A Royal Invasion at Woodbine

The Crown is advancing on North American soil for the first time in centuries–except this time the United Kingdom's current monarch, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, will simply be sending a pair of talented thoroughbreds to do battle for her in a pair of Grade I events that top a smashing Sunday card at Woodbine in greater Toronto. Practicing a bit of sovereign privilege over a former realm, Her Majesty stands an outstanding chance to have her iconic royal purple-and-scarlet silks in the winner's enclosure after both races.

“I find it actually nice to have horses [running for The Queen] and I'm very proud to represent her,” said Kerry Jones, assistant to trainer Sir Michael Stoute. “There can be pressure, but we train the horses the same and you try to put it in the back of your mind. [The Queen] is a great ambassador for the sport and she knows her horses. We treat them like any other owner's horses, but sometimes at the end of the day we do kind of think 'Oh, please win for The Queen', of course.

“I wouldn't say we are over-confident, but we are not here to sightsee, especially for an owner like The Queen,” Jones continued. “We're here to race. [Stoute] knows what type of horse he wants to bring out here and we've made stepping stones to these races.”

Two Stoute-trained offspring of top international sire Dubawi (Ire) will don those colors on Sunday, including Dartmouth (GB), a Darley-bred who will likely be one of the favorites in the featured C$1-million International over 12 grassy furlongs. Impressive when out-gritting one of the top turf horses in the world, Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot, the bay 4-year-old was a late-running third in the G1 King George & Queen Elizabeth S. over the same trip behind that rival in late July. Pointed toward the International since, he prepped with a game second in the G3 Legacy Cup at Newbury Sept. 17 over tiring ground.

“Dartmouth was a little more boisterous out of the box after shipping,” Jones said. “He being a 4-year-old colt took the trip a little better and just wants to get on with it and do his job. He just looks so well. We knew he had a little bit to work on and needed the Newbury run. After Ascot we gave him a little break and put some condition on him. The [Newbury] ground was very soft and we were so pleased with how he ran. By the looks of it, he has come on tremendously well.

“He also will love this faster ground,” she continued. “Many of the Dubawi's need firmer ground to do their best running and that's one of the reasons we are here. As far as the trip, he can sit anywhere and you can honestly do anything with him. He can sit behind and that suits him just fine. He's very straightforward and not one to sit on the bridled. He will settle right off it and let the rider put him where they need to. Fingers crossed.”

A victory by Dartmouth would give Stoute his fourth victory in the International, making him the winningest conditioner in the race's storied history. His victories include the previous two years with Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid) and Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), as well as 1996 with the exceptionally versatile Singspiel (Ire) (In the Wings {GB}). It may worthy to note that the last time that the race was three weeks out from the GI Breeders' Cup Turf and won by a Stoute trainee, said pupil [Singspiel] wheeled back to run a bang-up second over the track in America's richest grass event–a race in which he is the second-winningest trainer.

Diploma (GB), a 3-year-old Royal homebred, heads to the C$500,000 GI E. P. Taylor S. over 10 furlongs as an improving type who also seeks firmer ground, not too dissimilar from the way subsequent champion and Stoute trainee Dank (GB) (Dansili {GB}) was prior to shipping to North America to claim victories in the GI Beverly D. S. and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in 2013. Very close to Jones' heart, the listed winner has blossomed under her care as head lass to the filly and will try to improve upon an unplaced effort as the favorite in the G3 Strensall S. at York against older males Aug. 20.

“She is special, especially with being The Queen's homebred,” Jones explained. “She has been a little more subdued since arriving than [Dartmouth], but that isn't unexpected. We've been trying to step her up [in class], but the ground has been a factor. She lost position in the race against colts and that hurt her, but we are here because she's capable of going into Group 1 company. We would have done this at home, if not for the ground.

“We'd like her to be properly on the pace a bit,” she continued. “She enjoys it there and if you drag her back, she can get a little bit disappointed. We would like to see her more involved, in third or fourth, and then see what happens. She has the talent, so hopefully she runs her race.”

It may only be fitting that one or both of The Queen's first horses to compete at Woodbine prove victorious at the venue that hosts its marquee event, the Queen's Plate, every summer in her honor.