Arguably Newmarket's number one yard at present, John Gosden's Clarehaven Stables is at a peak and the fact that it supplies hot favourites in three of Saturday's major events acts as a barometer of that influence. In the G1 William Hill St Leger, which was the first British Classic the son of the much-respected “Towser” captured back in 1996 with Shantou, the Lloyd-Webbers supply him with the second part of what is very likely to be an afternoon double at Doncaster as Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) looks to extend the excellent record of fillies in the oldest Classic. Her bid follows just over half an hour on from that of her full-brother Too Darn Hot (GB) in the G2 Howcroft Industrial Supplies Champagne S. Both unbeaten TDN Rising Stars, they have the world at their feet and a bounce in their step like so many of the leading characters in the musicals their titles represent. Lah Ti Dar looked an exceptional talent when winning the Aug. 23 Listed Galtres S. at York by 10 lengths and the Town Moor faithful were breathing a sigh of relief after connections opted to go this way and add that extra dimension to their beloved Classic.
“Frankie was adamant she should run in the St Leger when he got off her at York and often the feel a jockey gets when they immediately get off a horse is the one to listen to,” Gosden said. “He said he could have kept going another three furlongs and she certainly stays well. Instead of having a hard race, she had a lovely extended hand-ride gallop. She missed a long, hot summer and so she's a fresh filly for the autumn with plenty of ability.”
If Lah Ti Dar fails to hit the target and the wait for an overdue Classic success goes on for her owner-breeders, there will be cause for positive forward thinking provided that Too Darn Hot has at that point already showcased his own credentials for the 2019 monuments. His G3 Solario S. victory at Sandown a fortnight ago marked him out as one of his generation's premier performers and this test will feed more information into the ever-active Gosden brain as to whether it's Guineas or Derby or both next year.
“You've got the brother and sister running half an hour apart in two group races and he's very exciting,” Frankie Dettori said. “It's nice that I'm able to ride him on a flat track, as that is the only time you get to feel a horse going through the gears. Sandown is very steep and more of a grinding, galloping track.”
Three hours on from the Leger, Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy) becomes the third part of a golden Gosden triumvirate as he seeks to hammer home his supremacy over Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in Leopardstown's G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S., a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. Having worked hard to reverse old roles with that Ballydoyle representative by a neck in Sandown's G1 Eclipse S. July 7, the grey took on an altogether more destructive aura as he put him firmly in the shade in the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York Aug. 22. Jockey Oisin Murphy is pondering tactics. “Nobody is going to run the race to set it up for Roaring Lion and certainly Saxon Warrior is Aidan O'Brien's main protagonist,” he said. “I'm drawn a bit away from him, but until I sit down and go through it with John and Sheikh Fahad we won't decide how to ride it yet. On ratings he has improved every time he has run in 2018.”
Saturday is not all the John Gosden show, however, as the Niarchos Family's Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is arguably Dublin's chief attraction as she goes to post for the G1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron S., a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Notching a fifth straight Group 1 success should prove a relatively straightforward task for the grey homebred, with the 'TDN Rising Star' having beaten the subsequent G1 Prix du Moulin winner Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper) in Deauville's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois Aug. 12. Her winning sequence began in May with the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and it is now September, so there is always the question of how the fillies fare with such a workload, but if there was ever a filly wired for it she is the one. Trainer Jessie Harrington is getting all the right signals. “You'd know exactly how she's feeling and how she's doing,” she explained. “She's had five races so far and the first race of the year was a non-event. On the face of it she hasn't really had a hard race since then, but you're never really quite sure how much they're taking out of themselves. She's actually had an extra week this time. It's always been about four weeks between runs and this is the guts of five weeks. Weight-wise she's been very level the whole way through the summer and in fact, she's now probably heavier than she's ever been. She's really thrived since her last run and she might be going into Saturday slightly heavier than normal.”
As ever, Saturday is a vital calendar event for Ballydoyle and Godolphin, with Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) spearheading a five-strong assault on the Leger for Rosegreen and Charlie Appleby double-handed in the feature with the Aug. 22 G2 Great Voltigeur S. scorer Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the intriguing Aug. 26 G2 Grand Prix de Deauville winner Loxley (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). Kew Gardens is a proven top-level scorer, having garnered the July 14 Grand Prix de Paris and he was staying on encouragingly under a penalty when third in York's Voltigeur.
“I suppose Kew Gardens would be the one,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He is the horse that has already won a Group 1 and we've always loved him. He is a very relaxed horse with a good mind, which always helps.”
Appleby said of his pair, “Old Persian is a typical Dubawi in that you never quite know when you're going to get to the bottom of them. I thought it was a very game performance [at York] and he's certainly a live contender. He's got all the right attributes.” Of Loxley, he added, “He also had an entry in the Prix Niel at Longchamp on Sunday, which he probably could have won, but we would not have learned much from that. This is the last Classic of the season, and while he lacks experience, he is progressing well.”
Godolphin's royal blue is also carried by the recently-acquired Dark Vision (Ire) (Dream Ahead), whose unbeaten record is on the line taking on Too Darn Hot in a strong renewal of the Champagne. Mark Johnston has more than a small share of faith in the G2 Vintage S. winner, who was switched from The Curragh's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. on Sunday to avoid a clash with the operation's G2 Superlative S. winner Quorto (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). As a result, Dark Vision has an unhelpful three-pound penalty to carry here but the stable's Lucky Story (Kris S.) managed to do so successfully in 2003.
“He's in great shape. At home, he's not a demonstrative type. He's laid-back and he does everything effortlessly,” his trainer said. “It's not your typical Group 2. These are likely contenders for next year's Guineas and Derby. It's a very tough race.”
Another juvenile staging post to concentrate on is Leopardstown's newly-promoted G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S., or Golden Fleece as it is registered, a “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Aidan O'Brien has won seven of the last eight runnings and has a trio including the Sept. 1 Curragh maiden winner Sydney Opera House (GB) (Australia {GB}), but it is Shadwell's exciting Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) who brings the tallest reputation to the race. Despite Ballydoyle's unnerving record in this, Kevin Prendergast has no reason to fear after the homebred slammed Sydney Opera House so convincingly on debut over this course and distance Aug. 16.
Ballydoyle's prospects in the G3 Paddy's Rewards Club S., or Kilternan S., appear bright as the June 30 G1 Irish Derby runner-up Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) enjoys a welcome drop in class, while in the G2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang S., or Solonaway S., the operation could have a live contender if last year's G3 Killavullan S. scorer Kenya (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is able to replicate his sensational performance when bouncing back to form in The Curragh's Irish Cambridgeshire at the start of the month. In the Matron, three long-priced fillies from the Co. Tipperary establishment take on Alpha Centauri and Ryan Moore's pick Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looked a class act in the July 22 G2 Kilboy Estate S. at The Curragh. This could launch her towards some major autumn targets as it did Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 12 months ago. At the end of a long day for the stable, it will ultimately all come down to whether Saxon Warrior can rekindle the magic we witnessed in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket May 5. That already seems a short lifetime ago, but with the stable being in the doldrums for much of the summer there is always time for the “monster” to resurface. Aidan O'Brien said of him, “He was just ready to run back in York and we've been happy with him since then. He was very sick after Sandown and we always felt that he would progress after his run at York.”
Other notable races on the day are Doncaster's G2 Alan Wood Plumbing and Heating Park S., which underlines the general lack of strength in the seven-furlong category this year with all bar two of the nine runners rated within three pounds of each other. If he takes to the trip, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Mustashry (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) could be due for an upgrade to his admirable profile having faded close home when second to Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) in the nine-furlong G3 Strensall S. at York Aug. 25. As Doncaster's card enters the halfway point, Leopardstown gets underway with the inaugural running of the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle S. for juvenile fillies playing host to some unexposed types. Stonethorn Stud Farms' authoritative Aug. 31 Curragh maiden winner Trethias (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) could provide an early boost for the now widely-known Harrington-O'Donoghue connection.
Other key members of the Leopardstown cast include John Dance's June 17 G1 Prix de Diane heroine Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who drops back to a mile having failed to see out the 12 furlongs of the Aug. 23 G1 Yorkshire Oaks. Despite the loominig presence of Alpha Centauri, connections are hopeful she can make a serious impact. “She looks as well as she's done all year and she's working better than ever,” trainer Karl Burke commented. “It's a tough one up against Alpha Centauri, obviously, but it will be an interesting race and we're looking forward to it. Some people will say it's a bit strange to drop her back to a mile, but we gave an entry in the Matron because there was no Group 1 prep race for the Prix de l'Opera. After the Yorkshire Oaks, we looked at it and given on her only previous run over a mile she finished second in the Guineas, we felt it was worth a go. She's thrived and got stronger as the year has gone on and has actually got quicker. Strength doesn't always mean stamina and I think that's the mistake we made.”
Another French Classic winner is also in action in the Irish capital, with the June 3 G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Study of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) pitted against Roaring Lion and Saxon Warrior in the Irish Champion. Jockey Stephane Pasquier said of the homebred, who was soundly beaten when third in the Aug. 15 G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, “He has worked two or three times and has improved a lot, he's much better than before the race in Deauville. I have to walk the track before deciding how I'll ride him. My horse is quiet and has a very good turn of foot, so that's what I have to use.” That keenly-anticipated contest could yet be without Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Apr. 27 G2 Sandown Mile winner Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), whose agonisingly long wait for the rains continues for his connections. Trainer William Haggas said yesterday, “I'm very concerned that there hasn't been enough rain. He has been in great form and he needs to run. The last thing I want to do is jar him up on fast ground and not have him for the autumn. I think stepping him up in trip will suit him. He is not going to win a Group 1 over a mile unless it is very soft or heavy ground.”
In danger of being lost in the maelstrom of a high-octane Saturday, two significant TDN Rising Stars in George Strawbridge's Lone Peak (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Gerard Augustin-Normand's Commes (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) are unleashed midway through the afternoon in conditions events at Chantilly. Two genuine exciting Classic prospects for next term, the pair won their first starts at Deauville by a cumulative margin of 10 lengths Aug. 21. (See Observations)
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