After weeks of manic re-jigging of the European Pattern, Thursday's abundance of group-race action will see more pieces of the jigsaw fitted as the main racing nations come close to completing a catch-up with the established order. Alongside the opener of Newmarket's July Festival, racing finally comes back to York with the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. and G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. taking some of the focus away from Suffolk. For the first and probably the last time, the two extended 10-furlong 3-year-old tests follow Saturday's Epsom Classics to which they customarily prove such a vital pointer. In the Dante, the burden of expectation falls most heavily on the Niarchos Family's 'TDN Rising Star' Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), one of the lucky ones to have escaped a drubbing from Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Blue Riband. Wisely steered here by Newmarket's veteran seer Sir Michael Stoute after his comfortable defeat of the well-regarded Waldkonig (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in a novice contest over an extended 10 furlongs at Haydock June 24, the bay is still unbeaten and as yet untested. Most importantly, he has confidence still fully intact.
Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos Family, is looking forward to finding out where Highest Ground stands in a bigger scheme. “It was a good performance at Haydock and afterwards the Dante looked the logical next step,” he said. “It's obviously unusual to be running races like the Dante and the Musidora at this time of year–the fact these races are clashing with the first day of the July meeting at Newmarket just underlines what a strange year it is. It looks a good step for our horse to take–I'm sure it will be an interesting race.”
Also in the Dante, which serves this term as more of a trial for the upcoming G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and G1 Juddmonte International, is Ballydoyle's Cormorant (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who needs to prove that his half-length defeat of Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown June 9 was not just down to the a track bias. York's Knavesmire has long been recognised as tailor-made for front-runners of his ilk, but he may have competition for the lead from Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's June 6 G1 2000 Guineas fifth Juan Elcano (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Disappointing when only fourth behind the aforementioned Russian Emperor in Royal Ascot's G3 Hampton Court S. tackling 10 furlongs for the first time, he may have found being backed up that quickly against him.
Shadwell's unbeaten Al Madhar (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Godolphin's Encipher (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) re-oppose having finished first and second in a Newbury novice over this trip June 12 and trade at large odds, but as representatives of the Richard Hannon and John Gosden stables command respect in a fascinating contest. Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager Angus Gold is wary of Highest Ground as he ponders the prospects of Al Madhar and said, “I think the favourite looks very smart, to my eye. Our horse is difficult to weigh up, because sometimes his work can be pretty good and other times it can be pretty average, but he has obviously done nothing wrong on the racecourse. I think a mile and a quarter is the right place for him at the moment–he may stay further, but he won what I thought was a high-quality race over a mile and a quarter last time, so we thought we'd stick for the time being.”
In the Musidora, Gosden supplies the likely favourite in the unbeaten dual Newmarket winner Ricetta (GB) (Camelot {GB}), who even allowing for the withdrawal of stablemate Franconia (GB) (Frankel {GB}) still shares the responsibility of carrying the Juddmonte standard. Khalid Abdullah's Pocket Square (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) is making her reappearance for the Roger Charlton yard, having beaten the smart Gosden filly Run Wild (Ger) (Amaron {GB}) when last seen in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs on testing ground at Deauville in October. Teddy Grimthorpe had the lowdown on both on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, Franconia has scoped dirty so can't run but luckily we have two others. Ricetta seems to have come to hand well this year and has improved each time and Roger's filly had a tooth removed in the spring, which is why she's slower to come out,” he explained. “With that, she's been behind but she's progressed well and the form of her Deauville win looks useful.”
Saeed bin Suroor saddles the Jan. 23 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas winner Dubai Love (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who was a creditable third on her European return under top weight in the Sandringham H. over a mile at Royal Ascot June 18. “Dubai Love ran another good race at Royal Ascot. She has done well since and worked nicely on the watered gallop a few days ago,” her trainer said. “I think this trip will suit and I am hoping for a good result again.”
While the unseasonal action at York also includes the delayed Listed EBF Marygate Fillies' S., in which Roger Varian saddles Amo Racing Limited's June 20 G2 Queen Mary S. fourth Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), Newmarket's July Festival at least stays on track where it has always been. The first day of the three-fixture meeting is a fascinating one, with the G2 Tattersalls July S. and G2 Princess of Wales's Tattersalls S. sharing the limelight. In the former contest, Shadwell's 'TDN Rising Star' and June 20 G2 Coventry S. runner-up Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) looks for compensation after his reversal at the Royal meeting. Angus Gold said, “He ran very well at Ascot. We obviously ran him back pretty quick, which isn't our usual way but just because of the funny year we're in, we didn't really have any option. This is the next step and another tough race, but he deserves to be there.”
Taking on Qaader is another who went to Royal Ascot in The Queen's Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}), who beat the possibly unlucky Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the five-furlong Listed Windsor Castle S. June 17. They are met by one from Ballydoyle in Swiss Ace (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a son of the classy sprinter and high-class producer Swiss Lake (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who scored on debut over the five furlongs that suited the dam so well at Tipperary June 19.
Sheikh Hamdan's operation have already enjoyed plenty of highs in the brief 2020 campaign so far and could have another profitable afternoon if Enbihaar (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) can deal with the drop back to 12 furlongs in the Princess of Wales's. A rare 5-year-old racemare in these silks, last year's G2 Lancashire Oaks, G2 Lillie Langtry S. and G2 Park Hill S. winner only came unstuck when encountering unsuitably testing conditions in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix de Royallieu in October. Still on the premises when third to Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in its inaugural running as a top-level 14-furlong contest, she has a class edge over the four horses and geldings she encounters here.
“It's very exciting to see her back,” Angus Gold commented. “She's been striding out well at home and, rather like Enable, her enthusiasm and everything seems to be very much intact. She has this lovely, extravagant stride and seems to be working nicely. The ultimate aim for her this year is to try and win a Group 1, but this looks a good place to start. We were thinking about running her in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock last week, but she's such a beautiful mover and we just felt the ground would be too soft for her up there, so we decided to run here instead. I'm sure John [Gosden] wouldn't be running her if he didn't think she was ready.”
Another filly who missed the Lancashire Oaks due to the prevalent soft ground was Anthony Oppenheimer's Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), who is back over the same course and distance of her five-length win in the Listed Aphrodite Fillies' S. in July. Subsequently successful in Deauville's G2 Prix de Pomone over another half a furlong, the Ed Vaughan-trained 4-year-old has had a winter's strengthening since her sixth behind Enbihaar in Doncaster's Park Hill. Completing the trio of fillies and mares in the line-up is Waverley Racing's Antonia de Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), another Lancashire Oaks absentee who is denied the soft ground she requires.
Aside from the Group 2 events, Newmarket also offers two intriguing races for the 3-year-olds in the Listed Bahrain International Sir Henry Cecil S. and the G3 Bahrain Trophy. In the former, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's TDN Rising Star Lord Campari (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is put to the test following his emphatic 4 3/4-length defeat of the subsequent winner Tsar (GB) (Kingman {GB}) over this mile trip at Newbury June 13. He faces Godolphin's Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was runner-up to Military March (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G3 Autumn S. on the Rowley Mile here but only 14th in the G1 2000 Guineas over the same track and trip June 6. Charlie Appleby said of him, “Al Suhail is making his first start since disappointing in the 2000 Guineas and some ease in the ground would suit. If he can reproduce his good two-year-old form, he should be a major player at this level.”
It is safe to say on the past month's evidence that Ballydoyle's 3-year-olds are worthy of even greater respect than is the norm and the one charged with the responsibility of maintaining the momentum is Dawn Rising (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Bahrain Trophy for St Leger candidates. A full-brother to Sovereign (Ire), the bay who was a place ahead of Serpentine when fourth in a 10-furlong maiden at The Curragh June 12 went on to score by 12 lengths over a mile and a half at Limerick 17 days later. Habitually, when one from this stable does something like that they turn out to be big-hitters.
William Haggas supplies a live contender in Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), another to bear the Shadwell livery and another wide-margin winner having taken a 12-furlong novice by 10 lengths here June 18. Angus Gold said of him, “He won what was probably a fairly ordinary race in very good style a few weeks ago. This is a big step up, but we've got to see if he's up to this sort of level or not. Richard Hills has ridden the horse a lot and has always had a high opinion of him, so we'll see where he fits in on Thursday.”
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