Wandering Eyes

There are a few proven ways, other than winning, to earn the respect of the rusted-on regulars who fill the coliseum-like parade ring at Sha Tin racecourse. Returning to race on the same day after a fall and riding like an absolute demon, even when well beaten, in every single race, are sure fire ways to become a fan favourite. Italian Alberto Sanna is ticking all of the boxes and Saturday at Sha Tin he showed just how desperate he is in a race by dislocating his own shoulder when drawing the... View the full article

It would be wrong to say Italian jockey Umberto Rispoli will miss Audemars Piguet QE II Cup day next Sunday – he won’t miss it, just won’t be riding after electing to take a suspension instead. “I don’t have rides in the three big races, I didn’t have many others because there are quite a few jockeys flying in and so they will take up some of the rides in the supporting races. It’s not important to me to ride on the big day if all I have is a couple of... View the full article

Victor Wong Chun admits getting his head around the form for Saturday’s meeting was a challenge but out on the track Hong Kong racing’s newest jockey showed enough poise to notch the first double of his fledgling career. Wong doubled his career total after a brace aboard Nice Fandango and Winning Controller took him to four victories from five meetings. “There were so many horses with chances, and then a lot of horses that want to lead with the rail out,” he said of his... View the full article

Stewards found boom three-year-old Harmony Hero pulled up lame after getting buried in the ruck in an anticlimactic Class Two on Saturday. Harmony Hero looked to have little excuse for his ninth as a warm favourite behind the Benno Yung Tin-pang-trained Coby Boy (Keith Yeung Ming-lun) but the Jockey Club vets later found him to be lame in the left front leg. “We got some luck, we got the good draw today after a bad barrier last time but we also had some luck with the favourite failing,... View the full article

David Day, Michael Day, and Mary DiPietro's Evo Campo already has one graded stakes in a marathon turf race on her résumé and will seek a second April 22 at Santa Anita, but this time the 6-year-old mare will have to defeat the opposite sex. View the full article

Juglall, Azhar, CS Chin, Amirul suspended View the full article

Valadorna followed a career-low finish by posting an all-time best result April 20, when she inched clear in the final stages of the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland to earn her first graded stakes win. View the full article

This year, Take Charge Indy and Poseidon's Warrior have sons that will try to pull a Kentucky Derby (G1) hat trick for second-crop sires. View the full article

Woodbine Racetrack announced a pair of new incentive programs Friday ahead of its opening day card on Saturday. A Ship and Compete Turf Bonus will offer up to an additional $6,000 to the connections of horses who have never before run in the province and compete in turf allowance races (not maidens). Qualifying horses will receive $2,000 after their first start, plus an additional $2,000 per start after two consecutive appearances at Woodbine. The Ontario oval will also offer a Graded Stakes Bonus Program of up to $50,000 for incoming graded stakes winners. Grade II winners in the current year who have never started at Woodbine will receive a $10,000 bonus for winning a graded race at Woodbine. Grade I winners in the current year will receive $20,000 for winning a Grade II and $50,000 for winning a Grade I. “We have developed two new Thoroughbred incentive programs for the 2018 meet that aim to encourage and reward participation in our turf racing and graded stakes,” said Jonathan Zammit, Vice President, Thoroughbred Racing Operations. “Woodbine continues to present a world class racing product and attracting full, competitive fields for our horseplayers remains a priority.” View the full article

Michael Lund Petersen’s Cat Burglar (Unbridled’s Song–Be My Prospect, by Forest Wildcat) has been retired from racing and will stand at Barton Thoroughbreds in California for $2,500 LFSN. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the $410,000 KEENOV buy hit the board in five graded events and retires with a record of 22-6-6-5 and earnings of $538,720. “He has perfect conformation and a great pedigree. Cat Burglar was able to sprint or run a mile and a half with the best company,” said Baffert. View the full article

This year Take Charge Indy and Poseidon's Warrior have sons that will try to pull a Kentucky Derby (G1) hat trick for second-crop sires. View the full article

A New York-bred colt from the first crop of Spendthrift’s Shakin It Up (Midnight Lute) breezed a bullet quarter-mile in :20 3/5 Friday at the fifth session of the OBS April Sale’s under-tack show. Consigned by Hoppel’s Horse and Cattle Co, Hip 936 was purchased by owner and pinhooker Aron Yagoda for $32,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October sale (click here for feature on Yagoda). It was a good day for Shakin It Up, who was also represented by a :20 4/5 breezer in Hip 913, a filly from the consignment of Eddie Woods. She was one of eight juveniles to work in :20 4/5 Friday. The fastest furlong breeze of :9 4/5 was shared by a New-York bred son of Flatter (Hip 824) consigned by his breeder Off the Hook; and a Florida-bred colt by Mark Valeski (Hip 873), who also consigned by his breeder Woodford Thoroughbreds. View the full article

Calumet Farm's graded stakes winner Bravazo breezed six furlongs in 1:15 2/5 April 20 at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) May 5. View the full article

Linda Sasscer Hill, author of the mystery novel Flamingo Road, received the 12th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award on the evening of Apr. 19 at the Ryan family’s Castleton Lyons near Lexington. Sasscer Hill is a former amateur steeplechase jockey who has bred, owned and trained Thoroughbreds in Maryland for more than 30 years. She is a descendent of Maryland Governor Samuel Ogle, who established the historically significant Belair Stud in 1747. Flamingo Road is first in a limited series of novels centered around Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau agent Fia McKee. The book includes themes such as equine slaughter and racetrack doping. The second volume of the series, The Dark Side of Town, was released Apr. 17. Lead judge Kay Coyte, formerly of the Washington Post, called Flamingo Road “a can’t-put-it-down book, with snappy dialogue and plenty of twists and turns… Sasscer Hill’s evocative storytelling likely comes from her own racing background. But most impressive was her development of the book’s unsavory characters, the crooks and charlatans, all of whom sparkle with sharp focus and the urgency of today’s crime headlines… It had a great deal of heart and even some comic relief.” Rounding out the 2017 judges were TVG Network host Caton Bredar and last year’s winner, Eliza McGraw. The award was established in 2006 by the late Dr. Ryan, a prominent businessman, sportsman and philanthropist who sough to combine his love of horse racing and literature. The award honors one book-length work of any genre with a racing backdrop each year, and the $10,000 winner’s check is equal to that given for the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for Literature prior to 2018. View the full article

A fatal incident at Santa Anita Park that also resulted in the injury of an exercise rider shut down training for more than three hours April 20. View the full article

Calumet Farm’s Risen Star Bravazo (Awesome Again), winner of the GII Risen Star S., breezed six furlongs in 1:15.40 Friday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the May 5 GI Kentucky Derby. Accompanied by stablemates Take Notice (Speightstown) and Berko (Justin Phillip), the homebred carved out splits of :25.20, :37.80, :50.60 and 1:03 and finished five lengths in front before galloping out seven furlongs 1:28.80, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. “I was very pleased with the work,” affirmed Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. “It will be six weeks since he last raced [GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 24], so I wanted to put him in a situation where it would feel like an actual race. He did everything just like we wanted and I think he’ll get a lot out of this work. He didn’t want to pull up after he was finished. My rider was exhausted.” Bravazo came home a 21-1 winner over Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy)–who finished third–in the Feb. 17 Risen Star, but disappointed when eighth in the Louisiana Derby. “We know he’s better than what he showed last time,” Lukas said. “It’s tough coming into the Derby with a six-week break, but I think his breeze this morning showed us he’s doing well.” View the full article

Toronto, ON–Pink Lloyd (Old Forester) became a fan favorite in 2017 winning a stakes race in each of his eight starts and Thursday night in Toronto at the Canadian Sovereign Awards the 6-year-old gelding collected three trophies, including the coveted Horse of the Year Honors. For Frank Di Giulio Jr., the majority owner of the Entourage Stable which campaigns the horse, and Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Bob Tiller, it capped off an unbelievable season, something straight out of a fantasy. Pink Lloyd did not begin racing until his 4-year-old season because of numerous issues. “The old saying goes that patience is a virtue, but in horse racing patience is a necessity because horses will make you wait, and it was never more true than with this horse,” Di Giulio told the crowd. “He had problem after problem and setback after setback. I never looked forward to a 4-year-old maiden’s first race more than this horse. His story is something a fiction novel may be written about; something about a horse that didn’t make his first start until he was four and winning eight stakes in a row at five when most horses are retired and ended up winning three Sovereign Awards (Champion Older Male and Champion Male Sprinter). “So it’s really ridiculous when you think about it. We really appreciate the fact we were part of him. It does mean a lot to us. We’ve had a lot of fun with him and, hopefully, he’ll carry on. His racing career was a long time coming, but it definitely was worth the wait.” It was the second time Di Giulio, who has been a major contributor to Canadian horse racing in many capacities; and Tiller, who has been training for 36 years, won Horse of the Year Honors. They took home the 2001 award Win City (Slew City Slew). Di Giulio praised Tiller, saying his work with Pink Lloyd was the best of any horse they’ve had together since the conditioner began with Di Giulio’s father, Frank Sr., back in 1981. “To be able to get a horse for a peak effort for one race is one thing. To get him to string three or four races together is another,” he said. “To be able to string eight wins in a row from April to November is an extraordinary accomplishment and he should be recognized for that.” Bred by John Carey out of the Great Gladiator mare Gladiator Queen, the horse’s name is a takeoff on the rock group Pink Lloyd. He won three of five starts, one of them a stakes, in his first season of racing. What followed afterward became part of Pink Lloyd’s interesting story. He raced on Woodbine’s opening day of the 2017 season winning the Jacques Cartier S., then ran the table in his next seven starts–the Overskate S., Kenora S., Shepperton S., GIII Vigil S., Achievement S., New Providence S. and GII Kennedy Road S. He collected purse earnings of $663,000, but more importantly he won over the hearts of racing fans and the people closely associated with him. Tiller praised his wife, Gail, and his late mother-in-law, Jean Moorhead, who passed away in April, 2017, for their support in his career. He also thanked rider Eurico Rosa Da Silva, who was aboard the horse for all of his starts last year. Tiller thanked all his barn help, whom he said are ‘so important to me. I love them all. This game isn’t just about winning and losing. It’s about the backside people that work their butts off. They really work hard.'” Tiller thanked the Entourage Stable for having the best-managed horse on the racetrack. He noted he is in Pink Lloyd’s stall six to eight times a day checking the horse’s legs. “Pink Lloyd has given me the biggest thrill of my life,” he said. “I love you Pink Lloyd. I love everybody in this place and thank you Pink Lloyd.” Pink Lloyd makes his season debut when the Woodbine season begins Saturday at Woodbine. He is expected to follow the same racing schedule in 2018. In the other categories: Outstanding Jockey: Eurico Rosa Da Silva Outstanding Apprentice Jockey: Rey Williams Outstanding Trainer: Mark Casse Outstanding Owner: Chiefswood Stable Outstanding Breeder: Adena Springs Outstanding Broodmare: Victorious Ami (Victory Gallop) Outstanding Turf Male: Johnny Bear (English Channel) Outstanding Turf Female: Starship Jubilee (Indy Wind) Champion Two-Year-Old Male: Admirality Pier (English Channel) Champion Two-Year-Old Female: Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d’Oro) Champion Three-Year-Old Male: Channel Maker (English Channel) Champion Three-Year-Old Female: Holy Helena (Ghostzapper) Champion Female Sprinter: Ami’s Mesa (Sky Mesa) Champion Older Female: Ami’s Mesa (Sky Mesa) Special Sovereign Award: Sam Lima Sovereign Award Scholarship: Tyson Lautenschlager Outstanding Handicapper: Michael Eisen Outstanding Groom: Alfredo Ramos Outstanding Photograph: Dave Landry Outstanding Writing: Perry Lefko Outstanding Digital Audio/Visual and Broadcast: Horse Racing Alberta View the full article

Entourage Stable's Pink Lloyd swept a trio of awards April 19 at The Jockey Club of Canada's 43rd annual Sovereign Awards ceremony, topped by a Horse of the Year trophy. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday’s Insights features a half-brother to G1SW Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). 4.20 Newbury, Mdn, £8,550, 3yo, 8fT TA ALLAK (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) is another significantly-bred member of the Roger Varian stable to emerge at this crucial stage of the season, being a half-brother to the recent G1 Dubai Turf hero Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s son of the MG1SW Nahrain (GB) (Selkirk) encounters another newcomer of note in the Gredleys’s Olympic Odyssey (GB) (Camelot {GB}), a George Scott-trained half-brother to the owner’s G1 2000 Guineas third Olympian Odyssey (GB) (Sadler’s Wells). 4.55 Newbury, Mdn, £15,000, 3yo, 11fT SHAREEF STAR (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) has caught the eye of workwatchers in Newmarket of late and debuts for the Sir Michael Stoute stable in this intriguing maiden. Ryan Moore is on Saeed Suhail’s 700,000gns TATOCT son of the useful Gotlandia (Fr) (Anabaa), whose equally exciting unraced stablemate Crystal King (GB) (Frankel {GB}) joins him. Sir Evelyn de Rothschild’s homebred is a half-brother to the fellow Freemason Lodge representatives Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), all of whom flew the flag for the yard in recent times. 5.40 Nottingham, Mdn, £7,000, 3yo, 10f 50yT DEPARTMENT OF WAR (IRE) (Declaration of War), a half-brother to the high-class miler Toormore (Ire) (Arakan) and G2 Champagne S. winner Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) who represents a relatively new link up in Smith/Magnier/Tabor/Jooste and the Richard Hannon stable. He meets fellow unraced colt Mazboon (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s 400,000gns TATFOA purchase from the Roger Varian stable whose family links with the afternoon’s Newbury maiden runner Olympic Odyssey (GB) (Camelot {GB}). View the full article

7th-KEE, $76K, Alw, 3yo, 6f, 4:24 p.m. ET AUTOSTRADE (Giant’s Causeway) looks to continue the legacy of his late sire and take his record to two-for-two in this spot. The $400,000 OBSMAR buy romped by five lengths in his six-panel debut at Gulfstream Mar. 11 and prepped for this with a five-panel bullet in 1:01 4/5 at Palm Beach Downs Apr. 14. The chestnut is out of SP Hot Trip (Trippi), a full-sister to GISW R Heat Lightning. Stonestreet Stables’ Chaos Theory (Curlin) also looks to keep his perfect record in tact after a first-out score sprinting on the turf at Fair Grounds Feb. 18 for Mark Casse. TJCIS PPs. —@CDeBernardisTDN View the full article

The “people’s horse” is no longer just a concept. A filly by California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) out of Colerful Bride (Munnings) was born Wednesday evening at Taylor Made Farm, the biggest step to date in bringing journalist Geoffrey Gray’s innovative concept to life. Gray is the founder of True.Ink, an interactive magazine devoted to adventure stories. True doesn’t want its readers to simply read the story but to experience it. True’s readers, or members, as Gray calls them, get to go well beyond the traditional printed page. When the on-line, interactive magazine covers something like a search for buried treasure in Mexico, the readers are invited to physically come along on the treasure hunt. Gray got the idea to involve horse racing as part of True’s menu after a chance encounter with handicapper Michael (The Wizard) Kipness at a grocery store checkout line in 2015 in Saratoga. Kipness told Gray the story of a claimer he owned and the journalist was immediately captured by the colorful, suspenseful, roller-coaster ride that is racing and breeding. So, through crowdfounding, he started raising money and began the “people’s horse” project. The idea was that anyone who got involved would experience virtually everything there is to experience when it comes to ownership, breeding and racing. All Gray needed was a horse. Gray partnered with the team at Taylor Made, where California Chrome stands at stud, and they agreed to go in with him and his readers on a foal by the two-time Horse of the Year. The birth of the foal was broadcast live on a “horsecam” that streams the view from Colerful Bride’s stall 24-7. Gray said “at least” 1,000 people watched the horse being born. He was there in person to witness the birth. “Many people in the horse world have had that experience before, but not me,” he said. “To be able to be there and share it with our members was so once-in-a-lifetime. I’ll never forget that. I’ll never forget that feeling of the foal’s slobber on my fingers. We have a baby girl now to look after. Oh, my God. “I was floored and really a bit chilled by the sincerity of emotion coming from our members and our team. Literally, one night there was one horse in the stall and today there are two. One of them is ours and now we have a new member of the family to look after.” Because True does not accept advertising, in order for the readers to share in any of the stories they must pay a membership fee. About 600 people are currently members of the “the people’s horse” and memberships are still available. Prices range from $99 to $500 and additional privileges come with the pricier levels. Beyond being able to read about the foal and to watch her progress on various streaming outlets, the members were able to vote on which mare among a handful made available by Taylor Made they would breed to and they will be allowed to vote on what the horse will be named. (According to The Jockey Club records, the name The People’s Horse is available). Additional benefits include tours of Taylor Made, where they can visit California Chrome, Colerful Bride and their weanling baby. “Our challenge is to share the emotional thrill, and the ups and downs, the rawness, to share the emotions that horses can naturally bring,” Gray said. “We’re not interested in it just for ourselves, we’re interested in sharing it with as many people and as many members as we can. The horse is not just something that will give us personal pleasure, but can unite our community.” Members may not be entitled to any of the earnings of the horse, which is usually the case when people pay small fees to join fan club-style setups that purchase horses. Several racetracks have opened similar stables. Rather, people are paying for the experience, one that is otherwise beyond the financial means of many. “There’s a little bit of a proletariat class element to this,” Gray said. “This is a statement where we are saying you don’t need to be super wealthy to have all the fun.” When asked to describe the typical member of the “people’s horse” ownership group, Gray said: “It’s a funky bunch, but they are all dreamers. We are all dreamers.” Taylor Made’s involvement is part of the farm’s commitment to bringing owners into the sport and Gray said none of this would have been possible without the backing and support of the farm. Will someone who went in on the “people’s horse” as a bit of a lark become a more traditional owner? Gray believes they will. “It’s bound to happen,” he said. “When you put people and horses together there are marriages that happen there. Horses are addictive; the dream, the gambling, the high stakes. Those are real intoxicants. That’s one drug. The other drug is the chance to be around them. Horses are such special animals.” View the full article

This Q&A is part of an ongoing series where current trainees of the Godolphin Flying Start sit down with graduates of the programme to discuss their career successes. Godolphin Flying Start graduate Scott Calder recently returned home to New Zealand to begin his role as sales and nominations manager at Cambridge Stud. Scott graduated from Godolphin Flying Start in 2011, he then worked in Ireland for Coolmore Stud in marketing for 18 months followed by a sales and marketing position at Ashford Stud for the past five years. Current Godolphin Flying Start trainee Liam Elvidge caught up with Scott to discuss his return home to New Zealand and his new role at the historic Cambridge Stud. LE: Could you talk about your background in the industry? SC: My dad works in the industry in New Zealand, so I grew up around it without ever working hands on with the horses. I started working at Curraghmore Stud during university because I needed a holiday job and wanted to get a feel for it. I really enjoyed it and around the same time heard about Flying Start so I continued to spend all the time I could working at Curraghmore in addition to a summer with the New Zealand Racing Board. When the time came to graduate I had decided I wanted to stick with the horses and was very fortunate to be selected for Flying Start that year. LE: Who have been the biggest role models in your career so far? SC: That’s a tough one to answer as there have been so many people that have helped me while on Flying Start and at Coolmore, but I’d probably have to go back to where it all started. My parents have always been a huge support and Gordon Cunningham at Curraghmore got me going in the business and has been a constant source of advice ever since. I often look back and think how lucky I was to start at Curraghmore, Gordon does a great job and it’s probably fair to say if I hadn’t enjoyed it so much I might be working for a bank or something like that. LE: What are you most looking forward to in your new role at Cambridge Stud? SC: My title is sales and nominations manager, so I’ll be involved in the promotion of the stallion roster which is made up of Tavistock (NZ), who has quickly established himself as one of the best Classic sires in Australasia, and Burgundy (NZ) and Highly Recommended (Aus), who have both had group winners from their first 3-year-olds this season. I grew up in Cambridge so it means a lot to be returning home to be involved in a new phase of a farm that has been such a significant part of the New Zealand industry over the years. LE: What was the most memorable moment of your time in America? SC: Being at Ashford for the first few years of American Pharoah’s stud career was a pretty surreal experience. The day he arrived at the farm was one thing in particular that I’ll always remember. There was a small collection of media but mostly it was just the farm staff and some family members assembled and it was just a really cool thing to experience first hand. LE: What advice would you give to people thinking of applying for Godolphin Flying Start or wanting to get involved in the industry? SC: I’d say to try and get as close to as many quality horses as you can. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what you end up doing in the industry, you need to understand what makes a top racehorse as that’s what it all comes down to at the end of the day. View the full article

One of the main focuses of attention for the last year’s G1 St Leger, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) was only 10th there but connections are keen to wipe the slate clean and begin again in Newbury’s G3 John Porter S. on Saturday. Having taken the 11-furlong Listed Glasgow S. at Hamilton in July and G3 Geoffrey Freer S. over an extended 13 furlongs here the following month, he was on a roll until his momentum abruptly halted in that Doncaster Classic. “He’s been working well and he loves the track,” trainer Roger Varian said. “I’m sure there will still be a bit of give underfoot and he’d appreciate that.” The Queen’s Call To Mind (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was third to Defoe in the Glasgow before winning the Listed March S. at Goodwood in August and finishing a short-neck second to the subsequent G1 Prix Royal-Oak hero Ice Breeze (GB) (Nayef) in the G2 Prix Chaudenay at Chantilly in September. Trainer William Haggas said, “He’s fine and ready to go. The ground should be fine for him and this looks a good place to start. We’ve been pleased with how he’s wintered. He’s grown up a lot. He’s a horse who stays well and we’ve looked after him as a young horse, so hopefully that will come to fruition this season.” View the full article

On another big day for Juddmonte, Gavota (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) puts her 1000 Guineas credentials on the line in Saturday’s G3 Dubai Duty Free S., or Fred Darling, at Newbury. Third in the G2 Rockfel S. and second to Altyn Orda (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}) in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. over this trip at Newmarket during the autumn, the homebred sets the standard on that form. Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented, “She probably didn’t quite handle the dip as well as some of the others, but she ran very decently in both races at Newmarket and the form of the second race looks solid after the Nell Gwyn. She’s a neat, smallish filly and she still has a winter coat on her, but the coat itself is gleaming so she’s in good shape. If she won very well then Prince Khalid would have to make a decision about where he wants to go, but I would think if she won well she might be more of a French Guineas type.” This is a race which the Hannons have enjoyed much success in and the stable have a trio this time which includes a live contender in Shadwell’s Tajaanus (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}), who beat the subsequent Rockfel winner Juliet Capulet (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in Newmarket’s G3 Sweet Solera S. at this distance in August. Only seventh in Doncaster’s G2 May Hill S. over a mile in September, she had excuses that day. “Tajaanus has wintered really well according to Richard and he is extremely happy with her heading into Saturday’s race,” racing manager Angus Gold said. “She had enjoyed a good season last year, but that had probably caught up with her by the time she ran in the May Hill. She is a daughter of Arcano, so whether she stays a mile will be interesting in time, but that is why we are running, so we can see what sort of plans we could make for her this season. She is entered in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. I don’t think she probably is good enough to run in that race, but Saturday will tell us everything.” View the full article

Reputation tarnished after a flop in the G1 Dewhurst S., Khalid Abdullah’s Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) returns to the fray with a G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas tilt still on the cards in Saturday’s G3 Al Basti Equiworld Supporting Greatwood Greenham S. at Newbury. Last of nine when 4-7 favourite for that Newmarket feature in October, the homebred had previously been the season’s main talking point after powering to an emphatic success in the G2 Vintage S. at Glorious Goodwood in August. Sir Michael Stoute has had all winter to retrieve his spark and as he proved with King’s Best in 2000 he is the master at sending excitable colts in the right direction. “We had huge expectations going into the Dewhurst and there was no getting away from it, it was very disappointing,” the owner-breeder’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe commented. “That having been said, I hope we’ve got on top of his issues. Sir Michael has worked hard and the horse himself is in very good shape. It’s an important race for him to get back on track, we know he has the talent–it’s a question of channelling that correctly.” The Gredleys’s James Garfield (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was over five-lengths fourth behind Expert Eye in the Vintage prior to winning the G2 Mill Reef S. here in September. Last seen finishing 10th in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November, he offers a real measurement of where his Juddmonte rival is now compared to where he was last summer. “This race has been the plan since the Breeders’ Cup and I’m very much looking forward to getting him started,” trainer George Scott said. “He has form at the track, obviously, having broken the track record over six furlongs for two-year-olds when he won the Mill Reef. I’m very happy with my horse and this is a trial that will hopefully answer a lot of questions. I would have preferred it if the ground had dried out a bit more, but he does have some very good form with cut in the ground, so I’m fairly relaxed about it, to be honest.” Sultan Ali’s Hey Gaman (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) captured the Listed Washington Singer S. over this course and distance on his favoured soft ground in August before running second in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster the next month. “This has been his target since last year and it looks like we’re going to get some give in the ground, which he will appreciate,” trainer James Tate commented. “He’s flying at home. He weighs 560 kilos–he’s a huge horse–and I have little doubt that he’s improved from two to three. He obviously likes the track and the conditions should suit, so we’re expecting a big run.” Daniel Macauliffe and Anoj Don’s G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Fighting Irish (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is another trying his hand with the Classics in mind and trainer Harry Dunlop is hopeful of a bold show. “He has wintered well, he has strengthened and he seems really well,” he said. “He won well over six furlongs at Maisons-Lafitte in October and we are running him in the Greenham to see if he stays seven furlongs. We’ll see how he runs on Saturday, but if he seems to stay the trip, we are thinking about races including the French and German Guineas with him, so we’ll see what happens.” View the full article