First-season sire sensation Mehmas (Ire) has come to dominate that category since racing's wheels began turning in June and it is fitting that he is responsible for three of the big four favourites for Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. at Newmarket. Tally-Ho Stud's son of Acclamation (GB), who was third in this race on his racecourse finale in 2016, has Method (Ire), Minzaal (Ire) and Supremacy (Ire) with all three coming into the six-furlong feature on the back of impressive wins in black-type company at the trip. Manton Park Racing's Method is the only unbeaten of the trio, having brushed aside the subsequent G2 Prix du Calvados winner Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) by 4 1/4 lengths at Doncaster on June 26 before dishing out another sound beating to the eventual G3 Sirenia S. scorer Mighty Gurkha (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) in Newbury's Listed Rose Bowl S. on July 18. Method's trainer Martyn Meade is keeping a close eye on the skies. “Everything that we can control I've been delighted with, but the one thing we can't–the weather–may scupper us,” he said on Friday. “I really want to run him, because there's nothing else for him–he's not in the Dewhurst and I'd want to keep him over six furlongs anyway–but I wouldn't want him pulled about on heavy ground.”
It would take a lot of rain to turn the ground heavy on the Rowley Mile and Meade's fears may prove unfounded. “Newmarket can dry quickly and it is very windy–I just hope they don't have any more of those downpours,” he added. “This has always been the plan and earlier in the week I thought the ground would be perfect for him. This is the one we've been aiming at, but I just don't want to risk him on extreme ground. I've been pleased watching most of the others have hard races while we were always coming straight here–so he's had a lovely break, been freshened up and hopefully we get to run him.”
Despite occupying favouritism at present, Method has a jump to make to get to Shadwell's Minzaal and Jason Goddard's Supremacy on form. Minzaal followed an impressive Salisbury novice success on Aug. 9 with an emphatic score in York's G2 Gimcrack S. on Aug. 21, while Supremacy went from a 3 3/4-length Windsor maiden win on July 6 to a four-length verdict in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood on July 30. Minzaal's trainer Owen Burrows said, “It looks a red-hot race, the best of the crop really and it was always going to be. Fingers crossed, we are going there with every chance. We knew straight after York this would be his race–I wasn't tempted by anything else and timing-wise it has been perfect. There was plenty of rain before racing on Thursday and the jocks are saying it is riding a bit dead. I'd imagine it will be very similar ground to what it was in the Gimcrack, just on the soft side of good–no excuses for anybody, I shouldn't think. We'll learn a bit more about him and we'll see how good he is.”
Trainer Clive Cox said of Supremacy, “He was an exciting winner of the Richmond and he's had a healthy break in between there and here. He's shown us plenty of class, but has physically progressed since Goodwood and we're very much looking forward to seeing him perform here.”
If the winner comes from outside the “Mehmas three”, it is most likely to be Zhang Yuesheng's Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who was firmly in command in The Curragh's G1 Phoenix S. on Aug. 9. Jessie Harrington's leading colt was successful by 3 1/2 lengths there, with Qatar Racing's June 19 G2 Norfolk S. scorer The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) being promoted to second from third. Unlucky when fifth in the seven-furlong G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. back there on Sept. 13, he sits comfortably among the elite of his generation. “It would be fair to say his last race didn't go to plan, but we don't need to say any more about that,” Harrington said. “Prior to that, he was very impressive in the Phoenix S. and on that form he should have a good chance. I wouldn't imagine we'll be using the ground as an excuse–he's pretty versatile and it shouldn't be bottomless. We haven't done much with him since the National, just kept him ticking over. We're looking for a big run.”
Dandalla Puts Unbeaten Record On The Line
Juddmonte also sponsors the G1 Cheveley Park S. in which the fillies pursue the title of champion headed by Nick Bradley Racing and Elaine Burke's unbeaten Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). Successful in the G3 Albany S. by six lengths at Royal Ascot on June 19, the bay was deemed initially disappointing when just edging the aforementioned Fev Rover and Santosha (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. on the July Course here on July 10 but subsequent events have shown that form in a different light. Trainer Karl Burke is full of confidence.
“We couldn't be happier with her. She's ready to run and hopefully she'll do herself justice,” he said. “It took her a little while to come to herself [after the Duchess of Cambridge], but the last month has been very good. I think the bit of rain they've had will help, although she is a good-actioned filly and we were surprised how well she handled the ground at Ascot. I don't think she's ground-dependent. It's going to be an exciting race, with some nice Irish fillies coming over, but you want to be taking on the best in these races. We're looking forward to running our filly–hopefully she can prove us right.”
One of the Irish contingent that Burke was referring to is Doreen Tabor's recent acquisition Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who upset the June 20 G2 Queen Mary S. runner-up Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the G2 Lowther S. over this trip at York on Aug. 20. They finished clear of Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi's Sept. 19 G3 Firth of Clyde S. winner Umm Kulthum (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the process and Miss Amulet's trainer Ken Condon has a strong clutch of 2-year-olds in 2020. “She's a very progressive filly. I thought it was a good performance at York and she's done very well since,” he said. “She needs to step up again, but all the signs are good. She deserves to take her chance in a Group 1 now and we're looking forward to it.”
In an open renewal, the McMurray Family's Happy Romance (Ire) adds another string to the bow of Ballyhane Stud's Dandy Man having beaten Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' S. at Salisbury on Sept. 3. Trainer Richard Hannon said, “Happy Romance is in great form. She has run well and improved all year. She has not run a bad race yet and this is the logical next step up. What she has done has not surprised us, because she has always shown us a lot. She did well at Salisbury as she did travel wider, but she picked up well. This is a much harder race than the Rockfel, but you would rather be winning a Cheveley Park. There are only certain opportunities to win a Group 1 and this is one of them, so we have to try to take it.”
Going The Distance
Potential middle-distance stars of 2021 have two major opportunities to shine on Saturday, with Newmarket offering the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. and The Curragh's card featuring the G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. over a mile. The Royal Lodge has drawn a small field, with China Horse Club International's Aug. 21 Listed Stonehenge S. winner Cobh (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) taken on by the Teme Valley syndicate's Aug. 19 G3 Acomb S. scorer Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Ballydoyle's Aug. 22 G2 Futurity S. third Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Trainer Clive Cox said of Cobh, “He was an impressive winner of the Stonehenge at Salisbury, clearly getting the mile well. He's a big, scopey individual who has continued to physically develop with his progression on the race track.”
The Beresford may offer more strength in depth than the Royal Lodge, featuring a clash between two 'TDN Rising Stars' in High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Wuqood (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). The former represents Team Ballydoyle successful an astounding 19 times already and is back over the course and distance of his impressive debut success on Aug. 22, while Shadwell's Wuqood bids to back up the striking impression of his win on his racecourse bow over this trip at Gowran Park on Aug. 12. Jessie Harrington saddles another of Zhang Yuesheng's talented juveniles in Ace Aussie (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who was off the mark over seven furlongs at Cork on Sept. 9.
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