It is not only the most hygienic Royal Ascot ever staged that features on Friday, with Chantilly and Gowran Park also holding meetings with notable races. The Berkshire venue, of course, is at the forefront, with the G1 Commonwealth Cup the main focus as 'TDN Rising Star' Pierre Lapin (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}) defends his unbeaten tally for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and Roger Varian. If the truth were told, nobody knows the true extent of his abilities but his smooth success in Newbury's G2 Mill Reef S. in September was sufficient to cast him as ante-post favourite for this test.
Varian has hit a real streak over the past two days and is looking at a potential trainers' title at the meeting. “We felt it was a bit tight running in the Pavilion at Newcastle beforehand and liked the idea of getting him to Ascot as a fresh horse,” he said. “We'd have loved to have got a prep run into him in May, but he's not a horse I wanted to go 'bang-bang' with and so we took the decision to try and get him cherry-ripe for Ascot. He's probably got to overcome a little bit of inexperience, but he is a very natural horse and he won in group company after a four-month lay-off on only his second start. Hopefully, his ability will shine through and he will be streetwise enough for the big day. He's got to prove himself at the top level, but he's got the gears, definitely, and I think he now has the strength.”
While Pierre Lapin lacks experience, AlMohamediya Racing's Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) has plenty under his belt as he prepares to provide trainer Clive Cox and jockey Adam Kirby with another big afternoon at the Royal meeting. Successful in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood at the start of August, the imposing chestnut came up against Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) on two occasions with a third placing in Deauville's G1 Prix Morny later that month followed by a neck second to that Godolphin heavyweight in the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket in September. “He has done very well over the winter and carries a real level of form into the race,” Cox said. “I believe he's done as well as any horse possibly could from two to three. With the sprinting brigade, in particular, it's all about maturity and strength. Once you've got that natural speed and ability, maturity is the curve you hope and pray continues upwards. I'm hoping we go there with a good chance.”
Like many others, Wesley Ward would not have wanted Thursday's rain for Ten Broeck Farm's Kimari (Munnings), although she did perform to a high standard on easy ground when a neck second to Raffle Prize (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}) in the G2 Queen Mary S. over five furlongs at this meeting 12 months ago. Her win on sloppy going in the Purple Martin S. at Oaklawn Park on Apr. 4 was a perfect warm-up and she meets several opponents without that kind of race-sharpening experience. “Not all my horses do well from two to three, but she really has, which is why we're bringing her back,” Ward explained. “My team tell me she is in really good form. Kieren Fallon has been riding my horses in Newmarket and out of them all she is his pick for the week. It would be fantastic if she can go one better than last year.”
Aidan O'Brien drops Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) back to six furlongs, having looked to run out of stamina late when third in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh a week earlier, while further Irish representation is provided by last year's G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) who also reverts to sprinting having been tried in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket June 7. In a blow to the race, Al Shaqab Racing's G3 Prix Texanita winner Wooded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was taken out on Thursday by connections due to the ground.
Charlie Appleby supplies a live outsider in Royal Crusade (GB) (Shamardal), who raced at seven furlongs at two and was runner-up in Doncaster's G2 Champagne S. in September and in the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud the following month. “I am looking forward to him dropping back in distance to six furlongs. He is a typical Shamardal in that he has got stronger and quicker as he has got older,” his trainer commented. “This could be an ideal target for him as it is a stiff six furlongs at Ascot and we know he gets seven. He has a big chance.”
Supporting action involves the G2 Hardwicke S., in which Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {Ire}) looks to prolong Shadwell and Jim Crowley's purple patch. Trying a mile and a half for the first time, the son of Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}) was staying on stoutly when third in the G1 Juddmonte International over an extended 10 furlongs at York in August and when runner-up behind Wednesday's impressive G1 Prince of Wales's S. winner Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Haydock on June 7.
Mark Johnston's son and assistant Charlie said he is hoping that Shadwell's golden run continues in the mile-and-a-half feature of the meeting. “Sheikh Hamdan left it in our hands to make the decision and we felt it was the right race,” he explained. “We're not ruling out going back to a mile and a quarter and his big midsummer target will be the Juddmonte at York–a track at which he goes so well. In the short-term, though, we're interested to try a mile and a half because there are signs he could improve for it and if he does it opens up a lot more doors going forwards. He will improve a little for Haydock. He was built up in March and then again in May, so he'd done plenty of home work before that. Like in that race, he's not exuberant–he only does what he has to do and is quite laid-back.”
Aidan O'Brien would not have welcomed the change in going for last year's G1 Epsom Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is looking all the time a genuine fast-ground specialist. His 2 1/2-length second to the sensational Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Coronation Cup at Newmarket on June 5 would give him the edge had the rain not come. One who will benefit from the ease underfoot is King Power Racing's Morando (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), who beat Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by eight lengths in Chester's G3 Ormonde S. last May and garnered the course-and-distance G3 Cumberland Lodge S. in October on two of the three occasions he encountered soft ground.
In the G2 Queen's Vase, William Haggas pitches the Tsui family's Born With Pride (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) against the boys tackling 14 furlongs. On the face of it, last year's Listed Montrose Fillies' S. winner was disappointing when seventh in the 10-furlong G3 Classic Trial at Kempton on June 3 but there were several mitigating circumstances that conspired against her in what has turn out to be a warm race and she has everything in her favour here. “We just felt the ground might not be soft enough in the Ribblesdale and we thought we'd wait until later in the week with some rain forecast,” her trainer said. “Her debut form looks very good now, obviously, but that was a long time ago. I think she'll get the trip alright–she might even want it.”
Godolphin's Listed Pat Eddery S. winner Al Dabaran (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is tried in blinkers by Charlie Appleby and he is an intriguing contender on his second in Chantilly's G3 Prix de Conde in September. “Al Dabaran's preparation has gone well and we expect the step up to a mile and three-quarters is going to suit,” his trainer commented. “We were contemplating putting headgear on him last year and he is wearing blinkers this time, which we hope will also see some improvement. This will be his first start of the year but he is fit and ready to go.”
In the G3 Albany S., last year's winning trainer Roger Varian Setarhe saddles the June 4 Newmarket maiden winner Setarhe (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), as well as Cheveley Park Stud's Undertake (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) who was off the mark at Lingfield's Polytrack on June 6. Ballydoyle's Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who was second in an extended five-furlong maiden at Navan on June 10, is a half-sister to last year's G2 Premio Dormello winner Night Colours (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) who operated on heavy ground, while it is guesswork as to how CJ Thoroughbreds's impressive May 21 Gulfstream Park maiden special weight winner Flying Aletha (Tiznow) will react to this slow surface.
Wesley Ward said of Flying Aletha, “I see she's favourite on the book and she is a filly with true quality–she's not just a fast filly, which is why we think she can stretch out a little further. She did some eye-opening breezes prior to her first run. She ended up running on the dirt because the turf races were cancelled and still won really well, even though she's a turf horse rather than a dirt horse. She isn't a big, robust filly. She's quite light and frail, which is keeping me a little grounded about her chances, but I'm still hopeful she'll run a big race.”
The following G2 Norfolk S. sees Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Eye of Heaven (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) look to build on his debut success over this five-furlong trip at Newmarket June 4. He had Wednesday's Listed Windsor Castle S. scorer Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) two lengths back in third and looks a ready-made juvenile group winner. Qatar Racing's The Lir Jet (GB) is bidding to emulate the success of his sire Prince of Lir (Ire) in this in 2009 following his authoritative success at Yarmouth June 3, while Ballydoyle's Lipizzaner (Uncle Mo) received a major form boost on Thursday as his stablemate Battleground (War Front) took the Listed Chesham S. He had been fifth when Lipizzaner was second over six furlongs at Naas on June 8.
At Chantilly, the G2 Prix de Sandringham sees the May 31 Listed Prix des Lilas one-two-three Miss Extra (Fr) (Masterstroke), Golden Crown (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Porcelaine (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) re-oppose. They are met by the impressive May 18 Marseille-Borely maiden winner Like a Charm (Fr) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) from the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-winning stable of Frederic Rossi. In the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac Longines also over a mile, Rossi also saddles last year's G3 Prix la Rochette winner Kenway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) who was fifth in the G1 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp on June 1. One of the unexposed types in the line-up is Robert Ng's unbeaten Natural Path (Ire) (Toronado {Ire}), but the Henri-Francois Devin-trained bay needs to improve off his May 28 Clairefontaine conditions win at this distance. In the six-furlong Listed Prix Marchand d'Or, one who would not have been out of place in the Commonwealth Cup is 'TDN Rising Star' Hurricane Ivor (Ire) (Ivawood {Ire}), who was so impressive over this course and distance on May 13. At Gowran Park, the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Victor McCalmont Memorial S. over an extended nine furlongs sees Ballydoyle's $1.2-million Keeneland September graduate Elfin Queen (American Pharoah) take on her elders after her 6 1/2-length June 8 Naas maiden success.
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