By Tom Frary
Saturday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh sees the first Group 1 action for the juveniles of 2024 and a fascinating colt-filly clash as Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) meets Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}). The former, who is seeking to extend Aidan O'Brien's tally of 17 successes in the six-furlong feature, like his full-brother Little Big Bear (Ire) went to Royal Ascot and Newmarket's July Festival and unlike him lost at the former meeting when one of the week's shock losers in fourth in the G2 Norfolk Stakes.
While Little Big Bear didn't take part in the G2 July Stakes due to the ever-quickening ground two years ago, Whistlejacket was in the line-up this time and duly won with the placed horses Billboard Star (GB) (Advertise {GB}) and Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}) subsequently promoting the form at Goodwood. Ryan Moore is in confident mood. “You have to respect Ger Lyons's filly, Babouche, who's two-for-two, but despite showing greenness in Newmarket, my lad won well and he sets the standard here,” the rider said.
O'Brien, who also has Monday's Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes winner Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the line-up, added, “He's in good form and everything has gone well with him since the last day. We're happy with him and whatever the ground will be, he'll be fine. He seemed happier over six furlongs last time than the five at Ascot, so we're hoping he'll run well. Heavens Gate only ran the other day. Her canters have been building up every day and if she's okay, she'll run.”
Having registered his first Group 1 success with Siskin (First Defence) five years ago, this race will always hold a special gravitas for Ger Lyons and it is with another Juddmonte homebred that he returns with a live contender in Babouche. Team Ballydoyle will know where they stand after her defeat of the stable's Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G3 Anglesey Stakes over 63 yards further last month, but there is no telling at present where the limit is with the unbeaten TDN Rising Star.
“I'm looking forward to it and if she's placed in the first three, we're delighted,” Lyons said. “We can then decide if we stay at the trip for the Cheveley Park or go to the Moyglare. She's a horse I've always liked and if you like them, you can't be afraid to get beat.” Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon added, “When they are in good form and they are ready to go, you have got to go where the races are. We would love to be taking on fillies, but the race is there against the colts and it is close to home, so we will give it a good go.”
“The signals Ger has always been getting is that she could be a very good filly and she has a great temperament and plenty of ability. Her sister Zarinsk has been a brilliant filly for us the last two years, so it is nice to see the family continuing on with Babouche and hopefully she can enhance her profile on Saturday.”
From Britain is Wathnan Racing's Richard Fahey-trained G2 Prix Robert Papin runner-up Shadow Army (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who will provide further clues as to the merit of Arabie (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}) who beat him in that Chantilly contest. “Richard is very happy with Shadow Army, he's a slow learner–he's getting better with each run,” Richard Brown said. “This is a big ask, but it's a tight field and I think the stiff six furlongs at the Curragh will suit him.”
Anmaat Returns…
Saturday's G3 Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock sees the welcome return of Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), who has been absent since recording his breakthrough Group 1 win in ParisLongchamp's Prix d'Ispahan last May. “We still don't know if we've seen the best of him yet, he's lightly raced–just 12 races as a 6-year-old, which is not many,” trainer Owen Burrows said. “It will be great to see him back and all being well he'll run a nice race and we can start planning then for the rest of the year.”
Newmarket's pattern race is the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes, where Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is a rare runner for the stable in this contest. With so many talented juvenile fillies in the yard this term, the daughter of Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who denied Juddmonte's fellow TDN Rising Star Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on debut at The Curragh in June is sent to Newmarket in order for them all to be kept apart.
“We were very happy with her debut and we think she's happy for another run,” Aidan O'Brien said.
“We're hoping she'll run a nice race and we think the experience will do her good. We've trained a few out of Quiet Reflection, but she'd be the sharpest, being by Frankel, the others were more middle-distance types, she looks the quickest one. Her maiden form looks strong, the second has won well since and she'd be one of our nicer fillies, we liked her when she ran.”
Charlie Appleby saddles another TDN Rising Star in Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was fourth in the G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and runner-up in the six-furlong G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at the July Festival here. “We feel that stepping up to seven is the right way for Mountain Breeze and it should produce a bit more improvement,” he said. “She should be very competitive on the back of what she has already achieved and this will hopefully open up a few more doors for her heading into the autumn.”
Inspiral Bids For Historic Jacques Le Marois Treble, Faces Seven…
Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will face seven rivals as she bids for a historic treble in Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville. Aided by Ryan Moore for the first time, the John and Thady Gosden-trained 5-year-old will upstage fellow dual winners Miesque, Spinning World and Palace Pier (GB) if successful in the prestigious mile feature where last year's runner-up Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) is set to re-oppose.
Yeguada Centurion's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes hero Big Rock has failed to shine in two starts for the Maurizio Guarnieri stable so far in 2024, also has a new partner with Cristian Demuro taking over. Nurlan Bizakov's G1 Queen Anne Stakes hero Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Peter R Bradley and Scuderia Scolari's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's unbeaten G2 Summer Mile scorer Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Wathnan Racing's multiple group winner and dual 2,000 Guineas-placed Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) are other notables. Jaber Abdullah's 2023 Poulains hero Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) and Christian Wingtans and Nicolas Caullery's 2023 G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) complete the line-up.
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