race, Brother Bear winning the Listed Marble Hill Stakes on his previous start, whilst De Bruyne Horse stayed on well to beat CARDSHARP in the Woodcote Stakes (downgraded from Listed to conditions status) at Epsom on Oaks day.
De Bruyne Horse looked really well at Epsom but in this better-looking field, didn’t impress as much. There were a couple of horses who took the eye in the paddock beforehand. Murillo has plenty of size and scope to progress throughout the year as too does Clive Cox’s Bath winner, PRINCE OF THE DARK. Godolphin’s AQABAH is a tall colt who was on his toes beforehand but has plenty to recommend him for the rest of the year.Wesley Ward who has enjoyed plenty of twoyear-old success at Royal Ascot in previous years (with runners over 5f not 6f),sent ARAWAK for this race and looked like a typicalWard runner,big and strong, but he weakened out of contention in the last two furlongs having raced close to the pace.
The pace was set by DENAAR, with Pat Smullen replacing the injured Frankie Dettori who was forced to miss the entire meeting due to an arm injury sustained at Yarmouth a week earlier, with Brother Bear racing close to the pace together with one of the outsiders CONNERY. Aqabah was chased along early on in midfield by William Buick to hold his position whilst eventual winner RAJASINGHE had to be chased along leaving the stalls by Stevie Donohoe to get a posi- tion in midfield.Prince Of The Dark settled well for Adam Kirby in midfield while Ryan Moore had Murillo towards the rear. As the pace increased from halfway, Brother Bear made good progress travelling well to take the lead with a furlong and a half to go but he hung to the stands side rail and lost the lead to Rajasinghe inside the final furlong who kept on well and held off HEADWAY by a head with Murillo running on strongly to be a further neck away in third with Brother Bear in fourth. Aqabah kept on well to be fifth with Prince Of The Dark running on but never challenging, as too were ROMANISED and De Bruyne Horse.
Rajasinghe lowered the two-year-old track record set by Henrythenavigator in the 2007 Coventry Stakes by 0.09 seconds and provided both trainer Richard Spencer,and jockey Stevie Donohoe with first ever Royal Ascot successes. Rajasinghe might be a bit of a handful,a strong son of top class sprinter Choisir, he was last into the paddock and first to the start but there is no doubting his ability and he could take his chance in Group One company in the Prix Morny on his next start.
Headway had won a Chester maiden easily on his previous start and he almost gave the Royal Ascot Racing Club a first two-year-old winner at the Royal meeting. He should have little trouble in
winning a Group race this year with races like the July Stakes at Newmarket and the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood likely targets.
Despite the market weakness, Murillo ran really well and with plenty of Group races in Ireland,he will have no trouble in picking up a couple before the end of the season.
With the first two races both producing track records as the sun beat down, Lady Aurelia just failed to make it three consecutive track records when she produced a dominating display in the King’s Stand Stakes,only 0.01 outside of the record set in 2007, when she won by an easy three lengths.
There was a third track record on the day in the St James’s Palace Stakes over the round mile. Barney Roy reversed 2000 Guineas form with Churchill (got warm and was edgy) when he stayed on strongly to beat Lancaster Bomber by a length with Churchill running a very flat race in fourth.
Having been out of luck in the first four races, Ryan Moore was at his best aboard Thomas Hobson in the 2m 4f Ascot Stakes, coming from off the pace to win by six lengths.
WINDSOR CASTLE STAKES
The final race on day one was the second of the two-year-old races,the ListedWindsor Castle Stakes over 5f with 22 taking part. DECLARATIONOFPEACE was very strong in the market at 13/8 to give Aidan O’Brien a welcome winner after the disappointment of Churchill earlier in the afternoon. He looked in good shape, a little noisy in the pre-parade ring but he moved nicely to the start. Wesley Ward, who won this in 2009 and 2014, saddled two unbeaten fillies, NOOTKA SOUND was the shortest of the pair at 9/2 with ELIZABETH DARCY at 9/1. As well as Wesley Ward saddling two runners, George Scott, Tom Dascombe, Richard Fahey and Charlie Appleby were all doubly represented.
Nootka Sound was restless in the stalls and that may have cost her her chance in the race as she weakened out of contention in the final furlong and half finishing 17th. Elizabeth Darcy had good pace and was in front until headed by one of the Appleby runners ROUSSEL with a furlong to go. Roussel’s stable mate, SOUND AND SILENCE who had raced in midfield picked up well under a strong William Buick ride and challenged inside the last furlong,getting the better of Roussel with 75 yards to go,winning by a neck with JAMES GARFIELD running really well for George Scott in third on just his second start. Sound And Silence was the first Royal Ascot two-year-old winner for Charlie Appleby and the third Godolphin winner on the afternoon following Ribchester and Barney Roy. He had an excuse when having a dirty scope following his fourth of five in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown on his previous start.
Declarationofpeace travelled well in midfield for Ryan Moore but he seemed to lose his action with a furlong and a half to go and was immediately eased. He was found to have lost a shoe.
Of the others,MOKAATIL was one of the nicest in the field, a strong colt by firstseason stallion Lethal Force,he missed the break but finished well to be fourth, beaten two and a quarter lengths. He is sure to get off the mark on his next start for Owen Burrows. DRAGONS TAIL was another who impressed in the paddock and he too ran on well, finishing seventh.
JERSEY STAKES
Day two of Royal Ascot was even hotter than the first day and with watering having taken place the times whilst still quick,weren’t as fast as on day one.It was a good day for French trained horses with wins in the Jersey Stakes for Le Brivido and in the Duke Of Cambridge for Qemah.Ireland also had a winner with the top class middle distance performer Highland Reel in the feature race, the Prince OfWales’s.Amanda Perrett recorded her second Royal Ascot winner when Zhui Feng led all the way in the Hunt Cup andWesleyWard got on the board for the week in the final race, the Sandringham Handicap with Con Te Partiro.
The two-year-old race on the card, the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes, saw Wesley Ward’s HAPPY LIKE A FOOL sent off the 10/11 favourite in the 23-runner line-up. A big strong filly, she certainly took the eye in the paddock and with Ward having won the race three times since 2009 and her dominant debut success, it was easy to see why she was short in the betting.The only real opposition to her in the market was Clive Cox’s HEARTACHE who had recorded a fast time when winning by six lengths on her debut at Bath at the end of May and this strong daughter by Kyllachy was 5/1 second favourite. MRS GALLAGHER who made a winning debut over course and distance in early May was next best at 10/1. As well as Mrs Gallagher, FORMIDABLE KITT (Newmarket winner in April) and CHICA LA HABANA (winner of the Hilary Needler only 11 days earlier) were the other unbeaten fillies going into the race. MAYBRIDE from the Richard Fahey yard who had finished second on her debut at Haydock on soft ground was another to impress in the paddock, a strong filly by Mayson,she stayed on from the rear to be tenth but was never dangerous.
As is often the case with the Ward juveniles, they go off fast in the lead and try to get all their rivals off the bridle by halfway and then try and hold on inside the last furlong.That was exactly what Ryan Moore tried to do aboard Happy Like A Fool who set a good pace in the larger stands side group. WINGS OF THE ROCK had good pace leading the far side group with Formidable Kitt and Mrs Gallagher racing prominently.The far side group faded out of contention with a furlong to go but there was a lot more pace in the stands side group so Mrs Gallagher and Formidable Kitt are certainly worth another chance.
Happy Like A Fool was tracked by her main market rival, Heartache who travelled very strongly for Adam Kirby and made progress to challenge with two furlongs to go and took the lead over a furlong from the finish. She ran on strongly inside the last 150 yards and beat Happy Like A Fool by two and a quarter lengths with OUT OF THE FLAMES running on well to be third for Richard Hannon with NOW YOU’RE TALKING in fourth. Heartache was the second Royal Ascot two-year-old winner for Clive Cox following Reckless Abandon in the Norfolk in 2012 and given the success the yard has had with two-year-olds in recent years, Harry Angel and Tis Marvellous were both Group winners in 2016,Heartache is sure to win more Group races with a trip to France for the Prix Robert Papin and the Prix Morny possibly on the agenda.
There were a few noteworthy performances in behind the placed horses from horses who are still maidens, MISSY MISCHIEF ran well on her second start (too green at Goodwood on her debut) for Jeremy Noseda,LADY ANJORICA kept on well from the rear for Keith Dalgleish but was never dangerous, as too was BATH AND TENNIS who never got too involved for Sir Mark Prescott but made up ground late on.
NORFOLK STAKES
The third day was run in cooler conditions than the first two with the Gold Cup taking centre stage and it produced a tremendous finish with front running Big Orange just managing to hold off the challenge of favourite Order Of St George inside the last 100 yards with a short head separating the pair after two and a half miles of racing.Godolphin had two more winners, Benbatl winning the Hampton Court Stakes and Atty Persse winning the King George V handicap in very impressive style.Coronet got up close home to win the Ribblesdale,whilst Bless Him won the Britannia Handicap.
The Group Two Norfolk Stakes over 5f was the opening race on the card and like the Coventry Stakes two days earlier, there was an open look to the betting with 13/2 joint favourites SANTRY who was unbeaten in two starts for Declan Carroll andWesleyWard’s McERIN who had been beaten on his previous start in the US. Listed National Stakes winner and conqueror of Windsor Castle winner Sound And Silence, HAVANA GREY was next best at 7/1. There were plenty that impressed in the field of 17 in the paddock beforehand. Santry is a strong sprinting type,CONSEQUENCES (beaten by Santry on his debut) has plenty of size and scope,IT DON’T COME EASY (broke the track record when winning at Musselburgh on his previous start) and SIOUX NATION (behind Brother Bear in Listed company on his previous start) both looked in excellent condition.
With little difference in the going stick readings between the far side and stands side, the field split into two groups, four raced far side with the other 13 racing towards the stands side. Despite McErin showing plenty of pace in the stands side group, the smaller group were always in front with FROZEN ANGEL showing plenty of pace from NINE BELOW ZERO,It Don’t Come Easy and Sioux Nation.Santry travelled strongly in midfield and made good progress with two furlongs to go, taking the lead in the stands side group from McErin with 150 yards to go but Sioux Nation had taken the overall lead from Frozen Angel with a furlong left to go and under a strong Ryan Moore ride he held on to win by half a length from Santry with a length and half to CARDSHARP in third and Frozen Angel in fourth.
Sioux Nation was relatively unfancied in the market, sent off at 14/1 and was the third winner the race for Aidan O’Brien following Johannesburg in 2001 and Waterloo Bridge in 2015.He will no doubt be campaigned in all the big 5/6f races in the coming months and provided he runs on a fast surface,he should win more good races.
Santry ran really well and should have little trouble picking up a Group race with the Gimcrack at York (a track he has already won at) in August an ideal race. As for Cardsharp,he is proving to be very consistent and will continue to run well for Mark Johnston in all the good sprints for two-year-olds.
Havana Grey and Consequences were a little disappointing finishing ninth and tenth respectively having raced in touch with the pace on the stands side.
BEST OF THE REST
Away from Royal Ascot, there have been some expensive horses make their debuts in the last few weeks. One of the most expensive yearlings of 2016,GLORIOUS JOURNEY, 2.6 million guineas at Tattersalls in October,made his debut for Charlie Appleby at Newmarket on June 10. A strong, sturdy colt, he was a little keen in the early part of a slowly run race but made good progress to lead a furlong from the finish and held off GRAND KOONTA (had the benefit of a previous run) by a neck with TAKE ME WITH YOU ($800,000 breeze up purchase),running on well to be third for Jeremy Noseda. With such a good pedigree, Glorious Journey should have little trouble in making his mark in pattern company before too long.
The second division of this novice race was also won by a Charlie Appleby trained runner, FOLK TALE who beat FARAASAH (colty and noisy beforehand) by a neck in a much faster time than the one Glorious Journey recorded.
Jane Chapple-Hyam doesn’t have too many first-time out winners, just three since 2008, the last being Klammer at Newbury in 2010. Her tally rose to four (three at Newbury) when BULLINGTON
One of the most expensive yearlings of 2016, GLORIOUS JOURNEY, 2.6 m GUINEAS, made his debut for Charlie Appleby and won
BANDIT became the biggest priced twoyear-old winner so far in 2017 returning at 80/1, when he won the first division of a novice race at Newbury on June 15th. There didn’t appear to be any fluke about the win as Bullington Bandit showed a good attitude inside the last furlong to get the better of BEING THERE trained by Charlie Appleby by a neck with CURIOSITY from the Hugo Palmer yard running well in third.
Division two saw a strong favourite in MUTAKATIF (good second on debut to Finniston Farm at Haydock on May 26) from the Charlie Hills yard. A € 600,000 purchase, Mutakatif had every chance to get off the mark but he couldn’t hold off the challenge of EXPERT EYE from the Sir Michael Stoute yard and was beaten a length and a half with BARRAQUERO running well for Brian Meehan in third. Expert Eye is good looking son of Acclamation who looked as if he would improve for his first run of the year but he clearly has plenty of ability to run down one with previous racecourse experience. Mutakatif is sure to be winning before too long.
The first 7f race of the season in the UK was at Haydock on June 8 with LEESHAAN providing James Tate with a first winner of the year after several near misses. Leeshaan kept on well to beat STAGE MAGIC from the Charlie Appleby yard who took a long time to realise what was required before finishing strongly inside the last 100 to be beaten a neck.
Newcomers dominated the 7f maiden at Sandown the following day with seven of the nine making their debuts. FALMOUTH LIGHT gave Mark Johnston a fourth win in the race beating MASTER OF WINE who finished strongly to be beaten a neck for Andrew Balding with GEORGE VILLIERS (well-made) running a promising first race for John Gosden. There is plenty more to come from the fourth placed horse CONNECT trained by Clive Cox. He has plenty of scope and was one of the better types in the paddock but was edgy and on his toes, he kept on but never managed to challenge and should leave this behind him next time.
QUIVERY and ARABIAN GIFT looked useful prospects when finishing first and second in a 7f novice fillies race at Doncaster on June 18th, pulling three and quarter lengths clear of their eight rivals led by PARAMOUNT LOVE. Both fillies were held up with Arabian Gift and William Buick making good progress with three furlongs to go and taking the lead a furlong and a half from the finish. Jamie Spencer aboard Quivery followed Arabian Gift through and challenged with a furlong to go. Both fillies edged left inside the last furlong with Quivery getting the better of Arabian Gift with 75 yards to go and gave Jeremy Noseda his first two-year-old winner of the year. Both fillies are sure to progress well and should develop into Group performers throughout the summer.