‘Baron’ to prove himself
THE Brett Crawford-trained Sun Met winner Whisky Baron has “tightened up nicely” and his regular jockey Greg Cheyne will ride him next week on Monday in his first “proper gallop” since the big horse arrived in England on June 21.
The five-year-old Australian-bred Manhattan Rain gelding will do a hard gallop over 1 000m on the Rowley Mile next week.
His chief target is the Hong Kong International meeting in December, where he will either run in the HK$20 million Hong Kong Mile or the HK$25 million Hong Kong Cup over 2 000m.
Crawford and Cheyne will decide after next week’s gallop whether Whisky Baron will be ready to take his place in the Group 2 Shadwell Joel Stakes over a mile on the Rowley Mile on September 29.
Crawford has been flying back and forth to assess Whisky Baron.
He said, “He is looking very well and has done everything right. We have taken him to a few different tracks, but have tried to keep it simple. Newmarket is a beautiful place and the facilities are fantastic.”
Cheyne has had two stints over there riding Whisky Baron.
When arriving for the second stint he could immediately feel the improvement. In the second stint Whisky Baron had workouts for five days in succession and Cheyne said he had “handled the pressure well.”
Cheyne will fly out for a third time in order to ride Whisky Baron in Monday’s gallop.
Cheyne will have his first ride in England if Whisky Baron takes his place in the Joel Stakes.
He said, “Just riding work there is an experience on its own. It’s unbelievable, it’s mind blowing. Just watching the races on TV and seeing the galloping style is going to make the race very interesting. Over here and in Australia we tend to jump, sit and sprint.
In the U.K. they gallop from the off and you have to maintain the gallop until the line.”
To date Cheyne has ridden Whisky Baron on the Golden Mile (peat moss), Long Hill (turf) and the Long Hill polytrack. The latter has a stiff uphill finish.
Crawford has tried to familiarise Whisky Baron with his training grounds as far as possible so has made a lot of use of the latter polytrack as well as a nine furlong polytrack called the Al Bahathri.
A former South Africa-based assistant of Crawford’s, Jevin Awotar, who is a Mauritian, looks after Whisky Baron at Mary Slack’s Abingdon Place stables.
Moncrieff
Whisky Baron’s regular workrider is Lisa Moncrieff, who does a lot of workriding for Mike de Kock out of Abingdon Place.
Crawford is concerned about the approach of winter in the U.K, which usually brings with it more rain.
He and Cheyne are very much hoping the ground stays “on top” for the Joel Stakes.
Cheyne elaborated, “He won’t appreciate bottomless ground, especially in his first start as it will be his first race for eight months.”
South African-connected horses have enjoyed success at Newmarket in recent times.
Mike de Kock has won the Joel Stakes twice. In 2008 he won it with Eagle Mountain under Kevin Shea and he set a course record in the process.
Bankable was second in that race and went on to be trained by Herman Brown in Dubai before standing at Summerhill Stud.
In 2013 De Kock won the Joel Stakes with the South African-bred Soft Falling Rain, ridden by Paul Hanagan.
In that same year De Kock finished second in a Listed race on the Rowley Mile with the SA-bred Igugu.
Three South African-bred horses, National Colour, J J The Jet Plane and Shea Shea have finished second, third and fourth respectively in Group 1 sprint races on the Newmarket July course within the last ten years.
Linngari
Linngari, who had earlier been trained by Herman Brown Jnr and later stood at Summerhill Stud, finished third in a Group 1 on the Rowley Mile in 2008.
The Joel Stakes are named after Solly Joel, who made his fortune as a mining magnate in South Africa and was a prolific thoroughbred owner and breeder.
He won the Epsom Derby twice as an owner.
However, the likely best ever decision he made was to buy a horse-in-training called Polymelus for £4,200 at the Newmarket October Sale in 1906. Polymelus was a good horse, but a cut below the best.
However, he went on to lead the General English/Irish sires list five times and produced at least 50 stakes winners, including Phalaris.
The vast majority of thoroughbreds today trace back to Phalaris on their male lines through the like of legends like Northern Dancer and Mr Prospector.
Polymelus also had a major impact on South African breeding and his Solly Joelowned and bred son Polystome was the eleven-times SA Champion sire, a record.