Royal Ascot Day Five: On The War Path

[Wandering Eyes]

This year’s Royal Ascot meeting has been notable for its lack of Australian influence, but that could be put right on Saturday’s closing card with Redkirk Warrior (GB) (Notnowcato {GB}) entering the fray for the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. Amazingly, the chestnut started out over a mile and a quarter at Yarmouth in the summer of 2014 before beating the eventual G1 Irish St Leger runner-up Agent Murphy (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) at that trip at this venue. After a spell in Hong Kong, David and Ben Hayeses and Tom Dabernig’s conversion of him into leading sprint powerhouse in his new country of residence is nothing short of inspired.

“He’s a lovely, relaxed horse and he’s very easy to deal with,” Ben Hayes said. “He comes here a lovely, fresh horse. When he’s had 100 days-plus off he’s got a great record, so we’re not bothered about him being fresh. It just depends how he handles the day, but he’s definitely got the ability to win.”

When last seen, Redkirk Warrior was just able to give 12 pounds weight-for-age away to Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in Flemington’s G1 Newmarket H. on Mar. 10 and now he meets that former compatriot on level terms. A head separated them that day, but three months of development with some of that time under the El Dorado influence of Ballydoyle means that Merchant Navy could have closed the gap. His from-behind style, which was demonstrated again on his European debut when upstaging his new stablemate Spirit of Valor (War Front) and last year’s Diamond Jubilee runner-up Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {Aus}) in The Curragh’s G2 Greenlands S. on May 26, is the right thing for this week with the straight track playing mainly to hold-up specialists. “We ran him at The Curragh hoping for a nice run. It was very good and we couldn’t have been happier with it, really,” Aidan O’Brien said. “It is a very competitive race. We are just delighted to have him here, really.”

Both the Antipodean-European switchers have to do business with Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who is undoubtedly the leading sprinter in this hemisphere but who is worryingly 0-4 at this track. Despite having valid excuses for some of those defeats, the fact that he is unbeaten everywhere else has to cast a shadow over last year’s G1 July Cup and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero, who bids to complete a Group 1 sprint double this week for Godolphin. Trainer Clive Cox is unconcerned by that fact and said, “I don’t particularly lose any sleep that he has not got his head in front there. I think it’s more coincidence rather than a serious problem. Although there wasn’t a huge field, it was really pleasing [when he won the May 16 G2 Duke of York S.] at York and he came out of it well. I think, mentally, it’s always nice for most horses, especially sprinters, to get back in the groove. We were pleased he took that first test well and we’re very happy with him.”

The supporting cast in a typically strong renewal includes one representing the week’s successful Wesley Ward-Joel Rosario combination in Bound For Nowhere (The Factor), who was fourth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup here last year and who comes into this off a four-length defeat of Bucchero (Kantharos) in Keeneland’s GII Shakertown S. over 5 1/2 furlongs on soft turf on Apr. 7. Bucchero was only beaten just over that margin when fifth in Tuesday’s G1 King’s Stand S., so the form has real substance.

“He’s undefeated in the States so far and in his last race he bounded away from the best sprinters in the US,” Ward explained. “I think he’s going to be tough.” Last year’s winner The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S. hero Librisa Breeze (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) and the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges scorer City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) add significant depth and the former’s trainer James Fanshawe said, “He looks fantastic and seems in good form at home, so we cannot ask for much more. It is a hot race, but he loves Ascot and when he is well he always runs a good race.”

Moore Success For Stoute?

After one of the landmark weeks of his esteemed career, Sir Michael Stoute should be able to seal an 11th success in the G2 Hardwicke S. with Sir Evelyn De Rothschild’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), who would be adding another string to his bow for the upcoming King George. Last year’s G1 St Leger runner-up handled fast ground without issue when winning a substandard renewal of the G3 Aston Park S. by six lengths at Newbury on May 19, and Ryan Moore has been let off duty by Coolmore to retain his partnership. They have done the same thing for the past two years, but 12 months ago it did not work out as his mount Dartmouth (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was only fourth behind the re-opposing Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Barsanti (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}).

Aidan O’Brien, who also saddles Wednesday’s G1 Prince of Wales’s S. fourth Cliffs of Moher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), said of Idaho, who was last seen finishing a distant fourth in the June 1 G1 Coronation Cup, “He’s in good form and he won well [in the G3 Ormonde S.] at Chester. He was a little disappointing at Epsom. The ground was a little bit on the slow side and maybe that was the reason. Maybe it was the track, we are not sure. He seems to be in good form. I think he is a very straightforward horse. He very rarely runs a bad race. He doesn’t always win, but he is consistent enough.”

Young Sires To Shine…

The card also includes the meeting’s final juvenile contests, the Listed Chesham S. and Listed Windsor Castle S., with the market for the former dominated by the impressive May 26 Goodwood maiden winner Natalie’s Joy (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) from the Mark Johnston stable. They almost won this with the filly Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch) 12 months ago and there is no Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) or September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) coming from Ballydoyle this time. Bought into by Merriebelle Stables, Natalie’s Joy’s part-owner Simon Chappell said, “Mark had said she’d been going very well at home before Goodwood. He’s got a good bunch of juveniles this year, but we didn’t expect her to win like that. It’s very exciting going to Royal Ascot with a favourite and she did look special at Goodwood, but the Derby winner [Masar] was beaten in this last year.”

If Natalie’s Joy disappoints, it could still be a big-news day for Coolmore if Godolphin’s June 6 Kempton novice stakes scorer Beyond Reason (Ire) (Australia {GB}) benefits to provide their first-season sire with a first black-type win. “She got beat at Newmarket on her first start finishing second before winning impressively last time out at Kempton,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “Stepping up to seven furlongs will really suit her.” In the Windsor Castle, Ward and Rosario pair up with the Ramseys’ impressive May 24 Belmont maiden special weight scorer Moonlight Romance (Liaison). The usual bunch of first-crop sires are represented in this, with Dom Carlos (Ire) (Gale Force Ten {GB}), James Watt (Ire) (Morpheus {GB}) and Jungle Inthebungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) three with sound prospects on recent evidence.

There is an unbeaten, unexposed hotpot in the Wokingham H. in Godolphin’s Dreamfield (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a 1.1-million gns son of Izzi Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) that John Gosden has brought back from injury. “Everyone says that Dreamfield is the handicap certainty of the week, but I have never met one in my life, yet,” Gosden said. “He’s in good form and has worked fine at home. He obviously missed a year and a half and is not very experienced. I have been trying to box clever, probably too clever.”

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