Tag Archive for: Bay City Roller

Isle Of Jura pencilled in for late September comeback

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Long-term absentee Isle Of Jura has had his comeback date put back slightly, but trainer George Scott remains delighted with his progress.

A Royal Ascot winner in the Hardwicke Stakes last summer having already won the Bahrain Triple Crown, he is likely to be a flag bearer for his connections, the new amalgamation Victorious Forever.

Isle Of Jura was being aimed at the September Stakes on September 6, but that race will come too soon.

“We’ve bumped him back a bit. There’s a Listed race at Newmarket (Godolphin Stakes, September 26) or a race at Goodwood (Foundation Stakes, September 24), but I couldn’t be more pleased with his progress,” said Scott.

“His issue hasn’t raised its head whatsoever and he’s using one of those races, hopefully, as a stepping stone to the Bahrain International at the beginning of November. I’m very excited about him.”

Another heading to Bahrain eventually is prolific winner and Chester Cup and Royal Ascot second Caballo De Mar.

“He goes to Haydock next Saturday for the Old Borough Cup,” said Scott.

“He’s a funny horse at home, he wouldn’t beat the lowest-rated horse in the yard on the gallops but he’s got a really good record on the track.

“He was bought by Victorious with the winter season in Bahrain in mind and then hopefully look at Dubai.”

Bay City Roller was an unbeaten juvenile for the team winning the Champagne Stakes last year but has had his opportunities limited this term due to unsuitable going, while he was slow to start when most recently seen in the York Stakes.

“The season has been so frustrating for Bay City Roller and I really do believe he’s a top-class horse, he just needs a pattern of races to get into the season,” said Scott.

“We missed the break at York by six lengths, which was a shame as we blotted our copybook. We wouldn’t have beaten the first two but we’d have beaten the other two three-year-olds and everyone would have been very positive about him. He just needs a bit of cut.”

Staya firmly on course for Lowther test

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George Scott is relishing unleashing his star juvenile Staya in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York after going close at Ascot last time.

The Dragon Stakes scorer found only Hugo Palmer’s Fitzella too strong in her first try at six furlongs in the Princess Margaret Stakes, but her Newmarket handler is confident the youngster is “near the top of the class”, with the Knavesmire Group Two the obvious next step.

“We were very pleased with Staya. She ran another great race, took another step forward and is going to head to the Lowther – all roads lead to York,” said Scott.

“It’s a slightly easier six furlongs and hopefully we can get away cleaner from the gate this time and it will certainly be a race we are looking forward to with her.

“You feel like you would be overcomplicating things by going elsewhere and she’s near the top of the class in her division and let’s see how she gets on, it should be the prefect track for her.”

While Staya is fully on course for a trip to the Ebor Festival, Scott is keen to see rain on the forecast before deciding if Bay City Roller will return to Yorkshire to take up his engagement in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes.

He was slowly away when contesting the York Stakes on his most recent outing, something which ultimately put paid to any chance of victory in a red-hot event.

However, Scott is unperturbed as he stresses ground conditions could ultimately determine the son of New Bay’s next move.

“If you look at the bare result you could be disappointed, but he got left six lengths in the gate and you can’t do that in any race,” continued Scott.

“He got himself tangled up and jumped out awkwardly and got detached, but at the end of the day he’s finished almost upsides the other three-year-olds.

“So obviously you would be disappointed with the finishing result, but I think the horse is certainly much better than that.

“If it was to rain at York he would run (in the Great Voltigeur) and he won’t run again until we get the right conditions. It was a bit of a blot on his scorecard, but nothing to worry about.”

Kieran Shoemark eager to seize Almaqam opportunity

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Kieran Shoemark is relishing his chance on the “very exciting” Almaqam as Ed Walker’s stable star returns to action in the Sky Bet York Stakes.

The 29-year-old jockey will finally get to ride the Lope De Vega colt after missing out on a potential link-up when he was suspended for the four-year-old’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes success at Sandown in May.

That form has been franked by the length-and-three-quarter second Ombudsman, who has subsequently landed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and narrowly went down by a neck in the Eclipse.

Almaqam is the odds-on market leader for the Group Two contest and Shoemark is thrilled to have the opportunity on a horse he describes as the “real deal”.

“I’m really looking forward to riding him and I thought he was really good the last time we saw him at Sandown,” he said.

“I know it’s been a little while since we’ve seen him, but that has solely been down to the drying ground and it looks like he should get some easier conditions on Saturday and it’s great to get the ride on him.

“He looks very exciting and we all know the form of Ombudsman has stacked up well, so he looks the real deal this year.

Almaqam was a good winner at Sandown
Almaqam was a good winner at Sandown (Adam Morgan/PA)

“I got the call to ride Almaqam in the Prix d’Ispahan, but there were a few complications as I received a suspension for my ride on Luther in the French 2000 Guineas.

“Ed was umming and ahhing over whether to run Almaqam in that and when Sosie was declared he decided not to and headed to Sandown, where I was suspended so I couldn’t ride and Oisin (Murphy) picked up the ride. He’s not available this time as he’s riding in the King George so things have worked out and it’s good to finally be united with him and hope things go well on Saturday.

“He’s the best horse at Ed’s and I’ve been riding a lot for Ed and riding winners and when you build up that association, you always want to be riding the better horses in the yard.

“I had a breeze on him the other morning and he felt great. He’s extremely uncomplicated and you can see that in his way of racing and he looks very straightforward and it’s really exciting.”

Bay City Roller after winning the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster
Bay City Roller after winning the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster (Mike Egerton/PA)

Bay City Roller hopes to make a breakthrough as a three-year-old after two runner-up finishes in the Heron Stakes at Sandown and Prix Eugene Adam at Saint-Cloud this season.

George Scott is excited by the New Bay colt, who capped an unbeaten juvenile campaign with victory in the Champagne Stakes on St Leger day, and admitted his training ultimately forced his hand to move forward at the Knavesmire.

“I feel like he deserves to run in this race and I have been conscious to not run him with firm in the going description,” the Eve Lodge Stables trainer said.

“But I now feel like if we don’t take our chance on good ground, then we could end up not running all summer.

“He really has had an amazing preparation for this race and there really will be no excuses for him.

“We will give him some leeway as it is his first time against older horses and only second start at a mile and a quarter. You would expect he has got another 18 months running in these races against these types of horses and I’m sure he’s bound to acclimatise as he gets older and stronger.

“But in terms of how you want a horse to train, he’s been training perfectly and has given me no negative signs, so we’re looking forward to it.

“It will be fascinating to see him up against the horses representing the English and Irish Derby form and see where he lies amongst the Classic generation.

“Obviously then as well there is this wonderful older horse in Almaqam at the head of the market, who is arguably one of the best older horses in Europe, so we’re cautiously optimistic and it’s going to be really interesting.”

Stanhope Gardens before the Derby
Stanhope Gardens before the Derby (PA)

Stanhope Gardens, fifth in the English Derby, lines up for Ralph Beckett, while Jessica Harrington has decided to head to York instead of the King George at Ascot with Green Impact, who was sixth in both the 2000 Guineas and Irish Derby.

The Jack Channon-trained Certain Lad has course and distance credentials, Royal Champion goes for Karl Burke and Richard Fahey’s Ecureuil Secret completes the seven-runner field.