Goodwood Cup winner Scandinavia heads 26 entries for the Betfred St Leger, the final Classic of the season to be run at Doncaster on September 13.
Aidan O’Brien dominates the potential field numerically with 11 possible runners hailing from his Ballydoyle yard.
Justify colt Scandinavia has been a relatively late bloomer, finishing fifth to Carmers in the Queen’s Vase at Ascot before winning the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.
He stepped into open company at Goodwood last week and despite being overlooked by Ryan Moore in favour of Illinois, ran out the winner.
His dual Derby-winning stablemate Lambourn would be another huge player if he turns up, as would Whirl, winner of last week’s Nassau Stakes over 10 furlongs at Goodwood.
Galveston, Oaks victor Minnie Hauk, Mount Kilimanjaro, Puppet Master, Saratoga, Shackleton, Stay True and Thrice are other Ballydoyle possibles.
Carmers could have a trip to Yorkshire before his big day, with Paddy Twomey considering the Great Voltigeur Stakes for his prep – or he could stay closer to home.
“if he runs (beforehand) it will be either in the Great Voltigeur or the Vinnie Roe (at Leopardstown) and then the Leger,” said Twomey.
“Those two races are within a day of each other so we’ll see which race looks more suitable.”
Other notable entries include Charlie Johnston’s Lazy Griff, placed in the Derby at Epsom and the Irish equivalent, Tennessee Stud and Arabian Force.
Gordon Stakes victor Merchant was not entered by William Haggas.
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Field Of Gold will bypass York’s Juddmonte International Stakes as he continues his recovery from the setback sustained when suffering a shock defeat at Goodwood last week.
John and Thady Gosden’s Irish 2,000 Guineas and Royal Ascot hero was discovered to be lame after tasting defeat for just the second time this season in the Sussex Stakes and although there are encouraging signs in his recuperation, a step up to 10 furlongs on the Knavesmire has been ruled out by his team.
The son of Kingman will undergo X-rays on Wednesday which will give a clearer indication of the prognosis, with Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon saying: “The horse is doing well and was back sound, which is good.
Field Of Gold on his way to post at Goodwood (Andrew Matthews/PA)
“He’s got a little bit of swelling in his fetlock but John and Thady are much happier with him so the plan is to do the X-ray on Wednesday – they’ve just pushed it back a day, as the longer you can leave it, the clearer the picture is.
“That will give us some more insight and if the X-ray is clear, we can hopefully start back into some light exercise towards the end of the week or early next week.
“York though is definitely not going to happen at this stage.”
Having dazzled when claiming Classic honours in Ireland and scorching to St James’s Palace Stakes victory at the Royal meeting, there has been plenty of conversation over whether Field Of Gold will try to repeat those heroics up in trip or continue to be the stand out performer of the year at eight furlongs.
The Juddmonte star holds entries in both the Prix du Moulin (ParisLongchamp, September 7) and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Ascot, October 18) at a mile later in the campaign, while he could yet test the waters up in distance in Leopardstown’s Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes on September 13.
Field Of Gold dazzled in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)
However, the colt’s name was notably missing from the entries for the Qipco Champion Stakes over further on the same afternoon as his engagement in the QEII, with race planning currently taking a backseat until one of the season’s top performers returns to full fitness.
Mahon added: “It was the plan pre-Goodwood to stick at a mile for the time being and obviously there has been no chat about potential races since Goodwood, we’re just going to have to let the dust settle and let him get back into exercise and then when he is fit make a plan from there.
“You are getting into that time of year when there is not an abundance of opportunities and there is the Moulin, QEII or you go up to a mile and a quarter for the races at that distance.
“So I wouldn’t say there is a huge amount of options, but we’ll just wait and see and let the horse tell us.”
While the Gosdens might not have Field Of Gold in the Juddmonte International, they still have a very strong contender in Ombudsman.
Ombudsman impressed in the Price of Wales’s Stakes (David Davies/PA)
“He won the Prince of Wales’s first time in a Group One and showed he’s up to that level. The Eclipse, again he ran a very good race, beaten by a top-class three-year-old (Delacroix) coming through,” said Thady Gosden.
“He’s come out of that race well, had a little freshen up and (is) heading to the Juddmonte International hopefully.
“He’s such a genuine horse, has got the speed required and hopefully can run a good one there.
“It’s a career-defining race for a lot of horses. If you win the Juddmonte International it certainly means a lot – depth of the field and the quality to it. And then, of course, York’s a very fair track; so often the best horse wins and it’s something that everyone aspires to.”
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Quinault will aim to extend his unbeaten run at York to four in what is sure to be a red-hot renewal of the Sky Bet City of York Stakes on August 23.
Stuart Williams’ prolific winner booked his spot in the new Group One when successful in the Criterion Stakes on the Knavesmire in June, a race which qualified him to start in the City of York.
“We had him spot on for that race (in June) and you’re delighted to win a race there, of that prestige, and get the win-and-you’re-in prize for the City of York,” said Williams.
“He obviously loves the track, it’s suited him really well and he’s unbeaten up there.
“It’s hard to assess what’s going to run at the moment, but they’ll have to run hard to beat him. He tries like hell and wherever he finishes he’ll do his absolute best. They’ll have to keep up with him because he’ll go a good clip – and he keeps going.
“In the race (the Criterion) he won there, they were sort of catching him halfway up the straight, but he did the second-quickest last furlong, so he was not stopping at the end. We’re hopeful he can do that again.
“I still think he’s got more to offer – I still think he’s on his improve.”
He added: “I think it’s an important thing for the calendar to have a Group One seven-furlong race in Britain – it fits in well with the (Prix de la) Foret, which is six weeks further down the line. It should be a nice stepping-stone for that.
“We’ll enjoy the day whatever happens, I’m sure he’ll do his best and he won’t be far away.”
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Hugo Palmer is weighing up his options with Fitzella after her impressive victory in the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot last month, with France and Newmarket on the radar.
The daughter of Too Darn Hot broke her maiden at Haydock and was not disgraced in the Albany Stakes at the Royal meeting when fourth behind Karl Burke’s smart Venetian Sun.
But she came out on top on her return to the Berkshire circuit when beating Staya by a length and Palmer is now plotting where to send her next before a trip to the Breeders’ Cup.
The Malpas-based handler said: “We were very pleased with that. She seems to have come out of it in very good order.
“She’s already had four starts. It’s a question of how many more times do we want to run her this season. She’s kind of grown and changed all year and I think she is a filly with a future, I don’t think she is just a two-year-old.
“In my mind there will probably be no more than two more goes this year. She is potentially a filly for the Breeders’ Cup, so that possibly means just one more European run. We want to do everything we can to make sure that’s a winning European run before we go to California.
“In my head I thought maybe the Prix du Calvados (at Deauville on August 24), which is where Simmering went last year after winning the Princess Margaret and I thought that looked quite a nice fit.
“Predicting and reading the ground in France is tricky and she does want top of the ground, but it’s very hot in August in Deauville and it dries out very quickly being by the beach and by the river and we’ll just have to be on weather watch.
“If that didn’t work I thought probably the Rockfel (at Newmarket on September 26) would be an obvious target, it’ll be another month later but the Cambridgeshire meeting tends to throw up quite quick ground, still being relatively early.
“She is in the Moyglare as well. But the Moyglare being that jump to Group One company might be the hardest way to keep her unbeaten, to make sure her next run is a winning one.
“Any Group winning two-year-old from this point of the season onwards, you’re thinking about the Guineas. There’s a lot of water to throw under the bridge between now and then but that’s what we’d like her to be.”
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Howd’yadoit left Ger Lyons “gobsmacked”, as Colin Keane timed it to perfection in landing the richly-endowed Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas.
Completing a treble on the day, Keane got up close home on the 13-2 chance – who had shed his maiden tag at the fourth time of asking at Down Royal last month – to hold off Unbreakable Duke by a nose.
Unbreakable Duke was subsequently demoted to third, with Summer Is Tomorrow promoted to second, following a stewards’ inquiry into interference.
British raider Jel Pepper (6-4 favourite) was fourth for Paul and Oliver Cole, while Prix Robert Papin winner Green Sense was withdrawn by Joseph O’Brien due to unsuitable ground.
Lyons – who teamed up with Keane to land this race with Sacred Bridge in 2021 – admitted: “I’m gobsmacked, as I didn’t think he’d be good enough.
“What an honest horse, he’s been doing it well. We wanted to win a maiden en route to winning a nursery, but he (handicapper) hit him with a mark that I thought was ridiculous for what I felt was a poor maiden.
“We came here because it was a good pot, and I said any bit of the prize-money is grand. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he’d win.”
He added: “I’m delighted as Sean’s (Jones, owner) horses are now bought for and named by his sons Eddie and James to keep them interested and they are here today. They are the next generation, so it’s great.
“Sean has been with me from day one and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”
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The Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes remains a tantalising option for Lady Iman after she provided the O’Callaghan family with another memorable moment in a dream summer at Goodwood.
It is often said that one man’s misfortune is another man’s gain and after bringing the hammer down for £185,000 at the sales before being returned to her breeders following a failed post-sale veterinary examination, few would have blamed the O’Callaghans of Tally-Ho Stud fame for feeling despondent.
However, sent into training with Ger Lyons, Lady Iman has proven a standard-bearer in more ways than one, both excelling on the track in the O’Callaghan silks and becoming the perfect advertisement for Tally-Ho’s freshman sire Starman in the process.
After three straight victories Lady Iman and her striking white face met a bump in the road at the Curragh in the Airlie Stud Stakes, but was soon back showcasing the speed that has been a hallmark of her career to date to leave the opposition trailing with a dazzling display in the Molecomb Stakes.
“It was great to see her win again and we’re living the dream and we’ll see where she takes us,” said Roger O’Callaghan, son of Tony and Anne O’Callaghan.
“She’s been awesome since we couldn’t sell her. Before Christmas she was showing plenty and looked a bit different. She’s always shown loads and her temperament is second to none. She is why Starman looks to be a good stallion, as she has got his speed and his temperament.
“We’re all enjoying it and hopefully we’re not finished yet.”
Lady Iman returns after her Goodwood win (Andrew Matthews/PA)
It was not just the speed shown by Lady Iman on the racecourse the O’Callaghans enjoyed at Goodwood, as unlike their star performer, they were asked to take the foot off their gas when getting to experience horse power of a different kind and invited to try out the South Downs’ famous motor circuit.
And having enjoyed the hospitality provided during Lady Iman’s first raid to Britain, the owners are now left to ponder the next steps of the thriving juvenile’s career.
With a ticket to the $1million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint ready to be cashed in later in the year courtesy of her Molecomb triumph, the chance to become the first two-year-old Nunthorpe winner since Kingsgate Native in 2007 is getting connections thinking after she was made the general 4-1 favourite for a daring raid on the Knavesmire’s sprint feature.
“Personally I would like to go for the Nunthorpe,” continued O’Callaghan.
‘She was cantering all over the back of them at the two and I ended up getting there too early’
“Dad and myself own the filly together and dad might prefer the filly to stick to her own age group, but if she’s fit and well, I would like to take on the elders, you have to live the dream and live for the moment.
“We’ll worry about it when the time comes, there’s a few weeks yet and we would have to write a bit of a cheque (to supplement), so we’ll see.
“The trainer is very keen on the Breeders’ Cup and Goodwood was a ‘win and you’re in’. We’ll take it one day at a time, but I would like to go to York next.”
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Fresh from Group One glory in France on Sunday with Fallen Angel, Danny Tudhope was in double form at Ripon on Monday from just three rides.
His old ally David O’Meara provided both and in Goyard, winner of the ripon-races.co.uk Book Now For Saturday August 16th Novice Stakes, they may have an above-average recruit for his part-owner, Brighton footballer Giorgino Rutter.
A six-and-a-half-length winner on soft ground over six furlongs at Ripon last time out, he dropped to the minimum trip with aplomb, defeating another previous winner in Right And Exact by a cosy half-length.
“Obviously he was back in trip today and he was certainly sharp enough,” said Tudhope of the 1-3 favourite.
“We were drawn wide, but he was quick enough to get across and get the rail.
“He’s a big, gross horse and there should be more to come. Today he was more lively, but he had to be over this trip.
“He’s a grand horse going forward. Whatever he does he’s going to get better and there should be more to come.”
O’Meara’s Tiva (13-8 favourite) then had very little bother in winning the Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Fillies’ Handicap.
Reflecting on his first top-level success since winning the Irish 1000 Guineas on the same filly last May, Tudhope said: “It was a brilliant day and great to get back on her.
“To go and do what she did again yesterday was unbelievable and she’s now a Group One winner at two, three and four which is a great achievement.
“I think she’s going for the Matron Stakes next.”
Another nice winner on the card was Simon and Ed Crisford’s Dandana, who defied market weakness to claim the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes.
With Karl Burke’s Pearl Fortune the 5-4 favourite and plenty of support for Tudhope’s mount Rogue Temptation, Dandana was sent off at 3-1 despite winning her debut impressively.
The three came well clear and it was Harry Davies’ mount who took the spoils by half a length. The other pair dead-heated for second.
Davies said: “She’s a nice filly. We’ve always liked her. She’s a bit quirky, she probably wasn’t in love with this track but she’s got through it and she’s won with a penalty.
“She’s had to be tough. From the two-furlong pole it’s slightly downhill and I think she was probably always doing enough, every time they came to her she went on. She could be all right.
“The rail definitely helps on a green filly. I’m not sure we’ll bring her here again, though.
“With racing she’ll come forward. She’s pretty quirky but I’m sure she’d be fine stepping up in grade, she possibly could be a stakes filly as she was quietly impressive there.”
Tim Easterby’s Mister Sox (6-1) came with a well-timed ride under Sean Kirrane to win the feature Wilmot-Smith Memorial Handicap.
“He’s a lovely horse and he likes it here. He’s been great for us and is just improving with age,” said Easterby of the five-year-old.
“He’s by Pivotal and they take longer to reach their peak.”
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Japanese star Danon Decile has completed his final workout before leaving for the UK and his bid for glory in the Juddmonte International at York on August 20.
The four-year-old was put through his paces at Ritto Training Centre and was ridden by his trainer, Shogo Yasuda.
Danon Decile won the Sheema Classic at Meydan in April, beating the top-class Calandagan, who has won two Group Ones since, by a length and a quarter.
“We wanted to see how well he could settle behind another horse while going left-handed, and also get a sense of how much pressure he can handle once he’s over there (in the UK). He’s handled the heat well and managed his time leading up to quarantine smoothly,” Yasuda told Japan’s Daily Sports.
“He’s matured since the Dubai trip, but there’s still a bit of youth in him. If he can grow from this experience, I’m excited about what’s to come.”
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Karl Burke is keen for Venetian Sun to have one final outing at six furlongs in the Prix Morny before she steps up in distance later in the campaign.
The unbeaten two-year-old followed in the footsteps of former Spigot Lodge inmate Dandalla when backing up Albany Stakes success in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and with the form of both races looking red-hot, connections are justified in aiming sky high with their talented daughter of Starman.
“She’s a very high-class filly and we’re aiming her at the Morny,” said Burke.
“If everything is as it should be at that stage going into the race – we’ll have a good opposition at the time – then she will probably go there.”
Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom along with Ian McAleavy, Venetian Sun is sure to move up in trip in a bid to replicate Burke’s Fallen Angel at the Curragh in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 14.
But before that, the exciting youngster is being prepared to head to Deauville on August 17, where she has the chance to join the Middleham handler’s 2017 winner Unfortunately on the Morny roll of honour.
“If we don’t go to the Morny we will go straight to the Moyglare and all being well if she does take in the Morny, she will then go on to the Curragh and the Moyglare over seven as well,” continued Burke.
“We’re very keen to step her up to seven, but the Morny is too big a prize to leave behind and it will be very interesting to see who stands their ground for the race and at the moment it’s what she is being trained for.
“She came out of Newmarket bouncing fresh and she has just started picking up her work and we’re ready to build her up for the Morny.”
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Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore have been granted a joint licence by the British Horseracing Authority.
Russell, who has been training since 1995 in the professional ranks, has sent out over 1,000 winners in her own name, including two Grand Nationals and four Cheltenham Festival successes.
Scudamore, who has been linked to the Kinross yard since 2023, had previously trained in his own right in Herefordshire.
“The long-term plan has always been for Michael and myself to become joint trainers and it represents an exciting development for the stable as we look forward to the 2025/26 jumps season,” said Russell.
“In his two years as assistant trainer Michael has been able to embed himself into his role within the team and fully acquaint himself with our training methods which utilise the outstanding natural resources of the Perthshire countryside.
“Apart from the names of the licence, nothing will change but the effects of having Michael on board in a leadership role are already evident.
“The size of our stable has increased by 20 per cent since he arrived in Scotland. We have built more stables and will have around 160 horses in training by the time the jumps season fully kicks into gear.
“Being able to share responsibility for the operational running of the stable has also allowed me to concentrate more time on arguably the most important part of training, sourcing new horses. That has seen the quality of horses we are able to train continue to improve thanks to the support of our owners.”
Scudamore, son of Russell’s partner and assistant Peter, said: “I am really excited to be joining Lucinda as joint trainer. The Russell stable has been one of the most successful in the country over the last two years and this move reflects our ambitions to reach even greater heights.
“Any trainer will tell you that when you move into a new stable it takes time to get used to the gallops and the environment around you.
“The last two years have been a great learning experience. I now feel I am fully integrated into a very experienced team in which everyone knows their roles.
“We have had some great results and everyone is eager to further build on that success.”
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Bonus Time made all to land the Ironxcell For Energy Race at Naas.
The 2-5 shot was sent straight to the head of the field by Colin Keane, with Zuheila racing keenly in behind.
Keane did not have to ask the daughter of Too Darn Hot too many questions, as the Paddy Twomey-trained filly ran out a half-length winner from Kodilicious, who kept on well for second, with the still green Zuheila in third.
Twomey said: “Her last run was her first run for us and we tried seven in a handicap. She ran really well and Andy (Oliver)’s horse is a good horse that beat her just at the line.
“First time in a handicap carrying 10st and I just thought the last 50 yards looked a long way, so we said we’d come back to six today.
“It looked a nice spot for her and I’m very happy how she did it. Colin looked after her and gave her a nice ride.
“Colin said she could be dropped in and that she was waiting there in front.”
The three-year-old is owned by Yorkshire-based Bond Thoroughbred Limited, and Twomey added: “We’ll try to get some black type with her eventually and she might go to the Ebor meeting in York.”
Mint Man won on turf at the 11th time of asking in the Taste Of Kildare At Naas Racecourse 16th – 17th August Handicap.
The Pat Murphy-trained four-year-old launched his challenge two furlongs out and hit the front heading into the final furlong, keeping on well to win by a length and a half.
Murphy said of his 8-1 winner: “He was in good form and is not a massive horse so carrying less weight today helped him.
“Leigh said he winged the gates and travelled away nicely for him. He hung a bit to the near side but has done it nicely.
“I thought he would have won more by now.
“We’ll see what comes up for him and he could run in the Curragh on Saturday.”
Keane completed a double on Noli Timere in the LubriSyn HA+ Premium Equine Joint Protection Fillies Maiden.
Michael O’Callaghan’s filly justified 11-4 favouritism and he said: “She’s a lovely filly and has taken a bit of time but is one we have always liked.
“We put cheekpieces on today, more to sharpen her up dropping back from a mile and one.
“Colin said a mile is her trip and she’ll improve for slower ground. That is as quick as she wants it and we’ll probably go hunting for a little bit of black type.”
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In a season where Charlie Johnston might yet hit the Classic target, he has high hopes for the future with Ancient Egypt after the regally-bred youngster made a winning debut at Beverley last week.
Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing operation went to 1,100,000 guineas for the son of Frankel out of Atone, who is a sister to Midday.
Ridden by Rowan Scott, he needed all of the extended seven-furlong trip to get on top but was doing his best work in the closing stages and Johnston – who won the same race 12 months ago with his dual Derby-placed and now St Leger-bound colt Lazy Griff – is keen to get him out again this season.
“He’s come out of the race good, I was relieved to get his head in front on debut,” said the Middleham handler.
“He horse we’ve always liked. He’s a big boy. He’s a horse for next year. I’m not sure what we’ll do with him now, I’m sure we’ll see him again at least once more this year, quite how quickly we step up in class, we’ll have to have a think about, but he’s a he’s a smart horse.
“I love the way he was only just getting half the idea in the last furlong when he went and put it to bed. Rowan took about half an hour to pull him up and come back in again so he’ll take a big step forward from that. We think he’s a smart horse.
“It was the same race that Lazy Griff won. I’m not going to stand here and say that I’ve been planning that for months, but after he worked last week I thought it was the entry, so let’s hope he ends up in the same sort of echelons as him.”
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Publish will follow in the footsteps of some illustrious names when he returns to Sandown for the Betmgm Solario Stakes later this month.
John and Thady Gosden’s son of Kingman is already well accustomed to the Esher track having run there in both of his starts to date, winning impressively last time out when getting the better of Charlie Appleby’s Catullus.
As short as 10-1 with Ladbrokes and Coral for next year’s 2000 Guineas, the exciting colt will now get the chance to not only emulate his father, but also Clarehaven stablemate Field Of Gold who won the Group Three event in the Juddmonte silks 12 months ago.
“He’s a lovely colt and a horse that we like a lot,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.
“He will probably follow a route similar to Field Of Gold and go back to Sandown for the Solario Stakes on his next start.
“It should suit him going back to Sandown, John and Thady have used that route for some nice horses and obviously Kingman and Field Of Gold are two who have won it. Now he’s had his two runs I think we will stick to that plan.
“James Doyle was very complimentary of him and the only thing he did say was the ground was on the soft side that day and he would appreciate better ground, which is something we’ll bear in mind going forward. But he’s very much a nice colt.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2.80890132-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2025-08-04 11:18:212025-08-04 11:18:21Publish schedule will follow some classy names
George Scott has earmarked Kempton’s Unibet September Stakes for Isle Of Jura’s long-awaited comeback, with his stable star pleasing the Newmarket handler since returning to work.
A stand-out performer for the Eve Lodge team, he is unbeaten in his last five after building on his money-spinning success in Bahrain back on home soil, but he has been on the sidelines since registering a memorable victory in last year’s Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
However, anticipation is now building that the long road to recovery is coming to an end, with Scott optimistic the five-year-old will be ready for action on the Sunbury all-weather on September 6.
Scott said: “He’s great and back in fast work and I think we can slightly begin to dream he will be back again as he’s taken some very significant steps forwards and is in great shape. His issue is handling great and it is really exciting.
“He’s going to go to the September Stakes, that will be his race and fits well with my plan to go for the Bahrain International.
“At least now we can be optimistic and start to make these plans and look forward to getting him back. We’ve jumped a lot of hurdles now and it would just be very unlucky if we didn’t see him in the September Stakes, he’s really doing well.
“He will have been off the track for a long time by the time we get to the September Stakes so in my head I will be thinking anything there is a bonus, but he’s a special racehorse to us.”
Trainer George Scott has his stable star to look forward to (David Davies/PA)
If all goes to plan for the Victorious Racing-owned Isle Of Jura in his Kempton return, then he will swiftly be on his travels in search of further riches in the Middle East, with Scott planning an ambitious winter programme.
Scott added: “He’ll spend his winter abroad and I imagine he will go to Bahrain and then move onto something like the Jebel Hatta (Meydan) and the Neom Turf Cup (Riyadh) and then back to Dubai for World Cup night, but that is a long way off.
“There’s unbelievable money in these races abroad and he loves fast ground and flat tracks so it just makes perfect sense.”
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