Tag Archive for: Newmarket

The Foxes pencilled in for Craven Stakes return

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The Foxes could start his campaign in the Craven Stakes as he hopes to tread a path to the Derby.

The son of Churchill won for the first time in a Goodwood maiden in July last year, then taking a step forward to land the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in September.

The Craven Stakes, a Group Three event run over a mile at the same track in mid-April, is the probable starting point for the colt this term.

The Foxes (left) winning the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes
The Foxes (left) winning the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (David Davies/PA)

The Dante, a Group Two step up to 10 furlongs, has been mentioned as the next target, after which a tilt at the Derby is under consideration for the King Power-owned three-year-old.

Trainer Andrew Balding said: “We are hoping that The Foxes might make up into a Derby horse this season.

“He is not in the 2000 Guineas but he will probably run in the Craven as a prep for the Dante.

“He is a horse that we have always rated and he looks the part. Hopefully he will be a smart horse this season.”

Trial run key to Lezoo’s Classic aspirations

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Lezoo is unlikely to run in the Qipco 1000 Guineas without tuning up in a trial first, with connections keeping their options open for the star filly ahead of the new Flat season.

Somewhat unfortunate not to go through her two-year-old campaign unbeaten, Ralph Beckett’s charge won four of her five starts in 2022 and finished the year by landing the Cheveley Park Stakes in superb fashion at Newmarket in September.

Despite racing over no more than six furlongs so far, that Group One victory opened up the prospect of stepping up to a mile for a crack at the first fillies’ Classic of the season – a race for which she is as short as 12-1.

The likes of the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Newmarket, April 19) and the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Fred Darling, Newbury, April 22) are on the horizon and Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Lezoo’s owner Marc Chan, believes she needs to be tested over a longer trip before a Classic run can be considered.

He said: “If she’s ready to run in a trial, then she could run in a trial, but we wouldn’t run in the Guineas without a run.

“Her form is solid – she never ran a bad race last year and was unlucky not to be unbeaten. But we wouldn’t go and run her straight away in the Guineas without a trial and we are under three weeks away now from those races. We’ll have to see, there’s nothing wrong with her, but we’ll see.

The Cambridgeshire Meeting – Juddmonte Day – Newmarket Racecourse
Lezoo (left) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

“Plans are fairly open with her at this stage. If she wasn’t ready in time for one of those races (a trial), I would be very surprised if we went in the Guineas – we would probably just stay sprinting then, but we will see.”

Balancing the Zoustar filly’s proven quality over sprint distances with the lure of Classic glory is a tough calculation for connections ahead of the new campaign – especially considering Meditate, the horse Lezoo conquered to claim Cheveley Park honours, is currently trading as the second favourite for the mile contest.

“When you have a horse that gives you everything, you don’t really want to make her do something she’s not bred or built to do,” continued McCalmont.

“The Guineas is an open enough race – the Dermot Weld filly (Tahiyra) I think was the really top filly last year. But Lezoo beat Meditate last time and she came back and won at the Breeders’ Cup with ease, so the form is solid.

“With (1000 Guineas runner-up) Prosperous Voyage this time last year, we didn’t really think we would make the Guineas and then all of a sudden she came right. But at least with her we knew she would stay the mile. This filly is by Zoustar who seems to be best at six to seven (furlongs) and then her dam didn’t run beyond six furlongs, so the Guineas is a bit of an ask.

“There looks to be plenty of depth to the sprint division with the three-year-olds. The Commonwealth Cup is a race that is probably a more realistic target than the Guineas, but then that could end up being one of the better races at Ascot this year. It certainly wouldn’t be a weak spot anyway.”

Leading fancy Statuette set to miss Guineas, reveals O’Brien

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Auguste Rodin, Little Big Bear and Meditate look likely to spearhead Aidan O’Brien’s Classic challenge this term, but leading Qipco 1000 Guineas candidate Statuette is unlikely to feature at Newmarket.

The daughter of Justify won both her juvenile starts last term but has been off the track since landing a Curragh Group in June.

She had been towards the head of the market for the first fillies’ Classic on May 7, but O’Brien feels she is doubtful to make the line-up.

He said: “Statuette has had a little bit of a hold up and I don’t think she’s going to make the Guineas. We will just go gentle and see what happens.”

Aidan O'Brien and Auguste Rodin on Monday at Ballydoyle
Aidan O’Brien and Auguste Rodin on Monday at Ballydoyle (PA)

The master of Ballydoyle holds a typically strong hand in the three-year-old division, with his two colts Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear sharing favouritism for the 2000 Guineas with many bookmakers.

Auguste Rodin signed off last term with victory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy over a mile at Doncaster, while Little Big Bear was an effortless six-length winner in the six-furlong Phoenix Stakes on his final start of the campaign at the Curragh in August.

Both took part in a post-racing gallop at the Curragh on Saturday, with O’Brien impressed by Auguste Rodin’s effort in working with sprinting candidate The Antarctic.

Speaking at a stable visit on Monday morning, O’Brien said: “We’re very happy with Auguste Rodin. What he did at the Curragh was very good, following a three-year-old sprinter. We were very happy with that.

“He was very comfortable (working with The Antarctic), we were surprised at him but he was always very classy from the first time Ryan (Moore) rode him.

“I think they are (the main two for Newmarket), then the lads will have to decide whether to let the two of them run together or split them up. They are the two that will be trained for Newmarket, that makes sense.”

Little Big Bear in action at the Curragh on Saturday
Little Big Bear in action at the Curragh on Saturday (Healy Racing)

O’Brien thinks Little Big Bear will get a mile, although he has yet to try a trip in excess of six furlongs, but Auguste Rodin is expected to sparkle over further in time.

He said: “I suppose Little Big Bear would be very comfortable and happy to go back sprinting, but I think there’s a good chance he will get a mile. He races very relaxed.

“You’d imagine Auguste Rodin will go better stretching out to a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half. He’s that type of horse (that could get any trip in time). If we have a horse that could do that, he’s definitely the one.

“We nearly didn’t run him at Doncaster on the ground. He’s an exceptional mover, a very slick, long and low mover. He’s the type of horse that could start in the Guineas and stretch out.”

Victoria Road, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, is pencilled in for the French 2000 Guineas and Derby, while Hans Andersen, Denmark, Alfred Munnings, Adelaide River and Alexandroupolis could all have Classic trial dates at some point, although Espionage is reported to have had a minor issue.

O’Brien said: “He was in full work and then he got a little bit of a shoulder and he’s only swimming, so he’s going to be held up for a little bit.”

O’Brien ranks his three-year-old colts team highly, adding: “We’ve plenty of chances there and we have two very strong Guineas horses, we have the horse for France. Little Big Bear is very classy, but they are obviously two very good colts.

“I suppose the difference in the two is Auguste Rodin could stretch right out and looking at him at the Curragh, he’s not short of pace. The other horse you would imagine would get a mile.”

Statuette might be missing her Guineas date at Newmarket, but Meditate is set to fly the flag after pleasing O’Brien in Saturday’s racecourse outing.

Placed twice in Group One company last summer, she graduated to top-level success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Meditate at Ballydoyle on Monday
Meditate at Ballydoyle on Monday (PA)

Her trainer said: “Meditate is the one, she’s going there. She did a gentle piece at the Curragh, because she was at Tipperary a month before that and she was a little bit ouchy afterwards, so we had to be gentle with her.

“She still got to the Curragh to do her bit and she’ll do her first trot this morning, so hopefully she’s OK.

“The plan is to go straight to Newmarket with her. She’s a very professional filly, she’s not over big but she’s strong. We were very happy with her on Saturday.”

Dundalk maiden winner Beginnings could get the chance to emulate her dam, Winter, by tackling the 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday.

O’Brien, who also confirmed sprinting campaigns for The Antarctic and Aesop’s Fables, added: “Beginnings could go to a Guineas trial next weekend if it was nice ground, she’s fit and forward. We have had fillies from that Leopardstown trial win the Guineas, so they can step up.”

Classic hope Commissioning suffers career-ending injury

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Fillies’ Mile heroine and leading 1000 Guineas contender Commissioning has been retired after suffering a career-ending fetlock injury.

The daughter of Kingman made a big impression on her racecourse debut for John and Thady Gosden at Newmarket’s July Course last summer. She doubled her tally in the Rockfel Stakes before providing jockey Robert Havlin with a first Group One success in the Fillies’ Mile in October.

With Frankie Dettori set to get back on board in his final season before retirement, hopes were high Commissioning could provide him with a fifth 1000 Guineas success over the Rowley Mile in early May, but a setback has forced connections to call time on her racing career prematurely.

Jake Warren, racing and bloodstock advisor to Commissioning’s owners Isa Salman and Abdulla Al Khalifa, said: “Commissioning sustained an injury to her left hind fetlock which has unfortunately proven to be significant and thus she won’t be able to continue to be trained.

“It’s very frustrating news, but she has given the owners and breeders an amazing thrill by becoming the first Bahraini homebred Group One winner.

“Of course a filly of this calibre, with her CV, will be an incredible asset to breed from in the future.”

Kirstenbosch has Pride Stakes date on her radar

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The Pride Stakes at Newmarket could be the next objective for Kirstenbosch after chasing home the brilliant Enable at Kempton on Saturday.

James Fanshawe’s filly was a 33-1 shot for the Group Three September Stakes, having finished fifth in the Upavon Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury last month on what was her first competitive appearance of 2020.

And while the daughter of Mount Nelson was predictably no match for John Gosden’s dual Arc heroine, Kirstenbosch delighted her connections as she narrowly beat the globetrotting Melbourne Cup contender Prince Of Arran to the runner-up spot.

Fanshawe said: “Poor old Kirstenbosch, she barely got a mention! Obviously all the attention was on Enable and nobody really noticed Kirstenbosch ran the race of her life to be second.

“She got some black type, which was the plan, and we were delighted with her.

“We might look at the Pride Stakes at Newmarket (October 9) next.”

The Newmarket handler was similarly pleased with the performance of stable stalwart The Tin Man in the Sprint Cup at Haydock.

The Tin Man performed creditably in his third Sprint Cup
The Tin Man performed creditably in his third Sprint Cup (Clint Hughes/PA)

Winner of the race in 2018 and narrowly denied by Hello Youmzain in last year’s renewal, the eight-year-old finished sixth on this occasion, but was beaten only four lengths.

Fanshawe would like to lower The Tin Man’s sights in an attempt to help him bag a first win since his triumph on Merseyside two years ago.

He added: “He ran a good race. The draw didn’t help. I don’t like making excuses, (but) if he’d been drawn on the other side he might have finished a bit closer.

“He’s come out of the race very well. He seems to have been in as good a form as he’s ever been this year at home and he’s run three very good races, I think.

“It would be nice to find him something a bit easier, but there aren’t many opportunities for him – you’ve got the Bengough Stakes at Ascot two weeks before the Champions Sprint, otherwise you’re looking at five and seven-furlong races.”

Fanshawe also ran 50-1 outsider Archer’s Dream in the Sprint Cup, but she was ultimately well-beaten in 10th place.

He said: “We were probably asking a bit much from her, but having won over the course and distance on soft ground the time before, we decided to give it a go as you never know what can happen in these races.

“She seems fine since and I think we might drop her back to five furlongs next time.”