Tag Archive for: Cosmic Year

Cosmic Year pencilled in for Goodwood outing

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Cosmic Year is set for a drop in grade when he makes his reappearance at Goodwood next month.

The Kingman colt impressively won the King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket before chasing home Field Of Gold in the Irish 2,000 Guineas but then disappointed in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville.

Trainer Harry Charlton will now step him back up to a mile on the Sussex Downs in the Group Three Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes in preference to the seven-furlong HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes.

Charlton said: “He didn’t run his race obviously (at Deauville) and we’ll hope for a better performance next time.

“(He came back) all good, no problems, all good.

“It probably won’t be the Lennox Stakes and will likely be the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood, which is a Group Three over eight furlongs.

“The City of York Stakes is on the cards but it is all dependent on his next run.”

Charlton will bide his time with the fellow Juddmonte-owned Skimmer as he waits for cut in the ground.

The three-year-old won on his racecourse debut at Leicester before coming home a cosy winner of a Kempton novice.

The Great Voltigeur Stakes at York remains on the radar but he will only take up that route if the going eases between now and then.

Charlton said: “We wouldn’t go up there if the ground was like it is now.

“I think he’s a big horse and he’s probably not one for firm ground, so we’ll just keep an eye on the weather but we obviously know it’s not long until September and surely the weather will relent at some point.

“He’s a nice, big horse and a bit like his brother Okeechobee, he’s coming into his own middle of his three-year-old career into his four-year-old career as it were.”

Cosmic Year expected to shine in Prix Jean Prat outing

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After skipping Royal Ascot, it is time for Cosmic Year to step into the spotlight, as Harry Charlton’s star performer aims to sparkle in Deauville’s Prix Jean Prat.

Part of an outstanding group of three-year-olds assembled by leading owners Juddmonte, he was last seen chasing home Field of Gold in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and now reverts to seven furlongs seeking his own top-level success.

Charlton said: “He’s in good form, we gave him a little break after Ireland as we knew we weren’t going to Royal Ascot due to Juddmonte’s team of other horses, so we’ve kind of been targeting this race since the Curragh and he’s been moving great. He seems in good nick and we’re very happy with him.

Cosmic Year winning at Newmarket earlier this year
Cosmic Year winning at Newmarket earlier this year (David Davies/PA)

“I hope he’s still got lots more to come, we’re still learning about him as he’s obviously come into this year very inexperienced.

“I’d be happy to run a mile again but seven furlongs is perfect for him, he’s done most of his racing at seven and he’s a quick horse. He has the speed for seven furlongs but I do think he gets the mile.”

Charlton saw Juddmonte hotpot Kikkuli turned over in this Group One event 12 months ago but is taking plenty of encouragement from Curragh conqueror Field Of Gold’s dazzling display in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, which gives a timely polish to Cosmic Year’s fine run in Ireland.

He added: “Ireland was a slightly odd race for us as we probably got a little further back than we wanted and then it was kind of done and dusted and Field Of Gold is a very good horse who put the race to bed before we got going really.

“It’s exciting if he can improve from that and it should give him a great chance of figuring on Sunday.”

Shadow Of Light has a great record
Shadow Of Light has a great record (Mike Egerton for The Jockey Club/PA)

While Cosmic Year was seen just the once as a two-year-old, Charlie Appleby’s Shadow Of Light was busy making a name for himself by winning both the Middle Park and Dewhurst Stakes in the autumn.

Upped to a mile for his return, he was beaten a length by stablemate Ruling Court when third in the 2000 Guineas and having since finished fifth in the Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs at Royal Ascot, he splits the difference by returning to his Dewhurst-winning distance.

Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “The drop back in trip and quick ground caught out Shadow Of Light in the Commonwealth Cup, but he came out of the race in great nick.

“Stepping back up to seven furlongs is a positive, and hopefully the ground at Deauville will be a bit more forgiving. We will be on weather watch and a decision will be made on the day after we have had a look at the ground.

“I can’t fault his preparation going into this and feel he is the horse to beat if he can run up to anywhere near the form of his Guineas third.”

The Lion In Winter represents Aidan O'Brien
The Lion In Winter represents Aidan O’Brien (Mike Egerton/PA)

Further British and Irish interest is provided by Aidan O’Brien’s one-time Derby hope The Lion In Winter, who drops back in trip significantly after disappointing in the premier Classic at Epsom.

Meanwhile, Christopher Head’s Maranoa Charlie will run in the colours of Bond Thoroughbreds after the Yorkshire operation purchased the son of Wootton Bassett following his recent Prix Paul de Moussac win at Saint-Cloud.

Christophe Ferland’s Silius has finished second to Maranoa Charlie the last twice, with Francis-Henri Graffard’s Woodshauna also a live hope for the home team having accounted for Harry Eustace’s Royal Ascot heroine Time For Sandals in the Prix Texanita.

Juddmonte juggling pack with leading milers

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Connections of Lead Artist are confident the Lockinge hero will put Royal Ascot disappointment behind him before the season is out.

The Juddmonte-owned four-year-old claimed Group One honours for the first time at Newbury last month and was consequently among the leading contenders for last week’s Queen Anne Stakes, but he was ultimately well beaten in seventh place.

“I think they just went far too slow, they crawled for four furlongs and then sprinted and Lead Artist is a horse we know stays beyond a mile,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager, Barry Mahon.

“It just didn’t pan out for us on the day, but he’s a better horse than that, we know that, and we’ll get him back on track and see the best of him again.”

Where and when Lead Artist will bid to redeem himself is uncertain, with Juddmonte possessing an enviable hand in the mile division, with the Irish Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes hero Field Of Gold the undoubted top dog.

Lead Artist holds an entry in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes, but is unlikely to head that way if that is the chosen target for his illustrious stablemate, while Harry Charlton’s Irish Guineas runner-up Cosmic Year must also be thrown into the mix.

Mahon added: “I don’t know where we’ll go with Lead Artist yet. There’s going to be a bit of juggling there with him and Field Of Gold and Cosmic Year and Jonquil as well.

“We haven’t quite worked it out yet, but we will as we go.”

Andrew Balding’s Jonquil is another looking to bounce back from an underwhelming performance at Royal Ascot, having seemingly found the six furlongs of the Commonwealth Cup too sharp.

Jonquil will step back up in trip
Jonquil will step back up in trip (David Davies/PA)

He was one of two Juddmonte-owned runners who failed to run up to expectations in that Group One contest, with the Ger Lyons-trained Babouche also well held.

“Babouche was disappointing, she was just too keen and you don’t get away with being that keen in a Group One in Ascot,” said Mahon.

“It was her second time in England and her second time doing that, so we’ll have to go back to the drawing board. We’ll probably keep her in Ireland for the rest of the year and see if we can get her back on track.

“Jonquil was just a bit of a square peg in a round hole – six furlongs was too short for him. Christophe (Soumillon) felt he came home great in the last half-furlong, but he said he needs a mile and we’ll try and find an opportunity.”