Kameko

Godolphin's MG1SW Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who defeated dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) when last seen in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown in early July, faces just five opponents in the G1 Juddmonte International S. at York on Aug. 19. However, four of the quintet have also won at the highest level. Ghaiyyath faces the Qatar Racing pair of MG1SW Kameko (Kitten's Joy), who won the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas this term, as well as G3 Musidora S. heroine Rose of Kildare...

With the delayed 2020 turf season now enjoying some kind of equilibrium, the pick of the season's milers line up for one of the first category-defining moments in Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex S. Of the older brigade, last year's G1 St James's Palace S. and G1 Prix du Moulin hero Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is an outsider if the betting is to believed at present despite returning to add the June 16 G1 Queen Anne S. to his tally. Out of luck in the Queen Anne but highly impressive...

Juddmonte's undefeated G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas hero Siskin (First Defence) and G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas Kameko (Kitten's Joy), who represents Qatar Racing, lead the nine-strong G1 Qatar Sussex S. field at the latest entry stage on Thursday morning. The duo are joined by fellow sophomores: MG1SP G2 Coventry S. winner Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never), Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), and G3 Tattersalls S. hero and MG1Sp Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never), all from Ballydoyle. Aidan O'Brien also sends 4-year-olds MG1SW Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo...

Ahmad Al Shaikh's Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}), the 50-1 runner-up in the G1 Investec Derby, will target the G3 Gordon S. at Goodwood on July 30, should he come through a work later this week in good order. Khalifa Sat had earmarked himself as a potential talent when winning the Listed Cocked Hat S. also at Goodwood in June, and cemented that status in the Derby. "There's a possibility he could run in the Gordon S. at Goodwood next week, depending on how he comes through a bit...

Godolphin's unbeaten Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), a winner of the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. as a juvenile, is a potential runner in the upcoming G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood on July 29. Although injury kept him from the G1 French 2000 Guineas, he resurfaced to take a listed race at ParisLongchamp the same day as Godolphin's champion and MG1SW Pinatubo (GB) (Shamardal) claimed the G1 Prix Jean Prat. The one-mile feature is also the next likely target for G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas hero Kameko (Kitten's Joy),...

Kameko (Kitten's Joy) and Siskin (First Defence), winners respectively of the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas and G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, are set to meet in the G1 Sussex S. on July 29. Kameko was last seen finishing fourth in the G1 Investec Derby on July 4, while Siskin comes in off his Curragh Classic win on June 12. David Redvers, racing and bloodstock advisor to Kameko's owner Qatar Racing, told Nick Luck's Daily podcast that the Sussex would be used as a stepping stone to the G1 Juddmonte International...

The next big aim for Kameko (Kitten's Joy) remains the G1 Juddmonte International on Aug. 19, but the G1 2000 Guineas winner could take in the G1 Sussex S. en route on July 29, trainer Andrew Balding revealed the day after the colt finished fourth as the post time favourite in the G1 Investec Derby. "Obviously it was slightly disappointing, because we had huge expectations, but that's why it is such an important and special race--you only get one chance at it, and it is very difficult to win," Balding...

Saturday sees racing continue its measured defiance of the chaos around the globe, with the 241st renewal of one of the beautiful races, the G1 Investec Derby, emanating light as a beacon to the world's audience from its traditional home of Epsom Downs in Surrey. As it is, this will likely be the only post-Royal Ascot one, which adds a fascinating new dimension to a dramatically purse-reduced renewal and also to the stage-sharing G1 Investec Oaks. Due to the vagaries of the current situation, only one of the 24 colts...

There was an unwelcome twist on Thursday for connections of the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King (Fr) (Camelot) as the draw for Saturday's £500,000 G1 241st Investec Derby imposed a widely-perceived "hoodoo" on Bjorn Nielsen's bay. Ante-post favourite for Epsom's Blue Riband, he will have to depart from the dreaded stall one after heading a field of 16 declarations. Qatar Racing's G1 2000 Guineas hero Kameko (Kitten's Joy) has been allocated gate 11, historically a far more favourable position which gives Oisin Murphy options from the break. Aidan...

Listed winner and ante-post favourite English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) is among 17 entries for Saturday's G1 Investec Derby at Epsom.The mile-and-a-half Classic finds itself in an unusual position on the calendar this year, coming a month later than normal and after both Royal Ascot and the Irish Derby, because of the late start to the campaign. That will not matter one iota to the winning connections come this weekend, though--and for Ed Walker, trainer of Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King, it would be the realisation of a childhood...

Trainer Andrew Balding said he has "been really pleased" with Kameko (Kitten's Joy) since his victory in the June 6 G1 2000 Guineas, and that the Qatar Racing colorbearer came through a racecourse gallop at Kempton on Wednesday well. He is aiming for the July 4 G1 Investec Derby. "He went to Kempton [on Wednesday] for a gallop, which we did before Newmarket 10 days prior, and it went well," Balding said. "We had the option of going to Epsom, they kindly offered, but I felt he needed a decent...

In bloodstock circles, plenty of air is devoted to rueing the unforgiving nature of the market, not least the tendency to toss a mare out with the bath water should she fail to sparkle with her first few foals. When Kameko (Kitten's Joy) won the G1 2000 Guineas on June 6, he made a fairly strong case for perseverance. His dam, the well-bred graded stakes winner Sweeter Still (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), had been the co-second highest priced lot at Keeneland's January Sale in 2014 at $750,000 in foal...