York’s Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes is the likely starting point for Nashwa when she returns to the track for her four-year-old campaign.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the daughter of Frankel proved to be a high-class filly last season, winning the French Oaks at Chantilly before securing more Group One honours at a mile and a quarter in the Nassau Stakes.
She finished her Classic season by going down on her shield in both the Prix de l’Opera and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, but will bid to regain the winning thread on the Knavesmire on May 18 providing conditions are suitable.
Nashwa, jockey Hollie Doyle and owner Imad Al Sagar after winning the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood (Matt Alexander/PA)
“She stays in training and has wintered well,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Nashwa’s owner Imad Al Sagar.
“She hasn’t done much and probably at this stage we’re aiming at the Middleton at York and then we would see how we go from there.
“The mile and a quarter races would be her initial targets anyway I would imagine, but I suppose if the ground came up very soft for some reason at York and if the ground was all right at Newbury she might divert to the Lockinge (May 20). At the moment though, the plan is to look at the Middleton and Imad is happy with that plan.”
Plans will remain fluid for Nashwa throughout the campaign where she has the option of taking on the colts and geldings in some of the top-level 10 furlong contests, but also has plenty of possibilities amongst her own sex including the Prix Jean Romanet and a return to Goodwood to defend her Nassau crown.
“There’s the Prince Of Wales’s, Eclipse and Juddmonte if you are being really brave,” Grimthorpe continued.
“Otherwise there are nice races in Deauville and all those nice fillies races all around the Nassau which she won last year as well, so there is a good programme for her.”
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John Quinn has identified next month’s 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes as the comeback target for his star sprinter Highfield Princess.
The six-year-old enjoyed a fantastic campaign in 2022, progressing from a victory on All-Weather Championships Finals Day to completing a Group One hat-trick with wins in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, the Nunthorpe and the Flying Five Stakes.
She also won the Group Two Duke of York and rounded off her season by finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland.
Having returned to training in the new year, Highfield Princess looks set to follow a similar path in what will be her final season before being retired for broodmare duties, with a repeat trip to York first on her agenda.
John Quinn following his star sprinter’s success in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh (Donall Farmer/PA)
Quinn said: “I’m very happy with her. She’s been back in for a while, she’s in good nick and we’ll start her off at York in the Duke of York.
“She came back in towards the end of January, so she’s been in a while and York will soon come round.
“We’ll see how we go, but after York you’d be looking at Royal Ascot and on from there.
“With a bit of luck we’ll roll the dice with her as it’s her last year.”
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Fujaira Prince followed up his Royal Ascot success with victory in York’s Sky Bet Ebor Handicap.
Roger Varian’s grey was a rare winning favourite in one of the Flat calendar’s most notoriously difficult handicaps.
But just as in the Copper Horse Handicap at Ascot on his seasonal return two months ago, the 11-2 favourite proved he was ahead of the assessor – this time holding off a late rally from long-time leader Glencadam Glory, who admirably outran his starting price of 25-1.
Favourite Fujaira Prince wins the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap!
Andrea Atzeni had the winner handily-placed early on but reined back as Glencadam Glory took the field along at a decent pace on rain-softened ground.
Fujaira Prince then hit the front in the final furlong as the field moved towards the stands side, and the six-year-old held on comfortably despite his dwindling advantage, winning by half a length.
There was another length back to Verdana Blue in third, with Monica Sheriff two and a quarter lengths behind in fourth.
Atzeni stressed that great credit must go to Varian for readying Fujaira Prince to win two such competitive handicaps on just the sixth and seventh starts of his career.
“It’s a brilliant training performance to keep him sound,” he said.
“He’s obviously had his issues, and is very lightly-raced. We hope he can stay sound, and we can have a lot of fun with him.
“That was always the plan after Ascot. He was very impressive that day, after having a year off.
“We came into this race very hopeful. (But) it was testing, obviously soft ground and hard work – (so) we didn’t go mad.
“But he travelled nicely, and galloped all the way to the line.”
Atzeni does not yet appear convinced, however, that Fujaira Prince should head for the Melbourne Cup in November – for which he was quoted at 16-1 by Coral – having won a race which is considered a stepping stone to that event.
“The Melbourne Cup, I know it’s two miles – but you need a horse with speed, and is probably a mile-and-a-half horse really,” he added.
“This fella is just an out-and-out galloper, he doesn’t do anything fast. Whether he’s got that early tactical speed for a Melbourne Cup, I don’t know.
“But it’s not for me to decide. I’m sure all three of us (owner, trainer and jockey) will make that decision.”
Fujaira Prince held off the game bid of Glencadam Glory (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
Varian said from his Newmarket base: “He is a wonderful horse and I really am grateful to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid because he has been incredibly patient with a horse who has been very delicate to train. When he gives us days like this and the one at Royal Ascot, he is worth every bit of the patience.
“I’m also grateful to the team. This horse has needed nursing and wrapping up. Without the team’s hard work he wouldn’t have achieved what he has this year.
“The expression ‘made of glass’ would really apply to this guy. We space his races out and the biggest number of races he has ever had in a season is the three he had last year. We’ll try to match that this year, but I’m not sure if he is a Melbourne Cup horse.
“We obviously like the idea, and we’ll see what Sheikh Mohammed Obaid wants to do, but I think we could freshen him up and maybe look at the stayers’ race on Champions Day. Having said that, you can’t take anything for granted with this horse.”
Tim Easterby, meanwhile, was proud of the runner-up’s effort in defeat.
He said: “He’s run a hell of a race. We’ve been waiting for this all year and then we were a bit windy about whether we were going to get in or not.
“We were lucky to get in and he’s run great. We’ll look to come back for this again next year.”
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John Quinn will consider top-level targets at home and abroad for Safe Voyage following a thoroughly impressive display in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes.
The likeable seven-year-old won the Group Three John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock last summer and opened his account for the current campaign with victory in the Listed Surrey Stakes at Epsom on Derby day.
A respectable fourth behind the high-class Space Blues in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood on his latest appearance, Safe Voyage was soon bowling along in the lead in this Group Two assignment under Jason Hart.
Dual Prix de la Foret heroine One Master, the 13-8 favourite, went in pursuit after getting in the clear, but Safe Voyage (4-1) found plenty for pressure in front and passed the post with three and a half lengths in hand.
Hart said: “When Silvestre de Sousa’s horse (Shine So Bright) came out, I knew there might be a lack of pace so I thought it might be an idea (to making the running).
“He’s a very versatile horse. The only thing with him is he wouldn’t want firm ground, so I was happy this morning when I saw the rain.
“It’s my first Group Two winner. When it’s wet, soft ground like that, he thrives on it.”
Safe Voyage rounded off last season by finishing third in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot and an appearance on Champions Day could be on the agenda again.
Quinn said: “We didn’t see much pace in the race so we thought there was no point faffing about. The jockey gave him a very good ride.
“He’s ground versatile – he just doesn’t want it very quick.
“We’ll look at the QEII again and he’s in a race or two on Arc weekend. He could do both and there’s also a very valuable race at the Breeders’ Cup – a mile on turf round two turns (Breeders’ Cup Mile). You can normally get plenty of cut in the ground at Keeneland.
“That’s just a pipe dream, but it’s something to think about.”
The William Haggas-trained One Master was not disgraced in defeat and will be prepared for a Foret hat-trick bid.
Maureen Haggas, the trainer’s wife and assistant, said: “She ran a good race. She was probably just a bit too far back in a slowly-run race, but it’s one of those things.
“The plan is to go back for the Foret again. She never lets us down – she’s a star.”
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Coltrane completed his hat-trick with a dominant display in the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap at York.
Andrew Balding’s three-year-old did not make his debut until late June, but has made rapid progress in the space of a couple of months, with two sound efforts in defeat followed by back-to-back victories at Chepstow and Newmarket.
Facing a step up in class on the Knavesmire, Coltrane was sent off at 12-1 in the hands of champion jockey Oisin Murphy and moved smoothly into contention before pulling four lengths clear of Arthurian Fable.
“He had shown some nice work at home earlier in the year. He took a while to get his act together, but he won well at Chepstow and again on fast ground at Newmarket,” said Murphy.
“Being a typical Mastercraftsman, he relished a bit of dig in the ground today. On paper there were lots of horses who could improve, but this fella clearly stepped up.”
Asked whether the fast-improving colt could be a St Leger candidate, the rider added: “It didn’t even dawn on me. Let’s see what the owners think – Dashing Willoughby ran very well for them in a Leger. Whether that’s a step too far, I’m not sure.
“I think today was the target because it’s usually a valuable race and there’s plenty of history attached to it.
“I’m not sure what Andrew wants to do that. I think he would stay the Cesarewitch trip, but at his age it’s a long way to go (two and a quarter miles) and it also depends what the handicapper does.”
Acklam Express (100-30 favourite) also registered a third straight win as he came out top in the Julia Graves Roses Stakes under Tom Marquand.
Nigel Tinkler’s Hamilton and Goodwood scorer displayed courage as well as class in seeing off Queen Of Rio and Nomadic Empire by a nose and a head respectively.
Tinkler said: “I thought he was going to fade away with 100 yards to go and finish third or fourth, but he kept trying.
“The jockey said he hated the ground, but he’s very genuine and he’s puled it out of the bag – it’s brilliant to win a Listed race at York.
“There are some races in France he might just go for. I think he’s better on quicker ground.”
It was a shot in the arm for the Malton-based trainer following the disappointing performance of the classy Ubettabelieveit in Friday’s Gimcrack Stakes.
He added: “I wasn’t a happy man after that race, I promise you. He ran too keen and didn’t like the ground, but he didn’t have a hard race and he could possibly go for the Flying Childers at Doncaster.”
Ralph Beckett and Harry Bentley combined to land the Sky Bet Handicap with 10-1 chance Lucander, getting the better of Sky Defender by a length and three-quarters.
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Certain Lad finished with a flourish to provide Hollie Doyle with another big-race victory in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes at York.
The record-breaking rider opened her Group-race account aboard Dame Malliot in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket in July and doubled her tally with Extra Elusive in last month’s Rose of Lancaster at Haydock.
Having chased home Extra Elusive on Merseyside a fortnight ago, the Mick Channon-trained Certain Lad was a 10-1 shot for his latest assignment and came home strongly in the last of the nine furlongs to claim the Group Three prize by half a length from Epic Hero.
Lord Glitters, winner of the race in 2018 and the 100-30 favourite to regain his crown, finished third.
Doyle said: “He gave me a great ride. We went a nice gallop today and the further I was going the better.
“He hit a bit of a flat spot, but once I got daylight he was tough. He’s a well-travelled horse, to say the least.
“Mr Channon has done a great job with this horse. He can be quite highly strung, but today the lid was fully on.”
Channon was not present, but said via telephone: “He deserved that as he’s been knocking on the door of late. I’m delighted to see him get his head in front again.
“He’s been on the go a while, having been to Dubai earlier in the year, but he’s so tough.
“Any track and any ground – it doesn’t make any difference to him.”
Joint-trainer Ed Crisford was delighted with the performance of the runner-up Epic Hero, who had been off the track since winning at Meydan in February.
Crisford said: “He ran a really nice race. He was treading water in the last furlong, but he settled well and picked up nicely.
“He was in front a long time. He’s a nice horse and hopefully he can progress from there.”
There was a sad postscript to the race, after it was confirmed the William Haggas-trained Miss O Connor had suffered a fatal injury.
The five-year-old mare had led under Tom Marquand, but faltered two out before being pulled up and quickly dismounted.
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He may not regain his champion jockey crown this year – but it would be a push to argue that since the resumption of racing in June, Jim Crowley has not been the man to follow.
An opening-day treble at Royal Ascot – a meeting at which he rode six winners – has been followed up with big winner after big winner.
The likes of Mohaather, Nazeef, Hukum and of course Battaash have all taken some of the biggest races of the season to date – and the latter formed part of a brilliant 127-1 four-timer on day three of the Ebor meeting at York.
Crowley, a former National Hunt jockey, is approaching his 2,000th career winner and has surely never had it better.
Battaash was the star of the show for Jim Crowley (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
The day started well on something of a forgotten horse in the mile-and-a-half handicap through John Gosden’s Alfaatik, who began last year in a Derby trial. Gelded over the winter, he looks a different proposition now and stayed on stoutly.
It was then time for the big guns. In the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup there was no Stradivarius – but Gosden still proved the man to follow with the mare Enbihaar.
Already a favourite of Crowley’s, the five-year-old has provided him with five wins now and the hope is she can sign off her career with a so-far elusive Group One win in Paris in October in the Prix de Royallieu.
Crowley said: “She is so tough and she stayed very well. Credit must go to Sheikh Hamdan (owner) because he’s kept her in training and it’s so great she’s been able to repay the faith we have all shown in her.”
From stayers over two miles, Crowley then dropped down to six furlongs to win the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes on Owen Burrows’ Minzaal.
Sent off the 5-2 favourite after an easy win at Salisbury, the Mehmas youngster looked impressive when coming home two lengths clear of a good field.
Minzaal looked a real star in the making at York (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
The Middle Park Stakes is next, with the Commonwealth Cup, rather than the Guineas, his aim next year.
“I think he’s all speed, I don’t think he needs to be going further than six furlongs, so we’ll be looking Middle Park rather than Dewhurst and it will be straight there,” said Burrows.
Then it was time for the really big one, the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes over five furlongs.
When Battaash won the race last year many said he had put his York hoodoo to bed having flopped there twice before.
Understandably, given he had looked imperious in winning at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, Battaash was sent off the 1-2 favourite – but while he won, he had to show qualities that might not have been attributed to him before.
Michael Dods’ flying filly Que Amoro made him pull out all the stops and in a howling gale Battaash, who in his younger days was such a tearaway, knuckled down for a scrap and came out on top by a length.
Charlie Hills described the performance as arguably a career-best, taking into account he had plenty of things against him, as he joined an elite list of dual Nunthorpe winners. Only two horses in history have won it more – Tag End and Sharpo.
Jim Crowley was most definitely the man to follow at York (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
Crowley said: “He tried very hard. They went a serious gallop, but he was a real man and stuck his head out. In the past he has always won his races at halfway, so fair play to the second horse. He’s an amazing horse.
“We’re lucky to have him about and it’s fantastic for Sheikh Hamdan – he’s a big supporter of racing and has been for a long time and I’m glad I can repay him in some way. It’s been a golden summer.”
Reflecting on the day and the fact he is just two winners away from his 2,000th, he added: “I had some nice rides on paper, but it’s not easy, you’ve still got to win, so it’s been a really good day.
“It’s very special. It’s a top day and I’m very fortunate to be in this position – I get to ride some nice horses and it’s great when it comes off.
“It would be lovely to do (ride his 2,000th winner in the Ebor on Jeremiah). It’s a nice milestone to reach – I never thought I’d get that many when I first came into racing.”
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Battaash continued his brilliant sprinting CV with a hard-fought victory in defence of his Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes crown at York.
Charlie Hills’ speedster had to defy rain-softened ground which put hopes of bettering the course record he set last year off the agenda.
He also faced an unexpectedly stern challenge from outsider Que Amoro, before getting firmly on top in the final furlong to land the odds as the 1-2 favourite and see off the 22-1 runner-up by a length.
Class wins it in the end. Battaash sees off Que Amoro to give Jim Crowley a fourth on the card pic.twitter.com/4oooX9kD0i
Jim Crowley was capping an outstanding day in the saddle, completing a four-timer in the first four races – following the victories of Alfaatik, Enbihaar and Minzaal, all like Battaash for his retained owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.
Hills said: “He’s had to really work hard in very tricky conditions. There was a lot against him, the wind was howling, the pace was on the other side, but I think experience won him it today. It’s not easy, it’s similar ground in which he’s been beaten on, but his experience pulled him through.
“If every horse I trained behaved like this today then it would be a very easy job. He was immaculate, the way he behaved – brilliant down at the start, just the ultimate professional now.
“We’ve been working hard on him the last four years, everybody knows it hasn’t been easy, but this season he’s probably been the best he’s ever been, especially down at the start.
“The second showed amazing speed and with the tailwind it can be hard to reel them in, so I knew it was going to be tough.
“I’m so proud of him today, he was brilliant and I probably think it was the best run of his career as conditions were against him – he had to knuckle down and work really hard.”
Battaash digs deep in the run in to win the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes@JimCrowley1978 has four wins in four races this afternoon!
On plans, he said: “The Abbaye is the obvious route to take, but if the ground is like last year we’d probably avoid it and look elsewhere, but I don’t know where that might be. I’d have to speak to Sheikh Hamdan. At the moment Plan A would be Longchamp.”
Asked about the Breeders’ Cup, Hills said: “That’s definitely going to be a decision from Sheikh Hamdan himself. Plan A is definitely to go to France – then, who knows?
“The world we’re living in at the moment, it’s not easy to have too many set-in-stone plans.
“He’s just the horse of a lifetime really. To show us that enthusiasm throughout – it’s emotional now.”
He added: “It’s been an amazing day for Sheikh Hamdan – it’s great to be involved with that operation, they are so professional and they are being well rewarded.
“Jim’s brilliant. He is amazing, works very hard at what he does. We’re all very proud of a great team.”
Crowley said: “He tried very hard. They went a serious gallop, but he was a real man and stuck his head out. In the past he has always won his races at halfway, so fair play to the second horse. He’s an amazing horse.
“We’re lucky to have him about and it’s fantastic for Sheikh Hamdan – he’s a big supporter of racing and has been for a long time and I’m glad I can repay him in some way. It’s been a golden summer.”
He added: “He’s the horse of a lifetime, you get one in a career, a horse like this.”
Celebration time for Jim Crowley (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
Meanwhile, Michael Dods reflected with pride on such a fine run in defeat from his filly Que Amoro.
The County Durham trainer said: “She would have preferred faster ground, and so would he, but I didn’t think we’d get that close – so she’s run a blinder.
“To get that close to a horse like that is a hell of a performance.
“She’s seriously quick – when she ran here the other month, because the ground had gone a bit, we half-saved her to get home. I said to (jockey) Paul (Mulrennan) to take no prisoners today, to just go – because that’s the only way to ride her. She burns horses off.
“She’s not in the Abbaye – we decided we wouldn’t put her in, and if she ran a big race here we’d supplement her. With what’s going on, we didn’t know what would happen, but that is probably where she’d go.”
Royal Ascot winner Art Power was sent off the main market rival to Battaash, but Tim Easterby’s charge never seemed totally happy and finished sixth of the eight starters.
He was ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, who said: “I don’t think he’s run his race. He likes heavy ground and he didn’t have that today. He just didn’t go the pace early on, but he still wasn’t beaten too far.
“Even still, I’d like to think he’s better than that.”
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Minzaal overcame a tardy start to register a taking success in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York.
Completing a treble for jockey Jim Crowley, Minzaal fluffed the break in the six-furlong Group Two but soon got back on terms and travelled supremely well throughout.
Mohawk King tried to make all, but Minzaal made smooth progress to take up position on the leader’s shoulder with two furlongs to run and really stepped up a gear when asked to go about his business.
Having just his third start, Minzaal drifted across the track a touch in the final furlong, but he had a ready two lengths in hand at the finish over Devilwala, with Mystery Smiles back in third.
Betfair offered 33-1 about Minzaal for next year’s 2000 Guineas and 14-1 for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Burrows said: “That was very straightforward. He didn’t jump out very quick, but I don’t think Jim wanted to set him alight in any case, as he has so much speed.
“He just lets him find his rhythm and Jim said he couldn’t believe how well he was going – if anything he got there too soon, but there was nothing else he could do.”
Looking to potential targets, the trainer said: “I think he’s all speed, I don’t think he needs to be going further than six furlongs, so we’ll be looking Middle Park rather than Dewhurst and it will be straight there.
“I don’t see him as a Guineas horse, more Commonwealth Cup and Jim thinks that, too.”
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Enbihaar will seek an elusive Group One success after fending off the late challenge of Stratum to claim the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York.
John Gosden’s superstar stayer Stradivarius had won the extended two-mile contest for the last two years, but even in the absence of his champion, the Newmarket handler still had the right horse for the race in Enbihaar.
The five-year-old was sent off the 15-8 favourite following a recent Goodwood success and she slotted into the pack as Withhold set the early gallop before the main players all started to line up in the straight.
The Mark Johnston-trained Nayef Road was in front with two furlongs to run, while Crowley looked to be hard at work on Enbihaar on the stands side and Dashing Willoughby launched his challenge on the far side.
However, Enbihaar kept finding for pressure, edging in front with half a furlong to run and stealing a handy advantage on Willie Mullins’ fast-finishing Stratum, eventually prevailing by three-quarters of a length.
Thady Gosden, assistant trainer to his father, said: “We always thought she’d stay two miles as she has that lovely long stride on her. She’s a big filly with a deep chest so there was everything to suggest she’d get it all day long.
Enbihaar does battle with Nayef Road and Stratum (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
“The Qatar Prix de Royallieu, in which she was third to Anapurna last year on Arc day – that’s the aim. She’d stayed in training this season with the aim of winning a Group One and that will be her best chance, against fillies.”
He added: “She handled the ground, but it’s more dead than soft, obviously the ground would be the worry come October, we’ll just have to hope it isn’t too deep.
“She’s hard as nails, she’s definitely maintained her ability and beaten some good stayers there.”
Gosden and Crowley were completing a quickfire double having landed the opener with Alfaatik.
Crowley said: “She is so tough and she stayed very well. Credit must go to Sheikh Hamdan because he’s kept her in training and it’s so great she’s been able to repay the faith we have all shown in her.
“It was a war up the straight. Mark Johnston’s horses are hard to get past. Lots of credit to her. She really toughed it out. She is a super mare.”
A rueful Johnston had to settle for minor honours once more behind a Gosden runner with Nayef Road.
He said: “I don’t know if he’s quite run to form because if he had we thought he would have won.
“Two out he looked to be going better than anything, but he just didn’t win and that’s the story of his life.
“I don’t know where he’ll go next.”
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