Tag Archive for: Circle Of Fire

Circle Of Fire tests Derby credentials at Lingfield

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The King could yet have a Betfred Derby runner during his coronation year as Circle Of Fire attempts to book his ticket to Epsom in the Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes.

The late Queen famously had a Derby runner just days after her own coronation in 1953 when Aureole went down narrowly to Pinza in the Epsom showpiece and 70 years on, the quest to see the famous purple and red silks in the winner’s enclosure after the premier Classic continues.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Circle Of Fire impressed when breaking his maiden at Salisbury on his second start and again caught the eye on reappearance, finishing second in the Newmarket Stakes over 10 furlongs.

He is now stepped up to the Derby distance and is reported to have sharpened up from his Rowley Mile return ahead of this Listed event, which will be run on the all-weather for the first time since 2012 due to waterlogging on Lingfield’s turf course.

Ryan Moore will once again wear the King’s colours aboard Circle Of Fire
Ryan Moore will once again wear the King’s colours aboard Circle Of Fire (David Davies/PA)

“Sir Michael is very pleased with his progress from Newmarket and the extra two furlongs will certainly be to his benefit,” said John Warren, racing manager to the King and Queen.

“This race will give us a good steer as to where to go next.”

One horse that was due to appear in the same Newmarket contest as Circle Of Fire was Ed Walker’s Waipiro – who had won in commanding fashion at the track in his previous start.

However, he was withdrawn after rival Forca Timao kicked out on the way to the start leaving jockey Tom Marquand requiring stitches.

The son of Australia was none the worse for the incident, with the jockey bearing the brunt, and Walker has been quick to reroute his charge to a race in which he tasted success with English King in 2020.

“The plan was obviously to run at Newmarket, which I would have preferred to have done for obvious reasons – it probably wasn’t as strong a race and he was proven over the track and trip,” said Walker.

“The tight nature of this track I don’t think will suit many Derby type horses, but he’s a well-balanced horse and I would rather run on the all-weather than heavy ground.”

He went on: “You don’t tend to get too excited about the trials, because the nature of trials is you walk away most of the time with bubbles burst and going back to the drawing board. We don’t have a heap of mile-and-a-half horses to compare him to, so we need to compare them to other peoples. So we go there knowing as much as you do really.

“The horse is fine, the poor old jockey took the brunt of things last week. He seems really well and I think there is more to come from this horse and he will get better as the season goes on.

“After Saturday we will know which route we are going – hopefully we are going to Epsom, but if not then hopefully it is Royal Ascot. It’s a strong race but he has a good draw and fingers crossed for a big run.”

Charlie Appleby’s Adayar was second in this in 2021 before going on to triumph at Epsom and it is somewhat fitting his brother Military Order will continue his own charge towards the Derby here.

“Military Order goes into this on the back of a good win at Newbury,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told www.godolphin.com.

Military Order after shedding his maiden in style at Newmarket
Military Order after shedding his maiden in style at Newmarket (Adam Morgan/PA)

“We have no real concerns with the switch to the all-weather, while we feel stepping up to this trip will see further improvement. This is his next test that will hopefully propel him on to being a Derby candidate.”

William Haggas’ Laafi was a place behind Military Order when the pair met in a hot Newmarket maiden on debut before winning a Nottingham maiden named after Derby hero Golden Horn on his second start.

The Cloth Of Stars colt could possess plenty of untapped potential moving up in trip, while similar comment applies to the John and Thady Gosden-trained Inquiring Minds who bolted up at Newcastle on his racecourse bow earlier this month for owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer.

“I don’t see why he won’t run a nice race, but the opposition looks really strong. This will tell us what kind of standard he is,” said Oppenheimer.

The Kingman colt would have to be supplemented for the Derby if successfully navigating this trial, but does hold an entry for the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, a race Oppenheimer thinks could suit well.

He continued: “The King Edward is the sort of race one thinks he might enjoy. I would think he will be more suited to Ascot (than Epsom).

“I think he is quite useful, but I don’t think he’s number one in the stable, so I don’t think we can expect too much.”

Andrew Balding’s Ndaawi had his momentum checked in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud last October but had previously won at both Epsom and Goodwood and now makes his reappearance, while the eight-strong line-up is completed by the James Tate-trained pair of Regal Empire and Think First.

Waipiro seeking to book Derby ticket with Newmarket victory

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Ed Walker’s Waipiro will look to secure his Derby place on Friday, as he returns to the Rowley Mile for the Newmarket Stakes.

The three-year-old has an eyecatching pedigree as he is by Australia and out of London Plane, the same dam who produced the Hong Kong superstar Waikuku – three times a Group One winner at Sha Tin.

Waipiro, who runs in the same silks, made his debut in a Kempton novice in December and finished sixth of 13 runners from a wide draw.

He demonstrated considerable progression in his seasonal comeback at the Craven meeting a fortnight ago, cruising to an impressive win the bet365 British EBF “Confined” Novice Stakes.

Winning by three and a half lengths over 10 furlongs from Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane, the bay now returns to the same track for a course and distance repeat at Listed level.

Waipiro (second left) winning the bet365 British EBF “Confined” Novice Stakes
Waipiro (second left) winning the bet365 British EBF “Confined” Novice Stakes (Tim Good/PA)

“He came out of his win at the Craven meeting very well. I would have loved another week or so before going into a race like this in an ideal world, but there’s no reason not to run as he’s put the weight back on and he’s fresh and well,” Walker said.

“The reason for going here was that he handles the track and the trip won’t be an issue. We want to find out sooner or later if he is a horse who could be lining up at Epsom, so really he needs to be winning this in order to do so.

“I worry that Chester and Lingfield could be quite soft ground, but I think the ground will be perfect for him tomorrow. He’s not in the Dante so via a process of elimination we’ve ended up here, but it does seem like the right move given how well he won last time.

“It was very impressive, if you were trying to take the gloss off it you could say that the first two home sat first and second the whole way and nothing else had a chance to get into it. It wasn’t the most truly run of races, but he couldn’t have done it any better. I know Karl Burke thinks a lot of his horse, who was carrying a penalty.”

Waipiro holds an entry for the premier Classic and so this race represents a crucial test of his ability, one he must pass if he is to head to Epsom in June.

“I think it was, all in all, a good performance. He’s got to take another step forwards, he took a big step forwards from his debut and he’s got to take another tomorrow,” Walker said.

“We think he’s nice and we left him in the Derby for a reason, so let’s hope he can justify that decision.”

The King and Queen Consort have a runner in Sir Michael Stoute’s Circle Of Fire, an impressive three-and-a-quarter-length victor in a Salisbury novice at the back end of last season.

John Warren, racing manager to the royals, said of the homebred Almanzor colt: “Circle Of Fire has been pleasing Sir Michael in his work and Ryan (Moore) has been complimentary having sat on him a few times.

“This is his first test in stakes company so it is going to be very interesting to see what level he is up to.”

Ralph Beckett’s Salt Bay heads the market, and was a winner on debut at Haydock in September and then a Group One third when contesting the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud the following month.

He will be joined by the Godolphin duo of Castle Way and Victory Dance – both trained by Charlie Appleby.

Castle Way was triumphant last time out in a nursery handicap, whereas Victory Dance is a Listed winner who signed off last season with a third-placed effort behind Nostrum in the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes.

Victory Dance at Newbury
Victory Dance at Newbury (Steven Paston/PA)

“Castle Way brings good course experience, having ended his campaign with a nice win on the Rowley Mile, and goes into the race in good order,” Appleby said via the Godolpin website.

“The trip is not a concern at all and we will potentially be stepping up further in distance after this.

“Victory Dance showed a high level of form as a two-year-old. This is a big step up from seven to 10 furlongs but it is something that we feel he will appreciate based on his work at home. He could be an interesting horse over this distance.”

James Ferguson is represented by Farhh colt Like A Tiger and Andrew Balding’s Relentless Voyager and Richard Hannon’s Forca Timao complete the field.