The unbeaten Defence Minister (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) could become a first Group 1 runner in Britain for Qatar's champion trainer Hamad Al-Jehani in this Saturday's Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.
The winner of both of his starts for Wathnan Racing, Defence Minister also holds an entry for the G3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes on Thursday, but has now been supplemented for the Group 1 contest.
Wathnan Racing's advisor Richard Brown said, “With all the rain and a very changeable forecast we want to have a range of possible targets for Defence Minister. He's a very promising colt but we know he wants decent ground, so we are keeping all our options open at this stage.”
Defence Minister was bought by Brown on his owner's behalf for €210,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-up Sale in May from Hyde Park Stud. He won on debut at Newmarket in August and followed that up with success at Haydock earlier this month.
The potential opposition to Defence Minister in the Middle Park is headed by Aidan O'Brien's G1 Prix Morny winner Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never). Altogether O'Brien is responsible for five of the 12 entries at the five-day stage, with his others including the G3 Round Tower Stakes scorer Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), while Godolphin's Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and the G2 Richmond Stakes winner Black Forza (Complexity) are others who feature prominently in the ante-post betting.
Meanwhile, Wathnan Racing are also responsible for one of 14 potential runners in the G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes on the same card, namely the G2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Leovanni (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}).
Leovanni was last seen finishing third in the G2 Lowther Stakes at York won by Celandine (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who could reoppose on Saturday in a race where Ger Lyons's G1 Phoenix Stakes heroine Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB} promises to take plenty of beating for the sponsors.
There could be a strong French challenge with the Prix Morny third Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}) and the supplemented Rayevka (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) both in contention, while the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) heads a possible five-strong team from Ballydoyle.
Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) was a notable absentee, however, with a return to the track in 2025 now on the cards for a filly who was last seen winning the G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
“Fairy Godmother is finished for the season,” said O'Brien. “We just decided to leave her off for the rest of the year.
“As for Lake Victoria, we were thinking we might bring her back to six furlongs for this going to the Moyglare.”
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