By Tom Frary
It is all about the 2-year-olds in Europe on Saturday, with Newbury's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. enjoying the prestige bragging rights. A week after celebrating Classic glory, KHK Racing, Roger Varian and David Egan combine again with the exciting 'TDN Rising Star' Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who is a warm order following his six-length Haydock novice rout at the start of the month. “He has looked of good ability throughout the summer,” commented Varian, who also has Nurlan Bizakov's Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Clive Cox may have something to say about the outcome, having won this twice in the last six years including with Harry Angel (Ire), but Jason Goddard's Aug. 19 Salisbury novice scorer Heroism (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has a leap to make. “He's a horse we have always liked and because of the exceedingly dry summer, he hadn't been on the grass since the spring when he won first time,” he said of the descendant of The Queen's Highclere (GB) and relative of Deep Impact (Jpn).
All About Me
Of the seven other group races across Britain and France on Saturday, three are for the juveniles with Ayr's Gold Cup meeting including the six-furlong G3 Virgin Bet Firth of Clyde Fillies' S. in which Jaber Abdullah's Aug. 18 G2 Lowther S. runner-up Queen Me (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to continue the winning momentum for Kevin Ryan here. Ryan Moore heads to Chantilly to partner Ballydoyle's Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in the G3 Prix de Conde over nine furlongs, with his mount in pole position having beaten the subsequent G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in Deauville's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage Aug. 20. He may have most to fear from the Wertheimers' Precious Sea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a daughter of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Indonesienne (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}) who had the subsequent G2 Prix du Calvados scorer Wed (Fr) (Profitable {Ire}) back in second in a seven-furlong conditions event at La Teste de Buch July 13. In the six-furlong G3 Prix Eclipse, an intriguing contender is Stall Ritterbusch's impressive Aug. 4 Deauville winner Bodyman (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) from the Andreas Suborics stable.
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