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| Staff Writer |
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As the world's most prestigious horse racing event approaches, Royal Ascot is gearing up to host an incredible lineup of horses, trainers, and owners. With a mix of local and international talent, this year's meeting promises to be an unforgettable experience. From debutantes to seasoned champions, the competition is set to be fierce, with a range of exciting races and high-stakes battles on the cards. Homegrown talents are also set to shine alongside horses returning from setbacks and youngsters hoping to make their mark on the stage set for a thrilling week of top-class racing.
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr., who are joint trainers, have booked the three-time British champion jockey for their new acquisition, Kitty Rose. The 3YO filly will be making her first appearance under the trainers in the Sandringham Stakes on the Friday card at Royal Ascot. Kitty Rose was acquired by a group of Australian owners led by Tim Porter late last year, following three races in Ireland.
She will sport Porter's racing colors of royal blue, lime, red, and orange, which are frequently seen in Australian feature sprints by the high-level regular Bella Nipotina. Kent Jr. explained that although the Sandringham will be a challenging race to win considering the probable large field, Kitty Rose could have easily been aimed at a Classic this spring, given the talent she displayed while under the training of Natalia Lupini.
As a juvenile, Kitty Rose triumphed in two out of her three starts, one of which was a victory over Content in a Listed race at Leopardstown during her second start. She commenced this season with a close second place in a Group Three race at the same track, marking her final start for Lupini.
“We could have easily put her in the Irish or English Guineas, but we had the mindset that we really wanted to win a race at Ascot, that was the goal, so we’ll go there,” he said.
Kent Jnr said Kitty Rose is scheduled to head to Australia following her run at the royal meeting.
“Her ultimate aim in Australia will be the Golden Eagle as she has a beautiful mix of speed and stamina and can race close to the pace.”
Wathnan Racing, led by the Emir of Qatar, has made significant acquisitions ahead of Royal Ascot, including Haatem, the runner-up in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, and five other horses. The operation's previous successful purchases before last year's royal meeting, such as Gregory and Courage Mon Ami, have led to further investments aimed at solidifying their position at the top of the sport. The Richard Hannon-trained colt has been added to their roster, with racing manager Richard Brown finalizing the purchase of the son of Phoenix Of Spain. The 3YO is set to compete in the St James's Palace Stakes, with potential consideration for the Jersey Stakes if other notable horses also line up at Ascot.
On Wednesday, Wathnan Racing made several significant purchases, including Haatem, Shartash, Torito, and the unbeaten Dryholaey. These acquisitions are part of the team's preparations for the upcoming big meeting in two weeks. Additionally, the team's juvenile squad was strengthened this week with the addition of Shadow Army and the promising Nottingham winner Leovanni, who has been considered for the Queen Mary Stakes.
"Our juveniles are going really well, which we're delighted with, but there's a long way to go with them," Brown said. "They've obviously got talent and ability and they'll take their chance at Ascot, but we all know how hard it is to have a winner at the meeting, especially when you're talking about things like the Coventry and the Norfolk, so it's good to have some older horses too."
Wathnan Racing's recent acquisition of the Willie Mullins-trained Lope De Lilas signifies their ambitions beyond Royal Ascot, as they set their sights on Classic success, with the talented horse expected to participate in the Irish Oaks.
"Lope De Lilas won very impressively at Leopardstown and she's a big, well-bred filly. Willie thinks she's only going to get better with age so we'll nurture her this year. She could have been a Ribblesdale candidate but we'll put a line through Ascot as we want to go slowly with her with a view to the Irish Oaks, which Willie is keen to run her in."
Henry Dwyer is confident that Asfoora will be in peak condition as she carries Australia's hopes in the King Charles III Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot. In recent years, Australian horses have performed well in the Royal meeting's big sprint events, with Choisir's King's Stand/Golden Jubilee double in 2003 opening the doors for Southern Hemisphere speedsters to showcase their talent in Berkshire. Chris Waller's Nature Strip is the most recent success story.
Housed at Amy Murphy's Southgate Stables in Newmarket for the summer, Dwyer admits he was only satisfied with his mare's performance in Merseyside but takes comfort in the fact that she has room to improve. He expects Asfoora to be sharper at the summer showpiece later this month.
“Fitness-wise, she just wasn’t there first time, but she’s got three weeks between runs, we’ll give her a good couple of gallops and she should be at the mark.” said Dwyer of Asfoora’s Haydock run.
Vandeek is still firmly on track for the Commonwealth Cup despite losing his perfect record on his seasonal debut in the Sandy Lane at Haydock.
Managed by Simon and Ed Crisford, the Havana Grey colt had an unbeatable run as a juvenile, securing all four starts, including two Group One titles in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park.
Ridden by James Doyle, he faced six rivals on soft ground and finished third as the race was won by Kevin Ryan’s Inisherin, with John and Thady Gosden’s Orne taking the runner-up position.
Although Vandeek's defeat was significant for the latter two horses, he is recovering well after the race and remains on course to compete at Royal Ascot.
“He’s come out of the race very well, Simon and Ed Crisford have been pleased with his work since and it’s all systems go for the Commonwealth Cup,” said Chris Wall, racing manager to owners KHK Racing.
“It was very soft ground at Haydock and though he has encountered that before, he was against race-fit rivals on his first run of the season and his legs just couldn’t act on it. That was the purpose of the run and he’s in good form afterwards, we’re excited to run him at Royal Ascot.”
Adrian Keatley's 2YO colt, Francisco's Piece, is set to be offered for sale at the Goffs London Sale on June 17, just before the Royal meeting at Ascot. The talented colt has shown promise in his career by winning on debut at Pontefract and finishing a close second at York despite giving weight to the winner.
He then went on to win comfortably in the Prix la Fleche at Chantilly, earning a spot at Royal Ascot in the Norfolk Stakes. The Goffs London Sale, held in Kensington Palace Gardens, will provide an opportunity for potential buyers to acquire a horse with a Royal Ascot entry, similar to last year's £1.1million purchase, Givemethebeatboys.
After narrowly defeating Francisco's Piece at York, Shadow Army has been acquired by Wathnan Racing and is now set to compete in the Coventry following his strong performance at Chantilly.
Adrian Keatley shared, " He’s a beautiful, big, strong horse so we’re really looking forward to Ascot with him."
Tunbridge Wells put on an impressive performance at the Curragh, raising the possibility of an appearance at Royal Ascot.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the son of No Nay Never demonstrated significant improvement from his debut at Navan. The horse, a brother to the accomplished Blackbeard, exhibited a professional attitude throughout the race and secured a convincing victory under the guidance of jockey Ryan Moore.
With this promising display, Tunbridge Wells is now being considered for the Coventry Stakes at the upcoming Royal meeting.
Aidan O’Brien expressed his delight with the horse's performance, highlighting his potential for Ascot. If Tunbridge Wells doesn’t compete at Ascot, he may return for the Railway Stakes, indicating the horse’s versatility and potential for longer distances in the future.
Evade’s win in the Listed Surrey Stakes on Oaks Day at Epsom was complemented by First World War, who secured victory in the Gr.3 Penn Mile Stakes at Penn National on the same day. Both horses sported the colors of Qatar Racing and were ridden by Oisin Murphy and Frankie Dettori, respectively.
Both horses were on redemption missions after disappointing performances in their previous races, but they showed marked improvement in their latest races. Evade had developed a habit of pulling during races in France after his debut win last July, so there was considerable anticipation around his reappearance after moving to the Archie Watson yard in Lambourn.
Gabaldon is set to make his journey to Royal Ascot on Saturday as the 2YO departs from his South Florida base to Kentucky. The colt will be competing in the Windsor Castle Stakes on June 19.
Following his debut victory in last month’s Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream Park, Gabaldon secured an invitation to the Windsor Castle, a prestigious five-furlong turf race. Trainer Jose D’Angelo, based in South Florida, will have his first Royal Ascot starter in Gabaldon.
D’Angelo expressed his excitement, saying, “I’m going to be there with my big hat.”
Ultima Grace is set to join a small group of 2YO trained by Wesley Ward at Royal Ascot later this month. Ward, a regular participant at Royal Ascot, plans to run Ultima Grace in the five-furlong Queen Mary Stakes.
Additionally, Saturday Flirt will compete in the Norfolk the following day, and Burning Pine will participate in the Albany on that Friday. Ward has also mentioned the possibility of Honorary American running in the Windsor Castle, pending his performance at Keeneland this weekend.
Despite not having won in the past two years, Ward has a total of 12 Royal Ascot victories to his name. Ultima Grace, Saturday Flirt, and Burning Pine have all shown promising form in their respective races leading up to Royal Ascot.