Tag Archive for: Infinite Cosmos

Kingscote eager to get acquainted with Infinite Cosmos

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Richard Kingscote will partner leading Oaks contender Infinite Cosmos for the first time in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York.

Narrowly beaten by the reopposing Sea Of Roses on her Doncaster debut last season, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly rocketed to the head of ante-post lists for next month’s Epsom Classic following a runaway success on her reappearance at Newmarket earlier this month.

Ryan Moore was on board Infinite Cosmos on Town Moor and on her Rowley Mile return, but as he is required to ride Lambada for Aidan O’Brien in Wednesday’s Group Three contest, last season’s Derby-winning jockey Kingscote can look forward to being in the saddle on the Stoute runner.

He said: “She’s a nice filly who was impressive at Newmarket. Hopefully we will learn more this week.”

Infinite Cosmos is a hot favourite to enhance her Classic claims faced with seven rivals on the opening afternoon of York’s Dante Festival.

The Andrew Balding-trained Sea Of Roses beat her by a short head at Doncaster seven months ago and must be respected for the rematch after chasing home Andre Fabre’s Pensee Du Jour in a French Group Three on her comeback.

Gather Ye Rosebuds won by nine and a half lengths on her introduction at Newbury last month and is stepped up in class by fledgling trainer Jack Channon.

Novakai and Midnight Mile both bring quality juvenile form to the table for Yorkshire-based trainers Karl Burke and Richard Fahey having finished second in the Fillies’ Mile and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf respectively.

David Simcock’s once-raced Lingfield winner Empress Wu and John and Thady Gosden’s Soul Sister, who finished last of 12 in the Fred Darling at Newbury a few weeks ago, complete the field.

Infinite Cosmos headlines top-class possibles list for Musidora

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There could be a stellar cast for the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes which headlines day one of York’s Dante meeting, with Sir Michael Stoute’s Oaks contender Infinite Cosmos among the 16 possibles.

The daughter of Sea The Stars is disputing second-favouritism for the Epsom Classic on June 2 following an impressive display at Newmarket over Guineas weekend and the Freemason Lodge handler knows what it takes to win this contest having landed the recognised Oaks trial on eight occasions previously.

Andrew Balding’s Sea Of Roses interestingly got the better of Infinite Cosmos at Doncaster on debut and forms part of the possible opposition, which could also include Ralph Beckett’s highly-regarded Juddmonte filly Bluestocking and Jack Channon’s wide-margin Newbury maiden winner Gather Ye Rosebuds.

Further spice is added to the mix by Fillies’ Mile second and third Novakai and Bright Diamond, who both represent Karl Burke, while Richard Fahey’s Oh So Sharp Stakes scorer Midnight Mile is another bringing top-class two-year-old form to the table and has the potential to land a blow for local Yorkshire handlers.

Defending champion Highfield Princess features in the confirmations for the 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes.

John Quinn’s six-year-old was one of the stars of last season and not only won this contest by nearly three lengths, but returned to the Knavesmire to land the Nunthorpe later in the campaign.

Others that could line up in the six-furlong event include Australian raider The Astrologist, who is being prepared for a Royal Ascot tilt following his narrow defeat in the Al Quoz Sprint, Roger Varian’s Dragon Symbol and Roger Teal’s Oxted who has not been seen since the summer of 2021.

Stoute-trained Infinite Cosmos rockets to Oaks favouritism

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Infinite Cosmos is the new favourite for next month’s Betfred Oaks following an impressive display on her seasonal reappearance at Newmarket.

Narrowly beaten on her debut at Doncaster in the autumn, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained daughter of Sea The Stars was already a single-figure price for the Epsom Classic with some bookmakers ahead of her return in the Nyetimber Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

With Ryan Moore in the plate, Infinite Cosmos was the 8-11 favourite to cement her Classic claims and did so in some style, overcoming signs of inexperience to score by just over four lengths.

Stoute did his best to downplay her performance in the immediate aftermath, but Paddy Power nevertheless make her their 6-1 market leader from 8-1 for the Oaks, while Unibet were even more impressed and offer just 4-1.

“It was very pleasing. I didn’t think she was particularly impressive there, she was workmanlike, but she is a work in progress and still a little bit green and babyish, so hopefully that will have done her the power of good,” said the Freemason Lodge handler.

“I’d say she’s developed pleasingly from two to three. They don’t all do that, but I’d say she has.

“We’ll take her back and work her and see how much we think she has progressed from this race, but hopefully she’s going to be in stakes races.

“We’ll run her in a trial and make a decision (on the Oaks) after that. I don’t think she’s going to be sparkling at this stage of her career as she needs to grow up.

“The ground was very soft at Doncaster and she went through that and today it’s on the slow side of good and she handles that. I think she may be impervious to ground.”

Soprano strides clear at Newmarket
Soprano strides clear at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

Soprano appears to have booked her ticket to Royal Ascot after justifying cramped odds on her first competitive start in the British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.

Plenty was expected of George Boughey’s Highclere-owned juvenile as the 6-4 favourite and she came up with the goods, passing the post with just under two lengths in hand to complete a treble on the card for champion jockey William Buick.

Dramatised won the five-furlong contest last year before going on to land the Queen Mary at the Royal meeting, but Boughey views the extra furlong of the Albany Stakes as a more suitable target for Soprano – a race in which the trainer’s subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet finished fifth in 2021.

Boughey said: “It’s always a case of first day at school and I do think she’ll step up for that. She was a bit green at one point, but she’s bred to get further and we thought that if she could get to the dip she’d come out of it really well.

“I was keen to come to the track earlier than we did with Cachet as they need to learn and she was still doing that there. She probably needs another run before (Royal Ascot), I don’t really know where but the Albany has got to be the plan. ”

The Gatekeeper (100-30 favourite) galloped his rivals into submission in the Nyetimber Handicap under Andrea Atzeni, keeping enough up his sleeve from the front to score by a length from Star Of Orion.

Owners Middleham Park Racing were completing a quickfire double following the victory of Shouldvebeenaring in the preceding King Charles II Stakes.

The Gatekeeper (centre) winning at Newmarket
The Gatekeeper (centre) winning at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)

The Gatekeeper’s trainer Charlie Johnston said: “Fair play to the the Middleham Park team as they’ve had to be very patient with this horse. He was a very talented two-year-old and missed the guts of two years through injury, so it’s great that they retained the faith and he’s paying them back in spades.

“After two furlongs I thought it was game over after they gave him an easy lead as we know he stays further. I thought if he was in front coming out of the dip he wasn’t going to get caught and his last furlong was his best furlong.

“He’s going to be flexible between seven furlongs and a mile and we’ll work back from the Buckingham Palace at Royal Ascot.”

And Johnston and Atzeni got in the double act themselves, when Outbreak (9-2 joint-favourite) took the concluding Race Horse Lotto Handicap.