Soft ground is key for Safe Voyage
SAFE VOYAGE will be on his travels to either Ireland or France next following his first Group Two win.
John Quinn’s stable star has been a model of consistency in recent seasons – and despite being a seven- year- old, put up a careerbest effort when beating William Haggas’ dual Group One winner One Master in the City of York
Stakes last weekend at the Ebor festival under Jason Hart.
Having finished third in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile last year, he may run over that trip in Leopardstown’s Boomerang Stakes on September 12 or wait until the Prix de la Foret at the Arc meeting in early October – soft ground, however, remains the key.
“He’s come out of it well, and we’re really happy with him,” said Malton- based Quinn. “He’ll either go for the Foret or to Ireland on Champions Weekend at Leopardstown.
“He’s been a great horse – when conditions are right he’s so consistent. He’s great to have.”
Safe Voyage has risen to his highest- ever rating after his latest win.
“I’d say that was probably a careerbest,” added Quinn whose landmark 1,000th winner came courtesy of Safe Voyage at Epsom on Derby day.
“I haven’t had a good look at all the figures yet, but the handicapper has put him up to 116, which is very lofty – but he deserves it.
“It’s rare to say one of your horses deserves a high rating, but he does.
“One Master is a genuine
Group One filly – she’s won the Foret twice, and he gave her 3lb.”
Meanwhile, Enable is the star attraction among nine entries for the Unibet September Stakes at Kempton on Saturday.
John Gosden’s dual Arc heroine was imperious in winning her third King George VI And Queen
Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in late July, after which she was widely expected to head to the Ebor Festival at York.
But with a hat- trick bid in Paris very much Enable’s objective, connections opted to sidestep a potential clash with the brilliant Love in the Yorkshire Oaks and instead head for a Group Three on the all- weather she won en route to Arc glory in 2018.
With Frankie Dettori returning from a spell in quarantine to take the ride, Khalid Abdullah’s superstar mare will be favourite to claim a 15th career win ahead of her return to ParisLongchamp on October 4. It is likely to be Enable’s last- ever run in Britain.
Gosden has also entered the Abdullah- owned Logician, who has not been seen in competitive action since extending his unbeaten record to five in the St Leger at Doncaster last September, but the pair will not clash.
■ Hello Youmzain – winner of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot – heads the field for this weekend’s Group One Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.
Trained at Hambleton by Kevin Ryan, and ridden by Kevin Stott, the four- year- old was subsequently unplaced in the Group
One Darley July Cup before running a mighty race to finish second to Godolphin’s highly- regarded Space Blues in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
His likely rivals on Merseyside include July Cup winner Oxted, a horse integral to the rise of champion apprentice Cieren Fallon, and Tim Easterby’s Art Power who was disappointing in last month’s Nunthorpe at York.
■ Former champion jockey Paul Hanagan recorded the first winner of his comeback from injury when Richard Fahey’s Spirit Dancer won at Ripon in the colours of Sir Alex Ferguson.
It’s rare to say one of your horses deserves a high rating, but he does. Malton- based trainer John Quinn on his stable star Safe Voyage