Al Qareem shone on the Knavesmire with an impressive success in the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes.
Karl Burke and Nick Bradley Racing’s reliable six-year-old was a 9-2 chance under Clifford Lee, with Willie Mullins’ 2023 Ebor winner Absurde the even-money favourite having travelled over from Ireland.
It was those two who did battle from a long way out as the Listed event reached a crucial stage, but Al Qareem is not a horse to shy away from a battle and he put his head down to pull clear and prevail by four and a half lengths.
“He’s so honest, he’s a very sound horse and he just does it every time you ask him to,” said Burke.
“When the favourite came looming up I had a smile on my face, the commentator was saying the favourite was coming after him but you know he’s going to fight for it.
“I think he’ll be handicapped out of the Ebor, but the Irish St Leger and the Curragh Cup, especially the Irish St Leger, could be very interesting.
“It’s on a lovely, big, galloping track (Curragh) and he stays that one-mile-six (furlongs) so well. They are the two races we’ll be looking at.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2.80650544-scaled.jpg12802560https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.png2025-06-14 14:32:362025-06-14 14:32:36Consistent Al Qareem bags another big prize
Colin Keane weaved some magic aboard Town And Country to make his first ride at Sandown a winning one in the BetMGM Scurry Stakes.
Trained by Grand National and Gold Cup-winning Henry de Bromhead, the Earthlight filly had rattled the crossbar in two efforts so far this term and at one stage looked she could be an unlucky loser once again as her rider searched for an opening aboard his powerfully-travelling mount.
However, Keane got the 5-2 second favourite out and motoring just in time to hit the line just in front of Clive Cox’s Hold A Dream, with a photo required to determine the short head verdict in the Listed event.
The win extends the six-time Irish champion’s stellar week since being appointed Juddmonte’s retained rider and as he is set to be a more regular sight on British soil, it was a fine way to get accustomed to Esher.
Keane told Racing TV: “She was keen and Billy Lee told me she could be but I didn’t think she would be that bad and she ended up bringing me into a couple of pockets.
“To be fair to her she only got out in the last half furlong and she has done well to win. I think over here when she gets used to proper sprinting it will suit her and the quicker they go the better as she will relax and we’ll see the best of her.
“I would have thought she could go on to run well in Group company.”
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Shes Perfect holds leading claims in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly, as she returns to France in search of the Classic glory she was agonisingly denied last month.
Owned by the Basher Watts Racing Club and trained by Charlie Fellowes, Shes Perfect was first past the post in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches before losing the race after an inquiry, and after unsuccessfully trying to appeal the decision, connections cross the Channel once again hoping to correct the record.
Fellowes said: “This has been the plan pretty much since the French Guineas and we had the choice between this or the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, but I always thought she would stay at least 10 furlongs and we felt this was the right time to try it.
Breaking: The French 1000 Guineas appeal has been dismissed and Zarigana keeps the race over Shes Perfect pic.twitter.com/M1mvmaTBdZ
“She’s in good order and hasn’t missed a beat since Longchamp and she’s travelled over well. They’ve had a bit of rain which is welcome and will hopefully take the sting out of the ground which is ideal.
“The draw is fine in seven and being honest with only 12 runners it wasn’t quite as crucial as it was for Luther in the French Derby where there was a few more and we didn’t want to be posted wide. Also she is electric out of the gates which negates any draw concerns really.”
It was Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zarigana who was ultimately awarded the French 1000 Guineas crown at ParisLongchamp, but her stablemate Mandanaba was also on the premises in third and Fellowes is respectful of the challenge she represents.
Fellowes added: “It’s a good race and there is plenty in there to beat. Mandanaba ran a screamer in the Guineas and on pedigree should have no problem staying further and Aidan (O’Brien) has two in there who always have to be respected so it is no walk over by any stretch of the imagination.
“But we’re really looking forward to seeing her run and hopefully she can go over there and do the business.”
Trainer Charlie Fellowes could win his first Group One at Chantilly (Mike Egerton/PA)
As identified by Fellowes it is Mandanaba who presents the biggest danger to Shes Perfect, with a Classic success for the daughter of Ghaiyyath particularly poignant as she runs in the colours of Princess Zahra Aga Khan.
Nemone Routh, manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: “Her breeding would suggest she’ll be better over a mile and a quarter.
“We hesitated for a long time over whether to run in the Prix Saint-Alary or put her in the Group One Classic over a mile because it is a Classic and you don’t get many opportunities when the horse is well to run at that level in that type of race.
“She ran a great race, it was only her third run and she got left a little bit on her own on the inside and she was very game.
“She’s a very genuine filly who shows quite a lot of speed early in her races and we think she’s a filly who likes good, fast ground.
“She’s not a big filly, but she’s quite strong and it’s a nice story in that she’s the last foal of her dam Mandesha, who was retired after she foaled her.
“Mandesha was a champion for Princess Zahra who won three Group Ones over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half, which is quite a rare achievement and it’s nice to find some of her quality in her last foal.”
Also trained by Graffard is Cankoura has won three of her five starts, although this represents a big rise in class from the Listed race she won at ParisLongchamp last time out.
Further British representation, meanwhile, comes with American Gal for the in-form Ed Walker and the John and Thady Gosden-trained Sand Gazelle, while O’Brien saddles Bedtime Story and Merrily, with Ryan Moore aboard the first-named.
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Falakeyah has been supplemented for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot to set up a mouthwatering clash with French ace Zarigana.
Owen Burrows’ unbeaten filly dazzled when winning the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket last month, putting herself in the picture for both the Oaks and the French equivalent which will be run at Chantilly on Sunday.
However, after deciding against Epsom, a dirty scope ruled her out of France, with connections now taking the plunge to drop back to a mile with their supremely talented daughter of New Bay.
This is eyecatching 👀
FALAKEYAH follows in the footsteps of future Oaks winner Taghrooda winning the @Betfred Pretty Polly Stakes in sparkling fashion ✨ pic.twitter.com/t0KvzFPUbO
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) May 4, 2025
In a statement on shadwellstud.com, the owners racing manager Angus Gold said: “Jim (Crowley) has been saying all spring ‘this filly has plenty of speed’ and she showed that when she won at Newmarket on her first start of the year.
“Once we had decided not to stretch her stamina to a mile and a half in the Oaks, the next option was the Prix de Diane. However, she did not scope clean two weeks ago, so Owen and the team gave her time and sorted it out, but the net result was the timescale proved too tight to get her back to peak fitness for the Diane, especially with the travelling over to France.
“Owen feels she is now back to where she was before the dirty scope. He’s very happy with her and together we feel the Coronation is the right race for her now. Jim believes she has the pace to be competitive at a mile at that level. She’s definitely got a lot of class, and we are looking forward to Friday.”
Falakeyah could ultimately prove the biggest challenge to Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zarigana, the grandaughter of the great Zarkava who was awarded the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in the stewards room at ParisLongchamp after a late tussle with Charlie Fellowes’ Shes Perfect.
Breaking: The French 1000 Guineas appeal has been dismissed and Zarigana keeps the race over Shes Perfect pic.twitter.com/M1mvmaTBdZ
Shes Perfect also stands her ground but is poised for the challenge of the Prix de Diane on Sunday, while the same applies to Aidan O’Brien’s Bedtime Story and Merrily who also feature amongst the confirmations for Friday’s Group One.
Ballydoyle have also confirmed Exactly and January, while Ralph Beckett could be represented by 1000 Guineas fifth Chantilly Lace and the Amo Racing-owned Cathedral.
Ollie Sangster’s Flight and Simmering finished ahead of Chantilly Lace in second and third respectively behind Desert Flower at Newmarket and could leave below par efforts in the Irish version of the Guineas behind here.
Meanwhile, Joseph Murphy’s Cercene and Archie Watson’s Duty First were two to thrive at the Curragh when third and fourth and are also amongst the Ascot possibles.
Jane Chapple-Hyam’s unbeaten York scorer Kon Tiki joins Falakeyah in being supplemented into the field at a cost of £46,000, while Ger Lyons’ Red Letter completes the list of 15 going forward.
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Ed Bethell’s See That Storm showed he is still improving when catching a tartar at York on Friday in the shape of Burrito.
Since joining Bethell from Andrew Balding, See That Storm won his first four races before being beaten a nose in the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar.
Raised 4lb for that near-miss, he then had the misfortune of bumping into what is surely a Group horse in the making on the Knavesmire, but given he was beaten almost two lengths, the handicapper should not alter his mark much.
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Burrito looks booked for bigger and better things after taking his record to three wins from four outings at York on Friday.
With £70,000 up for grabs in the Seat Unique Handicap, a competitive field had been gathered. But John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old stood out both in the racecard and in the paddock beforehand.
James Doyle – on his only ride of the afternoon – overcame a tricky draw to put his partner into contention with two furlongs to run and set about chasing See That Storm, another improving type.
With half a furlong to go Burrito was well on top and the 9-5 favourite went on to win by a length and three-quarters.
The winner holds an entry back at York in next month’s the John Smith’s Cup.
“He had a sticky draw there so we had a bit of work on early, but once we got across to the ones on our inside he did come back nicely enough,” said Doyle.
“The further he went the better today. We’ll see what the guys want to do but there’s an obvious target back here, so I’ll leave that to them.”
Tom Goff, who oversees owner George Strawbridge’s European breeding stock, said: “He’s a fantastic model. He was a bit raw last year when he was gelded at the end of it as he had a high testicle.
“You didn’t need to do it for any other reason, it just had to be done as he’s got a lovely pedigree.
“He didn’t have the ideal draw there and had to bide his time, but he managed to slot in off an adequate gallop and he’s gone through the gears up the straight. He did it really well.
“There’s an obvious race we’ll have to have a look at, but hopefully in the future there’s a stakes race or two we can have a look at.”
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Easy Peeler came home strongly to win the British EBF Supporting Racing With Pride Fillies’ Handicap at York – but is unlikely to take up her entry back on the Knavesmire on Saturday.
John and Sean Quinn’s filly has yet to finish out of the first three in her career and seems to still be improving.
Having seen off Lady Of Andros to win the class two handicap, attention swiftly turned to the valuable Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap for which she is declared.
However, Sean Quinn feels she might have done enough for the week.
He said: “My gut feeling is she’s won a big race, it’s a very warm day and she got warm before the race so she’s expended a lot of energy.
“She’s a filly we like, so I don’t think we need to come again tomorrow because we don’t really need to. She’s won a good race there.
“She’s progressing nicely. She’s running in some nice handicaps at the moment, but she was bred by Whitsbury Manor Stud who have Havana Grey and they’ve leased her to Hot To Trot (owning syndicate), so she’ll end up back there as a broodmare and they’d love to get black type. That’s a little way from our minds at the moment.”
David Egan was predicting a bright future for India Love (13-2) after the George Boughey-trained filly made a winning debut in the Juddmonte EBF Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes.
The more experienced Bleep Test made a bold bid from the front but despite racing keenly early on, India Love still had enough left to win by a neck.
India Love made a winning debut under David Egan (Nick Robson/PA)
“She’s been keen at home and shown plenty of enthusiasm so cover was the plan today and I’m glad we got it. I think it’s just a case of she’s very, very quick,” said Egan.
“She’ll get faster with that run and even though she was on it early on, she was very well behaved in the prelims which is half the battle.
“In a stronger race they’ll go even fast. She’s a nice filly. For a Havana Grey she was very well bought for £55,000 guineas and she’d done everything right at home.”
Andrea Pinna rode his first York winner when bringing Feel The Need with a sustained run down the outside in the Andy Thornton Hospitality Furniture 50th Anniversary Apprentice Handicap.
Feel The Need was a first York winner for Andrea Pinna (Nick Robson/PA)
Having just his second ride on the Knavesmire, Pinna, who rides primarily for Kevin Frost, had been booked by Michael Herrington for the five-year-old.
The 13-2 chance just got the better of course specialist Tolstoy to win by a neck.
“I saw the favourite edging closer so I just followed him and if the ground was a bit softer he would have won easier,” said Pinna.
“I wanted to drop in and see if a couple of gaps opened up, but I couldn’t see any so I just stayed on that line and he galloped on strong.
“He likes this track and soft ground suits him better.”
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Saba Desert made no mistake on debut to take the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes for Charlie Appleby at Sandown.
The Godolphin-owned and bred colt is by Dubawi and out of Finespun, a daughter of Luca Cumani’s Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Gossamer.
Godolphin and Appleby chose the same race as a career starting point for Native Trail in 2021, who went on to win two Group Ones by the end of his two-year-old year and was the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner the following term.
Now then … 👀
Dubawi colt 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 makes a most impressive racecourse debut @Sandownpark 🔥
Those are big shoes to fill, but under William Buick the 4-7 favourite looked potentially nice in prevailing by three-quarters of a length to get his own juvenile campaign under way.
“It was important to get some cover on him and do everything as you’d want to first time out,” Buick said.
“He’s a very fast horse, with a good attitude and a good mind in everything he does. I was very pleased with what he did there.
“He’s got plenty of pace. When you ask him, he’s there for you. He’s a very talented colt.”
Rising Power also made a winning start in the British EBF Novice Stakes, to give Godolphin, Appleby and Buick a double.
The Wootton Bassett colt was sent off as the 1-2 favourite over a bare-minimum five-furlong trip.
Rising Power kick-started a Godolphin double (Adam Davy/PA)
He found an adversary in Rod Millman’s 2-1 chance Killavia, but after the two locked horns it was Rising Power who took a three-quarter-length verdict.
“He was very gutsy. It was a little bit harder work than I probably would have liked or expected, but he’s a horse that probably wants six furlongs now, or even seven,” Buick told Racing TV.
“He ran against some speedy types there and showed his quality, that’s always good to have, he battled on and kept responding the whole way.
“He’s not the biggest horse, but he’s got a big heart.”
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Grand National-winning rider Patrick Mullins ticked off another course on his mission to conquer Britain when victorious at Chester on Friday.
Although only 30 miles separate the Roodee and Aintree, the two courses could not be more different in their make up, and only two months after winning the world’s most famous steeplechase, the amateur pilot switched codes to navigate the tight turns of Chester.
Mullins had finished third in the HRS Cladding Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap aboard John and Sean Quinn’s Red Mirage 12 months ago, but was handed the prime position of stall one aboard Ollie Sangster’s Profit Refused (3-1 favourite) this time around.
Away well over the seven-furlong trip, the 35-year-old had his mount in a handy position throughout and after kicking clear in the straight, just had enough petrol in reserve to hold off the fast-finishing defending champion Outrun The Storm by a neck.
Mullins, who celebrated with a flying dismount, said: “I was wondering if I had kicked too soon and he broke well and I did want to keep my powder dry as long as I could, but then there comes a time where you have to go or you are going to stall and we got home in front – stall one is a massive help here.
“It’s not quite Galway in reverse as Galway has a lot of ups and downs and Chester is completely unique – it’s a circle. I was keen to come back here after riding in this race last year and these opportunities you have to take when you can.
“The speed is a huge buzz. We get to race over this trip at Laytown, but that is a straight course, so to do it here round a bend is great.
“I’m so lucky to ride in a Grand National then to come here and ride over seven furlongs around Chester, not many people get the opportunity to do that.”
It was a close finish in the Chester opener (David Davies/PA)
On his ambition to ride a winner at every track in Britain, he added: “It’s been a magic day and there’s 25 more jumps tracks for me to go, I think Cartmel is definitely high on the list.”
Mullins’ victory came in the colours of the Pompey Ventures team, in which school friend David Byrne is a partner.
Byrne was thrilled to be able to provide his friend a rare opportunity on the Flat and told Sky Sports Racing: “We went to school together, we started school when we were 12 and have been pals ever since.
“He’s always been talented and this is great. Everything worked out that we had a runner in an amateur race and Paddy is trying to ride a winner at every track, so it was great that I could give him the call, we go a long way back.”
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Brigid’s Cloak will aim to continue her upward progression as she travels to York for the Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap.
Trained by Johnny Murtagh and owned by the Nick Bradley Racing Club, the Havana Grey filly got off the mark on the all-weather at Dundalk in April and has done little but improve since.
A run over six furlongs at the Curragh in May yielded another win, after which she was the runner-up of a premier handicap over a five-furlong trip at the same track earlier this month.
“She’s a gorgeous filly who we’ve really liked since we bought her, Havana Grey is obviously a very good stallion,” said Bradley.
“When she won for the first time this year she was just winning in turn, but she’s absolutely come on a lot since then.
“Johnny’s putting her improvement down to her behaviour at the course, she’s been great recently and she’s getting better and better.
“She’s gone up 2lb after finishing second last time. It wasn’t an easy decision to run her here, but the money is very good and my owners love having a runner – hopefully a winner – at York.
“It’s a nice race and I do think she’ll win off her mark. Whether that’s on Saturday or not, we’ll find out.”
Also involved is Roger Teal’s Hucklesbrook, a winner last time out at Leicester after starting his campaign off over six furlongs at Ascot.
“I think he needed the race at Ascot but he ran a solid race. He came forward for that at Leicester – he did very well, won nicely,” said Teal.
“Hopefully, if he brings that form to the table, then you’d put him in the mix. I don’t think he’s really ground dependent – he’s pretty versatile. He’s got a nice draw in the middle there, I think, so we’re hoping for a big run from him.”
Of the boosted prize fund offered on the Knavesmire, Teal added: “They are very few and far between, so it’s nice we can have a crack at bringing home a nice pot if we can. But it’s going to be a very competitive race, so it’s not going to be easy.”
Also in the mix is Ollie Sangster’s Tuco Salamanca, who has had a busy and fruitful year already when adding a string of placed efforts on turf to three wins on the all-weather.
Those performances have provided plenty of encouragement to owners Pompey Ventures syndicates, whose founding partner Owen Haly said: “We’re delighted he got in the race as it’s a big pot and a nice flat, straight track should suit him.
“He owes us nothing, but I hope there is more to come from him and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him run well at a nice price.”
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Absurde will return to the scene of his most valuable victory to date when he lines up for the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes at York on Saturday.
Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old is a true dual-purpose performer who won the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 and then the Listed Chester Stakes later the same year.
He started his Flat campaign this season at the latter track when third in the Group Three Ormonde and now turns his attentions to the Knavesmire again, where he landed the Ebor under an inspired Frankie Dettori in 2023.
“He’s an incredible horse, he’s been to Cheltenham, Ascot and Chester,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.
“We’re really looking forward to sending him back to York, he obviously won the Ebor there back in 2023.
“He’s in great form at home, he’s race-fit and we’re expecting a big run from him.”
A field of five has assembled for the race, with Andrew Balding’s Alsakib also bringing course-and-distance form to the table as the winner of the Silver Cup last term.
Charlie Appleby’s El Cordobes and David Simock’s Raja Raja both run, and so too does Karl Burke’s Al Qareem.
The six-year-old was the runner-up behind Alsakib in the Silver Cup last year, and has returned to action this season in good form with a win in the Listed Further Flight and a second-placed effort ahead of Absurde in the Ormonde.
“He’s in great form at home, the ground isn’t going to be ideal but hopefully we’ll get a shower,” said Nick Bradley of ownership group Nick Bradley Racing.
“The alternative was to go to the Listed race at Goodwood that Hamish won (the Tapster Stakes), we’d have had the ground there but the race would have potentially been a bit tougher.
“He’s in great form and this will hopefully set him up nicely for the rest of the season.”
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Aidan O’Brien’s Illinois and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Candelari have the chance to fill the void left by Kyprios after standing their ground for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
There is a vacancy at the top of the staying tree after the recent retirement of O’Brien’s dual Gold Cup hero, but hopes are high Illinois could prove a ready-made replacement judged on his impressive Ormonde Stakes success at Chester.
O’Brien has also confirmed Coronation Cup hero Jan Brueghel, but Illinois is poised for a mouthwatering showdown with Graffard’s French raider, who announced himself at the top-level with a sublime performance at ParisLongchamp in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier.
John and Thady Gosden’s Trawlerman and Sweet William have been regular bridesmaids to Kyprios and now have the chance of their moment in the spotlight, with the former winning well in his Sandown reappearance.
Andrew Balding’s Coltrane is another regular in this event, but he will have to reverse Sagaro Stakes form with Michael Bell’s Yashin to make his presence felt, with Bell looking to recreate the Gold Cup exploits of Big Orange from 2017.
Saeed bin Suroor has confirmed Dubai Gold Cup scorer Dubai Future, with James Ferguson’s Wonder Legend given the chance to transfer his smart all-weather form on turf.
The 10-strong list is rounded off by Alan King’s stalwart Trueshan, although the warm weather has the potential to once again scupper any hope of him appearing in this race.
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Wathnan Racing have swooped to secure the services of top international jockey James McDonald for Royal Ascot.
The Emir of Qatar’s racing operation enjoyed a four-timer at the Royal meeting 12 months ago and with a swelling team once again this year and multiple entries in many races, the New Zealand-born pilot will prove a more than able deputy to James Doyle for the leading owners.
Wathnan’s racing adviser Richard Brown said: “We’re going to have a good-sized team with multiple entries in certain races.
“William Buick helps us when he can but obviously his availability is limited and when talking to the team, we decided we needed to have somebody in position who might be able to help us.
Jockey James McDonald has plenty of Royal Ascot experience (Nigel French/PA)
“A lot of the top guys here have got their own commitments and we heard with interest that James McDonald is coming over to ride Carl Spackler, so we reached out to him and he’s going to be here Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before flying home for a wedding at the weekend.”
A good friend of Wathnan number one Doyle, ‘J-Mac’ has enjoyed notable recent success on the world stage aboard Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior, while he has a stellar record at Royal Ascot enjoying a treble in 2022 which included Group One glory aboard Australian ace Nature Strip.
“I would imagine James will ride five or six for us over the first three days,” continued Brown.
James McDonald celebrates winning aboard Nature Strip (David Davies/PA)
“He has a great record at Ascot and he’s great mates with James Doyle, which is an important dynamic to it. They will be able to run through the horses together that James Doyle knows so well and ‘Doyler’ has got a few hard decisions to make.
“But James is such a team player and is very pro the idea and I’m sure he’ll be helping the other James with the form of the races and the horses he’ll be on.
“We didn’t want to leave anything to chance and it’s very hard to get the top guys booked with them having their own commitments, so to have James McDonald riding for us where we have multiple entries and William Buick can’t (ride) makes an awful lot of sense.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/267428210-scaled.jpg12802560https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.png2025-06-13 11:27:442025-06-13 11:27:44Wathnan snap up James McDonald for Royal Ascot rides
Rogue Supremacy is providing owners The Rogues Gallery with plenty of excitement ahead of Royal Ascot – providing their heads are not turned by a big-money move prior to the summer highlight kicking off.
David O’Meara’s youngster impressed when making all in his Wetherby debut, scorching clear of the opposition to give himself the options of the Coventry Stakes, Norfolk Stakes and Windsor Castle at the Royal meeting.
“We really, really like this horse, loads of people are trying to buy this horse and he could even be sold by the time we get to Ascot but I’m trying not to,” said Tony Elliott, founder of The Rogues Gallery.
“The jockey was more or less stood up with him the whole way at Wetherby and we don’t know what we’ve got yet and that’s the whole idea of going to Ascot.
“He’s sharp and we don’t know if he’ll get the six furlongs, so it could be that we’re looking at the five-furlong races over the Coventry.
“But I’ll leave that with David O’Meara, he knows the horse and it’s not really my decision, I leave it to the trainers. He’ll be entered in three of the races and it’s just a case of then picking the right one.”
The son of St Mark’s Basilica has courted plenty of attention since getting his sire off the mark last month, but at the moment the ‘Rogues’ are withstanding the pressure to sell the talented youngster, having already cashed in on the Paddy Twomey-trained Rogue Legend prior to Ascot.
Rogue Legend transferred to the ownership of American John Stewart and his Resolute Racing operation for a fee rumoured to be seven figures, and Elliott admitted there is always plenty to consider when offers hit the table.
He added: “It’s not all about selling because we want some nice ones ourselves and it’s a tricky situation. However, we’re not all multi-millionaires and sometimes you have to use your head rather than your heart ruling your head.
“People keep saying it must be a lovely position to be in, but it’s difficult. We all want a bit of money, but at the same time we want those nice horses as well. Luckily enough we keep putting ourselves in this position and I do think we’ve plenty of cracking horses coming through of real quality.”
Royal Ascot winner Rogue Millennium and crack sprinter Rogue Lightning were two others to excel for The Rogues Gallery before switching hands for £1.65million and £1million respectively at the sales, as the popular syndicate continues to source above-average operators.
And Rogue Supremacy could be joined next week by James Owen’s Rogue Millions, who is poised for the Golden Gates Handicap after readily accounting for some smart opposition at Chepstow recently.
“Rogue Millions will hopefully go to the Golden Gates and he could even be our best horse, he beat two really nice horses comfortably at Chepstow,” continued Elliott.
“We’ve got a lot of nice ones at the moment and everyone is buzzing, it couldn’t be going better for us. I would say we’re overachieving and I guess the person under pressure is me to keep finding them.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/280534938-scaled.jpg12802560https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.png2025-06-13 10:41:112025-06-13 10:41:11Rogue Supremacy subject to plenty of attention with Ascot looming
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