Legends Of War to be the star attraction
Gosden colt can confirm promise in July Stakes De Sousa hoping to overturn seven-day ban
The exciting prospect Legends Of War, who represents the Roaring Lion connections of Qatar Racing, John Gosden and Oisin Murphy, can provide the highlight on the first day of Newmarket’s July meeting by winning a competitive Arqana July Stakes (2.25).
From the last crop of Scat Daddy the colt, a 900,000 gns breeze-up purchase, looked destined for the top when winning comfortably first time out at Yarmouth, by four lengths.
A minor problem kept him out of the Coventry Stakes at Ascot but while in the long term that may have been no bad thing, it does mean that he is the least-experienced colt in today’s field.
The standard is set by Advertise, who was beaten a length by Calyx, also trained by Gosden, in the Coventry. He was also entered in Saturday’s Superlative Stakes and it was clearly a toss-up whether to go six or seven furlongs with the Phoenix Thoroughbred-owned colt.
If there is to be an upset it could be provided by the Alan Kingtrained Dunkerron, who has done nothing wrong winning his past two starts, including with a 6lb penalty at York.
King, best known for his jumpers, has been building up the Flat side of his business for a while and this year he has jumped from 20 to 45 horses to run on the level. He has already equalled last season’s score of 19 winners. “He was impressive at York,” said King, “but we don’t know what the form amounts to. We’ll head up there and hope he doesn’t disgrace himself. I have nothing to work him with at home, because he kills everything.
“He’s homebred by Nigel Bunter, he chose the stallion [Kuroshio, an Australian son of Exceed And Excel, who shuttled up to Overbury Stud for one brief covering season] and it’s very exciting.”
A three-year-old has not won the Princess of Wales’s Arqana Racing Club Stakes (3.35) since 2006, but not many have tried and I fancy Gosden’s Raa Atoll can buck that trend. Godolphin’s Loxley has done little wrong and appeals as the winner of the Bahrain Trophy (1.50).
Silvestre de Sousa’s appeal against a seven-day riding ban for failing to ride to obtain the best possible placing on Massam at Chelmsford City last Friday will be heard today. If confirmed, a ban at such a busy time of the year is likely to impact upon his title defence.
While we await news on the injury which kept Masar, the Derby winner, out of the Eclipse, in California the US Triple Crown winner Justify’s racing career is effectively on hold while vets evaluate swelling on his near-fore fetlock.
“Justify had some filling in his left front ankle a week ago, which subsided in a couple of days,” explained his trainer Bob Baffert. “I trained him last week and the swelling came back. We want to get him checked out.”