JAMES COOK TO SAIL TO GLORY
James Cook can stake his Investec Derby claim with victory in the Investec Blue Riband Trial at Epsom tomorrow.
Aidan O’Brien has his usual embarrassment of riches in the Classic division and while this Galileo colt is not yet considered part of the A-team judged on the ante-post markets, a win here would certainly see his price shorten.
A full-brother to Arc winner Found, James Cook is bred to excel over middle distances but he shaped well enough over shorter when winning one of his two juvenile starts last term.
Beaten four lengths on his debut when his inexperience really showed, he was still a bit green when he improved on that to win a mile maiden last October, with the official half-length margin not really doing him justice.
James Cook will face a stiff rival in Crossed Baton, who bids to give John Gosden a fourth successive win in the race, but O’Brien’s raider can rise to the challenge.
While Gosden could be out of luck in the feature event, Royal Line should be up to the task in the Investec Corporate Banking Great Metropolitan Handicap.
Winner of his first two starts last year, his campaign was derailed a bit towards the end of the season and he again disappointed when tried at conditions level at Doncaster last month.
Royal Line certainly has ability and while he might not be totally straightforward, his official rating of 95 illustrates just how good he could be.
Ajman King ended last year on a high and can pick up in the same vein in the Investec City And Suburban Handicap.
The four-year-old was a winner at Epsom and Doncaster on his final two outings, with his final verdict on Town Moor particularly taking as he powered home by upwards of three lengths in what was a competitive heat.
He starts the year on a perch of 93 and should be ranking even higher than that in due course.
Talaaqy is the pick in the British Stallion Studs EBF “Confined’ Fillies” Novice Stakes at Catterick.
She won on her only start for William Haggas last year and while that possibly was not the strongest race at Yarmouth, she is related to some decent types and connections have found a nice starting point here.
It is day two of the Punchestown Festival and Noel Meade can claim the main prize of the day - the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup - with Road To Respect.
Fourth behind Native River in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, he just did not appear to see out the full three-and-aquarter-mile trip that day, with a couple of late jumping errors also hindering his challenge.
Switching back to three miles here, Road To Respect can round off his season in style.
Meanwhile, Veracious, who was due to be the mount of Frankie Dettori, has been ruled out of the Qipco 1000 Guineas due to a “training setback”.
The Sir Michael Stoutetrained daughter of Frankel was an impressive winner of a Newmarket maiden last October and had impressed Dettori in a gallop before racing at last week’s Craven meeting.
In a statement, Stoute said: “Veracious will not be running in the 1000 Guineas because she has had a training setback.”
Veracious had been as low as 6-1 for the Newmarket Classic on May 6.
Chris Richardson, managing director of owner Cheveley Park Stud, confirmed Veracious is lame and expects her to undergo further tests in the coming days
He said: “I spoke to Sir Michael Stoute and I don’t know exactly what it is, but she is not 100 per cent right.”