King For The Day

[Wandering Eyes]

Glorious Goodwood is already done with its group 1 races, but there is fascinating fayre still on offer on Friday where the G2 King George Qatar S. boasts a genuine top-level performer in Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Shadwell’s five-furlong specialist was undone by Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 King’s Stand S. at Royal Ascot last time June 19, but over this fast strip he is a lethal presence despite the penalty he carries for his career-best success in the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Chantilly in October. His return win in Haydock’s G2 Temple S. May 26 was marked by an uncharacteristally slow break and it may be that he has taken time to come to himself this term. “The impression I’m getting is that Charlie [Hills] is happier with him than he’s been in a while,” Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum’s racing manager Angus Gold commented. “I don’t think he was at his best at Ascot, personally. I know he went hard, but he got very tired and he’s gone hard before and picked up again. He’s got plenty of speed and if he’s back to his best, he’s going to take a bit of beating.”

On Tuesday, Sir Dancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) provided the first clue as to the merit of the G1 July Cup when winning the G2 Lennox S. here and just a nose behind him in that July 14 Newmarket feature was Ballydoyle’s Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy). His success in the G1 Phoenix S. over six furlongs at The Curragh in August remains a solid piece of form, with U S Navy Flag (War Front) back in fourth and Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore are unflinching in their belief in him as a sprinter of the highest order. Another of last year’s juveniles to make his mark over sprint trips was Havana Grey (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), who returns to the course and distance of his G3 Molecomb S. success at this festival. In beating the five-furlong Curragh specialist Caspian Prince (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) and King’s Stand third Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in the G3 Sapphire S. at the Kildare venue last time July 22, he puts himself firmly in the frame here and trainer Karl Burke thinks there is improvement to come. “It’s a tough race and there’s certainly plenty of speed in there. It’s one of the most competitive renewals of the King George I can remember,” he said. “Battaash is going to be very hard to beat, but you should never run scared of one horse and our lad is in great form. I think he’ll strip a little bit fitter for the run in Ireland. I would say the start will be the key to the race.”

Redemption Mission For Eminent…

One of 2018’s most keenly-anticipated runners was Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), but after three unplaced efforts Friday’s G3 Bombay Sapphire Glorious S. has a last-chance saloon feel to it for Sir Peter Vela’s G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano winner and G1 Irish Champion S. third. Having finished with a benign heart issue in the May 11 G2 Huxley S. at Chester, he was outclassed in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. at Royal Ascot June 20 and tame at the finish of Ascot’s G2 Summer Mile July 14. “I think his last run proved he can’t compete over a mile at that level, so we’re going to try him over a mile and a half and see what happens,” trainer Martyn Meade explained.

In the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S., the June 22 G1 Coronation S. runner-up Threading (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) sets a clear standard. A maiden winner at this festival 12 months ago, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s G2 Lowther S. winner is probably just happy to be away from Newmarket, where she has endured her career’s only below-par efforts, most recently when sixth in the July 13 G1 Falmouth S. “It is a nice race for her. She ran well at Ascot, but because she has been a bit in and out that is why we’ve dropped in class, to get her confidence back a bit,” trainer Mark Johnston said. “She is great, but she has always been great at home.”

In the G3 L’Ormarins Queens Plate Oak Tree S., William Haggas has a strong hand with Lael Stable’s One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a daughter of Enticing (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) who took the G3 Molecomb S. and was runner-up in the G3 King George S. at this meeting, and Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum’s Listed Kilvington S. winner and G3 Summer S. runner-up Pretty Baby (Ire) (Orpen). Charlie Appleby will be hoping that Godolphin’s July 14 Newmarket handicap scorer Poetic Charm (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) can gain black-type as a half-sister to Teofilo (Ire).

 

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