Tag Archive for: American Affair

American Affair ruled out of Champions Day outing

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Champions Day will come too soon for Royal Ascot winner American Affair, who will have to wait until next season to attempt to add to his Group One tally.

The five-year-old was one of the most popular winners of the week in June, completing his rise from handicapper to Group One performer.

Trainer Jim Goldie had hoped to run American Affair in the Nunthorpe but a problem emerged after Ascot that forced that plan to be abandoned and while Goldie had hoped to get his charge back in time for October, the gelding has now been taken out of the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.

“He’s not had a further setback as such, it’s probably just an ongoing thing,” said Goldie.

“We bone scanned him after Ascot and we’ve taken our time.

“Basically he had an MRI and the bone changes are still not improving, so realistically Ascot is going to come too quick.

“America (for the Breeders’ Cup) will need to be next year now. He’s been back cantering but we’re just being guided by the vets.

“It’s all just coming a little quick, bone takes time to mature and it’s a bit of bone bruising.”

Jim Goldie favouring Ascot date for American Affair

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Jim Goldie is leaning towards Champions Day at Ascot over the Breeders’ Cup for his stable star American Affair.

The King Charles III Stakes victor was one of the most popular winners at Royal Ascot and had Goldie dreaming of a trip to America.

However, a setback in the days after Ascot put plans on hold for the five-year-old and he is still only in light work, which makes Goldie think he should target just one race.

“We’re still in pre-season mode with him, if that makes sense, we’re planning towards October time so we’ve eight to 10 weeks,” said Goldie.

“We haven’t made a final decision about America yet, but I think it’s more likely that we go to Ascot with him as I don’t want to do both as that would mean rushing him.

“Obviously the Ascot race is six furlongs and he might just be a five-furlong specialist, but if he’s not that’s another string to his bow.”

Goldie finished second in the 2012 British Champions Sprint with Hawkeyethenoo while Jack Dexter was beaten just a neck the following year, so the handler is eager to finally secure the title.

“The point about Ascot is I’ve seen it, been there and done it but not quite won it! I’ve come close a few times and we’ve had horses run well there whereas going halfway around the world, it could be too firm for him,” he said.

“The option is there next year if we need it. We know how his form is stacking up as the horse we beat easy twice this year (Jm Jungle) is now going for the Nunthorpe after winning at Goodwood.

“I do like Champions Day. Jack Dexter won the race after Frankel there but nobody remembers as everyone was still talking about Frankel!

“I had it in my head we were going to America but I wanted a prep-race and I could only see two. The Ayr Gold Cup or Ascot, and Ascot was only 10 days or so before.

“I spoke to Tadhg O’Shea who rides all over the world and he said you want to ideally get them over there in plenty of time to acclimatise, so it then became one or the other so that’s where we are. I’d think it’s Ascot but I’ll sit on the fence as long as I can.”

Goldie focusing on Breeders’ Cup date with American Affair

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Jim Goldie is “reasonably confident” American Affair will still make the Breeders’ Cup after he was forced to rule his stable star out of the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

The five-year-old was one of the most popular winners at Royal Ascot when he powered through the field under Paul Mulrennan to win the King Charles III Stakes having triumphed in a handicap earlier in the season.

However, having had a routine flu vaccination, Goldie noticed his stable star was lame behind and a bone scan showed an issue that will prevent him from running next month.

“We’re hoping it’s not the end of his season,” said Goldie.

“We thought, just to clear the decks, if we took him out of the Nunthorpe now we wouldn’t try to rush him back. We don’t think it’s that serious, but if you get a warning, you heed it.

“It was after his routine vaccine for equine flu, sometimes it sets off an allergic reaction, that’s the whole idea of it. Basically he went lame behind on us, but he came sound quite quick.

“Obviously something was going on, so we decided to bone scan him and it highlighted some issues. If you scan most horses in training you’ll find something, but we’re just being careful.

“The Breeders’ Cup isn’t until November 1, I’ve taken advice from various vets that I work with and they think he can make that. I’m reasonably confident we’ll get him there.”

Goldie cool on idea of Goodwood for American Affair

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Jim Goldie is minded to miss Goodwood and wait for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York with his King Charles III Stakes hero American Affair.

The Royal Ascot hero is the third generation of the family Goldie has trained, with American Affair’s dam, Classy Anne, by Orientor whom Goldie guided with great success.

American Affair was, though, Goldie’s first ever Group One winner after several near-misses and he now has more big targets in his sights for the Paul Mulrennan-ridden five-year-old.

American Affair gets a well-deserved pat from Paul Mulrennan
American Affair gets a well-deserved pat from Paul Mulrennan (John Walton/PA)

“It’s just started to sink in. He’s come out of the race well and he’s been out on the gallops yesterday and today,” said Goldie on Sunday.

“The stars aligned, but that is quite often the case with good horses. I still don’t think he’s quite as good as Orientor was, but I probably had him early enough in my career and I learned a lot from him. Fortunately for me we kept him an entire which looks very shrewd now!

“We learned a lot from the likes of him, Jack Dexter and Hawkeyethenoo. I’m looking forward to seeing where this horse will peak.”

Looking to the future Goldie does not believe Goodwood’s downhill five furlongs is totally suitable in the King George Stakes.

The King with winning rider Paul Mulrennan
The King with winning rider Paul Mulrennan (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“Five furlongs up a hill at Ascot is the perfect fit for him, I always thought it might be, so I’m not sure Goodwood will suit him going downhill,” he said.

“Otherwise we will wait for York and the Nunthorpe where we might have to take on a two-year-old or two which will be interesting.”

Even further afield, American Affair now has an all-expenses paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup to look forward to.

“We’ll have to have a serious think about the Breeders’ Cup if they are going to pay. I can’t think of any other horse trained in Scotland to have run at it!” said Goldie.

American Affair takes ‘magical’ King Charles sprint glory for Scotland

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Scottish challenger American Affair finished best to land the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot for Jim Goldie and Paul Mulrennan.

Successful in valuable handicaps at Musselburgh and York, the five-year-old was perhaps unfortunate not to finish closer than he did when fifth in the Temple Stakes at Haydock and was an 11-1 chance for this Group One debut.

Settled in midfield as the likes of Regional and Night Raider blazed a trail, American Affair was produced with his challenge inside the final two furlongs and found plenty for pressure to get the better of a protracted duel with Frost At Dawn by a neck.

Lanarkshire-based Goldie said: “I’ve trained the family for two generations, so it’s very sweet.

“He’s just getting faster, we went seven furlongs at Wetherby in his maiden, we’ve learnt to run him over the right trip, we took him back to five and he’s just getting better and better.

“I was quite confident he could do it today, he had the talent, we got it wrong at Haydock. I knew he was probably one of the fastest horses in the race, but it’s how you control that. We’ve come down a day early and got him relaxed and it all fell into place. It means a lot.

“You’re never sure, but I could see he was travelling well. He’s just getting faster and faster, we trained his family and they were the same – they just got quicker.

“We brought him here yesterday to settle him in and it’s all worked out perfectly. It’s just terrific.

“Paul really believed in this horse and we knew he had it in him. It’s magical, he’s a very good horse.

“We’re living the dream, so to speak. To win here is probably a career highlight. Well, it’s not ‘probably’, is it? It’s definitely a career highlight.”

Mulrennan added: “I was just saying there, at this stage of my career I’ve probably got more years behind me than I have in front of me, it’s extra special.

“It’s hard enough to get rides here, it’s nice to come down here and have a ride, to win a Group One here is very special and Jim’s been very good to me the last few years.

“He’s a master trainer at tweaking around with these horses and he can really, with the ammunition he has, he can get the best out of them on the big day.”

John McGrandles, breeder and part-owner, said: “He’s probably the only horse here with a Glasgow postcode in his passport!

“I’ve been involved with horses since I was six. My wife is a veterinary surgeon – and we’re off to the Highland Show tomorrow with sheep!

“This horse is the biggest winner we’ve had, yes. And the horse’s stable name is Charlie and he’s won the King Charles!”

Goldie sweet on Ascot aim for American Affair

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Jim Goldie remains keen on a tilt at the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot with his star sprinter American Affair.

The five-year-old saw his rapid improvement briefly come to a halt in Haydock’s Temple Stakes when he finished fifth behind Ed Walker’s mare Mgheera.

However, Goldie believes a lack of early cover which forced him to run too keen, and then meeting trouble in running when he eventually did get in behind horses are enough of an excuse to believe he could have made up the two and three-quarter lengths that he was beaten.

“He’s still on target for Ascot,” said Goldie. “I think we needed a bit of cover and we didn’t get it straight away, and then when he did get it he (Paul Mulrennan) couldn’t get out when he needed to.

“He’s one of these horses, we discovered when he won the Portland, that he is probably 10lb better if you can switch him off so you need to get cover.

“He likes getting towed along but mentally he then switches off. If you don’t get proper cover, mentally he doesn’t switch off and he ends up running with the choke open and that is exactly what happened.

“We were disappointed, obviously, but it wasn’t that bad a run and we’ve still got a horse with a big engine and we’ll try again another day.

“Look at last year’s Derby winner (City Of Troy), when he ran in the Guineas Aidan O’Brien said he lost his race in the stalls because he got a bit upset and it turned out he was right – then he went to America and it went wrong again.

“They are highly-tuned animals and if they don’t get into an absolute rhythm they rarely win. You can’t get it right all the time.

“He’s good enough for that level, I’ve never doubted that, and there’s usually one or two at Ascot who go blasting off and if you are drawn next to them that helps.”