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| Staff Writer |
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George Scott and Isle Of Jura's stellar performances solidified their status as a formidable team, earning accolades and acclaim around the world. Scott hopes the gelding will be able to step up in class, to clinch his first Group One victory at Royal Ascot.
In 2024, Isle Of Jura emerged as a beacon of success, capturing plenty of international attention when he secured the Bahrain Triple Crown.
With jockey Callum Shepherd, the star triumphed in the Listed Al Khalifa Cup, Crown Prince's Cup, and King Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaAl Khalifa, showcasing his prowess on the international stage.
"This ranks as the highlight of my career to date, miles ahead of anything else," remarked Scott the son of New Approach.
Scott outlines his strategic approach towards the Hardwick Stakes by optimising the horse's performance.
"The nice thing about him now is he's had a prep run. He ran at Goodwood last week, and he won the listed race there. From here on in, it will really just be a matter of keeping him ticking over," Scott explains.
Despite the entire’s substantial size, he is a light-framed horse, which influences his training regimen.
"He'll probably move back into some faster work in the middle of next week. And then, we certainly won't be pushing him too hard.
“He doesn't need a huge amount of hard, fast work. He just needs a nice constant, simple routine, where he's ticking over every day," he said.
Scott accentuates Isle Of Jura's natural fitness and resilience, highlighting the horse's ability to maintain his condition with minimal intensive training.
"In Bahrain, during his last three starts, he only worked once or twice in the period of three runs. He keeps himself fit and happy. So, he's not a horse that we're hard on at all," Scott remarks.
Scott is against overstating Isle Of Jura's odds of success. While impressive at current levels, tougher challenges await.
"He very much has a stiffer task ahead of him now. He's going to face better horses on his own."
"Both of his brothers are group one winners. His sister's won two of her three starts, and he's bred by the top operation in the world, Godolphin," Scott points out.
"He's a giant, to be honest. And he's got plenty of action and plenty of fluidity in his action as well for a big horse," Scott says, illustrating the horse's combination of size and grace.
Scott chooses to describe his hero as "imposing," "kind," and "a bit soft."
He elaborates, "Sometimes he can be tough. He is a little bit tentative about life. You need to look after his needs."
Scott first encountered Isle Of Jura under unusual circumstances. He recounts, "He was part of a Godolphin dispersal sale which was due to take place in Dubai, but due to some regulations at the time they weren't able to ship the horses to Dubai.
“So, they decided to sell the horses here at Newmarket. There were about 30-40 horses, and they were all stabled just outside Newmarket."
With a shortlist prepared by Billy Jackson, Scott went to Moulton Paddocks to view a few horses.
"When we saw Isle Of Jura, he had just run once for Charlie Appleby, but they'd sent him off a short-price favourite. So, it was clear that he was well regarded in the stable," Scott notes.
Despite his potential, Isle Of Jura looked a bit wintry, having had some niggling issues and being out of training. However, Scott was immediately struck by the horse.
"He was a beautiful, big horse. He's 17 hands, got a lovely deep shoulder, lovely hip, loose walk. And he had a good pedigree.
“We just thought we'd never be able to buy this horse at auction because firstly, they would never sell a horse like that at auction. And secondly, if they did, he would have been a half a million-pound yearling. So we felt it was definitely a risk worth taking."
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Scott admits, "When he came into my stable, I have to admit it wasn't plain sailing to begin with. He was a little bit quirky. He was adapting to life back in training having been out of training. And initially, I thought we might be up against it here with this horse."
However, as gelding owned by Bahrain’s Sheikh Nasser settled into his routine, his potential became apparent. Scott recalls the entire was given a couple of quick runs, one on very deep ground and another at Wolverhampton to get a handicap mark.
"It was apparent at that point that he'd taken a big step forward. And from then on, he got an opening mark of 71 here in the UK. And he's now rated 112. For me, he's a horse that just keeps improving."
Scott's approach to training Isle Of Jura focuses on keeping the horse fresh and happy and maintaining the importance of a balanced training regimen tailored to the horse's preferences.
"He doesn't like being overtrained. With him, it's just a matter of keeping the wheels ticking," Scott explains.
Isle Of Jura's performance thrives under specific track conditions.
"He's got a really good high cruising speed. He seems to just idle a little bit when he hits the front.
“He wants a strong pace, fast ground, and probably a mile and a half, really, to perform his best," Scott details.
George shares the intricate details of preparing a horse for prestigious international events highlighting that the primary challenge is maintaining the horse's health.
"If you don't have a healthy horse at the start, you really are up against it," he explains.
“The travel involved in international competitions poses significant risks, as horses can easily pick up illnesses and infections.
"So, it's very important that we do everything possible to keep the horse healthy once they start travelling."
Another critical aspect is ensuring the horse adapts to a new environment and routine.
"When you're travelling, it's about finding a routine that the horse is comfortable in. Obviously, they've got a change in environment and changes in the stable. So, it's important to try to quickly get them into a routine that they seem competent," Scott notes.
Reflecting on Isle Of Jura's experience, Scott mentions, "When Isle Of Jura was actually trained on the training to track out in Bahrain, he very quickly became comfortable in that routine.
“For me, it's all about keeping horses healthy and keeping them in a nice routine in which they're comfortable training daily."
Reflecting on his career's ups and downs, George Scott highlights moments that have left a lasting impact.
"Winning the Palace House at Newmarket was a huge highlight for me and the team," he recalls.
"The race, held just before the 2000 Guineas on our home track, was especially significant."
Despite the triumph, Isle Of Jura, a particularly challenging horse to manage, made the victory all the more special.
"He's been a very difficult horse to manage," Scott admits. "And we've worked very hard to get him in the right headspace mentally."
The victory, with family present, marked a turning point in the season, cementing their success in the UK.
Scott acknowledges the harsh realities of the industry. He recalls a difficult period when his stable was down to just 30 horses, feeling like they were "swimming against the tide".
He acknowledges that there are more hard times than good times in racing, but it's rewarding to have successful horses.
As a trainer, Scott takes full responsibility for his horses' performances, saying "It's a brutal industry, to be honest" and "The buck always stops with you". Unlike jockeys, trainers must continually strive for improvement, ensuring their horses are well-prepared for each race.
"First and foremost, we really enjoy it. It's very exciting to see new places and try to compete with other jurisdictions."
Scott confirms plans to return to Bahrain and potentially compete in Dubai and Australia. He is actively working to secure a place for his stable star in ‘the race that stops the nation’, the Melbourne Cup, aiming to have the horse in Australia by autumn.
As Scott reflects on the evolution of racehorse training, he notes that although technology has advanced, the core principles have remained unchanged.
"Fundamentally, it's about keeping the horse healthy, running them in the right races, and trying to work out their distance," he explains.
Despite the integration of sports science into the industry, including the use of technology like the equi-meter, the coach emphasises that understanding the ideal distance for each horse is key.
He believes that this is a crucial piece of the training puzzle and that it's essential to keep the horse healthy and running in the right races.
Thriving on open straights and unfazed by tough going, Bahrain’s Triple Crown champion seems destined for further triumphs on the global racing scene.