Tag Archive for: Capulet

Capulet captures Dee Stakes to join those in Derby mix for O’Brien

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Capulet strengthened Aidan O’Brien’s Derby hand with a front-running victory in the Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes at Chester.

The Ballydoyle handler will have plenty to choose from in a bid for a 10th victory in the premier Classic at Epsom on June 1, with City Of Troy seemingly still the stable’s first string despite his disappointing run in the 2000 Guineas last weekend.

Henry Longfellow, Diego Velazquez and Los Angeles are others in the mix at this stage – and Capulet threw his hat into the ring by providing his trainer with a joint-record 11th win in this trial on the Roodee.

Given a typically well-executed ride from the front by Ryan Moore, the 7-2 shot steadily raised the tempo and took a couple of lengths out of the chasing 7-4 favourite Jayarebe from the home turn.

The Richard Hughes-trained Bracken’s Laugh, who had beaten the winner in a valuable conditions race on the all-weather at Chelmsford last month, came from further back to throw down a major challenge, but Capulet was not for passing on this occasion and was half a length in front at the line.

Paul Smith, son of co-owner Derrick Smith, said: “That was very pleasing and I thought Ryan gave him a lovely ride.

“He appreciated the step up in trip, no doubt, he’s an uncomplicated horse, he travels well so I suppose it will be the French Derby or the English Derby.

“We know he gets 10 furlongs well and he’d probably get a mile and a half the way he runs so we’re delighted with him.

“We have the trials at the weekend and next week and Aidan will sit down with the lads and discuss the plan from there.

Capulet did everything asked
Capulet did everything asked (Martin Rickett/PA)

“He’s a Justify so it’s nice to see, we’re very pleased. Ryan was delighted, he said it was very uncomplicated, he got him into a nice rhythm, he’s a kind horse and stepping up in trip wouldn’t be a problem.

“He turned the form around with the second, but I think he really appreciated the step up in trip there. That (Chelmsford) was a qualifier for the Kentucky Derby, but whether that was ever on the cards for him is a question for the trainer.”

Capulet is now as short as 14-1 for Epsom – but support continues to come in for City Of Troy, who is back as favourite with some firms.

Smith said: “Aidan is happy with him and all roads now lead to the Derby with him.”

Back to Capulet, Moore said: “He was nicely drawn, there were only the four runners and he got into a nice rhythm and was able to build away. I was very happy with him, he came forward nicely from Chelmsford and the step up in trip has helped him.

“He’s a horse who had good form last year and with a bit of luck he’ll go on from here and improve again. I think the nicer ground and 10 furlongs suited him well, so there’ll be plenty of options for him now.”

Speaking from his Ballydoyle base, O’Brien said: “All the options are open to him now and we’ll see how he is, it will be one of the Derbys that weekend, in England or France, I’d have thought.

“There’s obviously the Irish Derby in the mix, too, so all things are open now.

“He’s a lovely, honest horse. He was a little bit free in front today, but did it nicely in the end.

“We took him to Chelmsford to see if he was going to go to Kentucky so that was on the cards, but he was green there and he’d come on for that run.”



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Moore and O’Brien believe Capulet has solid Royal Lodge credentials

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An informative renewal of the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes looks in prospect at Newmarket on Saturday.

Any number of smart prospects take their chance, including Capulet who ran a tremendous race against well-touted stablemate Diego Velazquez at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Festival weekend.

Only half a length separated them in the Group Two KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes, with Capulet taking plenty of pulling up after the line.

Ryan Moore was on the winner that day but takes charge on the Justify colt for this latest Group Two assignment.

“He did it nicely on his debut at Dundalk last month and he obviously improved a good deal when running Diego Velazquez to half a length at Leopardstown last time,” Moore said in his Betfair blog.

“That form looked strong at the time and it looks even better now with the well-beaten fourth, Deepone, coming out and winning the Beresford next time. All of these have the potential to take a big step forward, most notably Ghostwriter maybe, but he deserves to be the favourite as it stands, as the Leopardstown form is the best on offer going into the race.”

Trainer Aidan O’Brien was pleased with the horse at Leopardstown and felt he served his purpose in giving Diego Velazquez a real run for his money.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “We thought he was very nice when he won first time at Dundalk and we knew he was going to drag Diego Velazquez. We knew he needed to have a race for himself and learn because he’s very lazy at home, Diego, and if he went and won four or five lengths he wasn’t going to learn much.

“That’s why we ran Capulet, we knew he was going to take him and he was going to make him fight and that’s what he did do.

“We were delighted with him that day, we’re looking forward to him on Saturday. He’s in lovely form, we think the mile will suit him and the ground will suit him. We’ve always thought he was a very nice horse.”

Charlie Appleby has not had the headline year he has been accustomed to so far, but hopes are high that Aablan has Classic potential.

The Moulton Paddocks trainer told the Godolphin website: “We felt that Aablan did well to win the Solario Stakes, when seven furlongs looked sharp enough for him, and we are looking forward to seeing him over a mile. He has done well since Sandown and looks a live contender.

“We are hoping that this can propel him onto a bright three-year-old career.”

The aforementioned Ghostwriter is two from two for Clive Cox and, having impressed in both outings so far, his handler is keen to see how he handles the step up in both class and trip.

“His first success at Newmarket on the July course, and the way he was balanced and produced a winning debut, gives me confidence he will handle the track,” said Cox.

“He followed that up with a really impressive success at Ascot and showed a lot of class. He has thrived throughout, he is a wonderful physical, big, strong colt and I’m looking forward to seeing him step up to a mile.

“He is very deserving of running in this sort of grade. He’s a horse we have always loved and he definitely sets the pulse racing.”

Roger Varian is another to saddle an unbeaten contender in Defiance, while the Carlburg Stables handler has another strong string to his bow in Al Musmak, a winner in Listed company at Haydock last time out.

He renews rivalry with Ralph Beckett’s Macduff, who was a length and a half runner-up but lost little in defeat.



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