Tag Archive for: Falakeyah

Falakeyah enjoying a break before autumn return

/in /by

Plans are on ice for Falakeyah, who is currently on a mid-season break before returning for an autumn campaign.

Talked about as a Classic contender after excelling in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the season, Owen Burrows’ ace filly disappointed when next seen after being supplemented for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

In the aftermath of Ascot, Goodwood’s Nassau Stakes had been mooted as a possible place for the daughter of New Bay to seek redemption, but with her name missing from the entries for that Group One event Burrows revealed she is enjoying some down time at present.

Burrows said: “She’s back at Shadwell having a break at the moment and all being well will be back with me at the beginning of August.

“I wasn’t totally 100 per cent happy with her after Ascot, she was possibly too keen and possibly the ground was too quick. We were sort of clutching at straws a bit but thought a bit of a break would do her good.

“Hopefully we’ll get her back for a bit of an autumn campaign, we’ll see how she is and see what she’s telling me.”

One of Burrows’ string who could be seen a little sooner is the exciting Gethin, who earned quotes for the Derby after downing subsequent London Gold Cup winner Saddadd at Newbury in the spring.

A setback scuppered any Classic ambitions but his trainer is eyeing an eagerly-awaited return in the coming month.

Burrows continued: “He’s going to start half-speed work again next week and (a return at) the end of August time I’ve got planned for him all being well.”

Meanwhile, the wait for the weather to change for Champion Stakes hero Anmaat continues, with the Juddmonte International Stakes the next top-level event the Lambourn handler has on his radar.

Burrows said: “He’s in grand form and hopefully by York we get a proper drop of rain.”

Connections looking to to see the real Falakeyah next time out

/in /by

Connections of Falakeyah are keen to put a line through her disappointing performance at Royal Ascot, with Goodwood’s Nassau Stakes identified as a potential stage for redemption.

Having bolted up on her Wolverhampton debut in November, the Owen Burrows-trained filly looked every inch a top-class performer in the making when running away with Newmarket’s Pretty Polly Stakes on her return to action in the spring.

After sidestepping the Oaks at Epsom and being ruled out of the French equivalent, Falakeyah dropped back to a mile for the Coronation Stakes, but ended up racing too enthusiastically for her own good on the front end before weakening in the home straight.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “It was a pity, as I was very pleased with her before the race. She settled beforehand, I thought, she was good and calm in the ring and Jim (Crowley) said she went down brilliantly relaxed.

“I’ve only seen the replay once, but it looked to me like for the first 50 or 60 yards of the race she was OK and then when Hollie (Doyle, riding Duty First) came upsides her she just put her head in the air and took off basically. It just set her alight and that was it.

“On a hot day like that, she was never going to be able to keep going at that pace, so we’ll just give her a bit of time. We didn’t learn anything regarding distance or anything like that, all we learnt was she’s not going to win races if she races like that.”

He added: “We know she’s considerably better than that, her work at home is very high class and that run didn’t bare any resemblance to her work at home. We’ll obviously have to try to settle her next time and maybe we’ll have a look at something like the Nassau. We’ll just see how everyone feels nearer the time.

“At home she settles beautifully and is quite happy to take a lead and doesn’t fight the jockey, so we’ve just got to get her to do that on the racecourse if she’s going to have any chance of finishing off her races.”

Falakeyah putting mile credentials to the test against Zarigana

/in /by

Falakeyah and Zarigana lock horns in a fascinating clash for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday.

The Owen Burrows-trained Falakeyah looked every inch a top-class filly in the making when dominating her rivals in the 10-furlong Pretty Polly at Newmarket, after which the Betfred Oaks at Epsom and the French equivalent were mooted as potential Classic targets.

However, with connections ultimately deciding against stepping up to a mile and a half at Epsom and the Prix de Diane also ruled out, the daughter of New Bay will instead drop back to a mile on the penultimate day of the Royal meeting after being supplemented for the Coronation at a cost of £46,000.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owner-breeders Shadwell, said: “It was a hard decision to supplement, just because of the amount of money involved. I just felt when the entries for the race closed we’d be looking at a mile and a quarter at least for her given she had won over an extended mile on her debut.

“I said to Owen I was just trying to save money and that there was no point even entering her if we thought she was going to be running over further.”

While Gold admits to having doubts about how effective Falakeyah will be dropping back in trip, he is taking some confidence from the feedback of Shadwell’s retained rider Jim Crowley.

“To Jim’s credit, he kept saying every time he sat on her that she had a lot of speed and his first words to me having got off her at Newmarket were ‘she’d have killed them over a mile’. He thought she’d have gone close in the Guineas had she run in that, so I had to take notice,” Gold added.

Jim Crowley on board Falakeyah after winning the Betfred Pretty Polly Stakes
Jim Crowley on board Falakeyah after winning the Betfred Pretty Polly Stakes (Joe Giddens/PA)

“Unfortunately we were going for the Prix de Diane but then she had a hold-up and we ran out of time. They now feel she’s back to her best.

“We could have waited a month for the Falmouth but as she’s well we’ve taken the chance.

“She likes to get on with things so that is probably contributing to the fact she looks like she’s got a lot of speed.

“It’s only her third race so we’re still learning and I couldn’t put my hand on my heart and say she’s definitely a miler, but she has plenty of speed and we felt after discussing it this was worth a try.”

The trip is of no concern to French raider Zarigana, who has won four of her five starts for Francis-Henri Graffard in the colours of the late Aga Khan.

She was most recently awarded the French 1000 Guineas in the stewards’ room after first past the post Shes Perfect was deemed to have caused sufficient interference for the placings to be revised – and while connections are hoping for a bold showing in Berkshire, they are taking nothing for granted.

Nemone Routh, manager for the Aga Khan’s French studs, said: “Zarigana worked well last week, she’s in good form and we’ve been very happy with her since the Pouliches.

“It is a competitive race and it’s the first time she’ll have to travel abroad and she can have moments where she gets quite worked up. It looks like it’s going to be very hot as well, but she’s got to get through all that as part of the test of being a Group One filly.

“She’s very consistent – she’s won four of her starts and was beaten a nose in the other one. This is a big test for her and she’s got to maintain that form and hold it all together in the preliminaries and have luck in running and everything else.

“If there’s any weakness it will be found out, but we’re happy with her preparation and while she goes on anything, she’s probably better on fast ground.”

Further strength in depth is added by Aidan O’Brien’s Exactly, who was little over a length behind Zarigana when fourth in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches last month, while the also-supplemented Kon Tiki puts her unbeaten record on the line for Jane Chapple-Hyam.

Classy line-up assembled for Coronation Stakes

/in /by

Falakeyah and Zarigana top 11 contenders for Friday’s Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Owen Burrows-trained Falakeyah was supplemented for the mile Group One following an effortless Listed win in Newmarket’s Pretty Polly Stakes, with connections opting by bypass a possible French Oaks run in favour of dropping back from 10 furlongs here.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zarigana was crowned winner of the French 1000 Guineas in the ParisLongchamp stewards’ room following the demotion of Shes Perfect to second and she will clash again with fourth-placed Exactly, who is one of two for Aidan O’Brien along with January.

Ollie Sangster fields both Flight and Simmering, second and third in the 1000 Guineas, with Duty First, Kon Tiki, Cathedral, Cercene and Chantilly Lace completing the field.

The Commonwealth Cup has drawn a bumper field of 22, headed by 2000 Guineas third Shadow Of Light, who will be dropping back to six furlongs for Charlie Appleby.

Babouche, Jonquil, Whistlejacket, Ides Of March and Big Mojo are other leading names in the Group One contest, for which only Seattle was not declared.

The opening Albany Stakes boasts a 17-strong line up, with Karl Burke having made no secret of his regard for ante-post favourite Venetian Sun. Fitzella, Gold Digger and O’Brien’s Signora are also towards the head of the betting.

Derby seventh Green Storm and 12th Nightwalker bid for compensation in the King Edward VII Stakes, in which Ralph Beckett’s unbeaten gelding Amiloc is set to be a popular choice.

Puppet Master won the Lingfield Derby Trial but bypassed Epsom and he is one of two for O’Brien along with Naas winner Galveston. Dante third Wimbledon Hawkeye runs for James Owen, while the progressive Zahrann represents Johnny Murtagh.

Teumessias Fox heads a maximum 19-strong field for the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, with 28 to go to post in both the Palace of Holyrood House Stakes and the Sandringham.

Falakeyah added to Coronation field for Zarigana clash

/in /by

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.

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.

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.

Connections opt to miss French Oaks with Falakeyah

/in /by

Falakeyah will not be running in the Prix de Diane on Sunday, with the race coming too soon for Owen Burrows’ filly following a dirty scope 10 days ago.

Despite working well on Tuesday morning, Burrows felt the French Classic at Chantilly was just coming at the wrong time for his unbeaten three-year-old, who needs a little longer to recuperate.

Having bypassed the Oaks at Epsom to wait for France, her third Group One option of three after she won on her comeback at Newmarket was the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. However, should connections decide on coming back to a mile next week, she would need to be supplemented.

Angus Gold, racing manager for the filly’s owners, Shadwell, said: “She scoped dirty 10 days ago.

“We treated her and worked her this morning, she worked beautifully, we were all very happy, but Owen just said she had a decent blow having missed a crucial bit of work.

“It is hard enough to win a Classic when you are 110 per cent so we’re not going to risk running her.

“We haven’t got as far as discussing the next plan yet, but she won’t be going to France, it’s just bad timing.”