Tag Archive for: George Scott

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.”

George Scott believes Victorious Forever venture is an ‘exciting step’

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George Scott has spoken of his excitement following the merger of KHK Racing and Victorious Racing to form Victorious Forever.

Scott has trained horses for both operations, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamed Al Khalifa’s Victorious Racing, for whom he saddled a Royal Ascot winner in Isle Of Jura, and his brother Shaikh Khalid’s KHK Racing.

Now the pair have joined forces in the hope it will take them to the next level in terms of competing for the sport’s major prizes.

“It seems a very logical decision. The two brothers are hugely passionate about British racing and their ambitions have been aligned since day one, it’s a very exciting step they’ve come together as one,” said Scott.

“There’s no doubt that their combined support has allowed my career to elevate.

“Shaikh Khalid has had Group One success with Vandeek and won a Classic with Eldar Eldarov, while Shaikh Nasser has had great success with the likes of Bradsell and Isle Of Jura.

“I think their ambition is to become a sustainable force in British racing where they may one day be comparable to the Shadwells, Coolmores and Juddmontes of this world, but that will take a bit of time.

“Financially it makes sense to come together, but more importantly their views are bonded as brothers and they felt they would get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of doing it together.

“Both KHK and Victorious have their own teams but they’ve always been very close so there won’t be a huge amount of change, it’s a very simple merger.

“Both operations add tremendous value to each each other. Shaikh Khalid has Staya with me and Zanthos with the Crisfords and we’ve got a bunch of unraced two-year-olds for Shaikh Nasser that we love.

“It’s something they’ve had in their minds for some time now and it’s just putting it into practice for them.”

Billy Jackson-Stops was racing manager for Victorious Racing and will continue to be a key part of the new operation. He said: “It’s very exciting, both organisations have had great success already but we are combining two great forces.

“His Highness Shaikh Nasser has had a lot of success buying yearlings while KHK have tended to do it with breeze-up horses, so by combining resources we’ll be on top of both sets of sales.

“Chris Wall (KHK’s racing manager) is the nicest man in racing and has a wealth of experience so I can’t wait to work with him.”

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.”

Isle Of Jura pencilled in for September Stakes return

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George Scott has earmarked Kempton’s Unibet September Stakes for Isle Of Jura’s long-awaited comeback, with his stable star pleasing the Newmarket handler since returning to work.

A stand-out performer for the Eve Lodge team, he is unbeaten in his last five after building on his money-spinning success in Bahrain back on home soil, but he has been on the sidelines since registering a memorable victory in last year’s Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, anticipation is now building that the long road to recovery is coming to an end, with Scott optimistic the five-year-old will be ready for action on the Sunbury all-weather on September 6.

Scott said: “He’s great and back in fast work and I think we can slightly begin to dream he will be back again as he’s taken some very significant steps forwards and is in great shape. His issue is handling great and it is really exciting.

“He’s going to go to the September Stakes, that will be his race and fits well with my plan to go for the Bahrain International.

“At least now we can be optimistic and start to make these plans and look forward to getting him back. We’ve jumped a lot of hurdles now and it would just be very unlucky if we didn’t see him in the September Stakes, he’s really doing well.

“He will have been off the track for a long time by the time we get to the September Stakes so in my head I will be thinking anything there is a bonus, but he’s a special racehorse to us.”

Trainer George Scott has his stable star to look forward to
Trainer George Scott has his stable star to look forward to (David Davies/PA)

If all goes to plan for the Victorious Racing-owned Isle Of Jura in his Kempton return, then he will swiftly be on his travels in search of further riches in the Middle East, with Scott planning an ambitious winter programme.

Scott added: “He’ll spend his winter abroad and I imagine he will go to Bahrain and then move onto something like the Jebel Hatta (Meydan) and the Neom Turf Cup (Riyadh) and then back to Dubai for World Cup night, but that is a long way off.

“There’s unbelievable money in these races abroad and he loves fast ground and flat tracks so it just makes perfect sense.”

Scott confident Staya can go the distance at Ascot

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Staya takes the “natural next step” in returning to Ascot for the Sodexo Live! Princess Margaret Stakes.

An impressive winner at Yarmouth on debut, George Scott’s talented daughter of Havana Grey was not beaten far when fifth in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot before returning to winning ways when obliging favourite-backers in Sandown’s Listed Dragon Stakes earlier this month.

She now steps up to six furlongs as she returns to Group company and Scott said: “I thought this was the natural next step for her, back up in grade and she proved she enjoyed the track at Royal Ascot when she was a bit green and just rolled around a bit under pressure.

“She’s given us every indication she’s a filly who wants to go an extra furlong, she’s a filly who loves to drop her head early and relax rather than be an out-and-out speedball.

“She’s got a great attitude and the stallion really seems to breed that into his progeny. She’s quite unique as she’s quite bolshy and strong-minded, but at the same time really willing in her work and she’s definitely got a little bit of swag about her.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how she acquits herself and she’s been training beautifully since the Dragon, but it’s really up to her now.”

Ahead of Staya at Royal Ascot was Charlie Clover’s Flowerhead, who outran huge odds of 100-1 to finish first of those on her side of the track and second to Aidan O’Brien’s True Love.

She is another stepping up in trip on her return to the Berkshire track, with connections hopeful she can excel at her new distance.

“If her Queen Mary form is anything to go on, if she gets the trip, I expect her to be competitive,” said Clover.

“It’s obviously her first run at six furlongs, but the Queen Mary suggested it would suit and the jockey was very keen to try it as well. We’ve since tried her at home over that trip and the data was very promising.

“Course form plays a factor and she ran very well there, so it definitely helped persuade us towards this race and to go back to Ascot.”

Jack Channon’s Sukanya and James Tate’s Daneh Of Dandy both take their chance at a higher level after winning well on debut, with the latter trying to follow in the footsteps of 2019 winner Under The Stars by following up a minor success at Ripon in this Group Three event.

“It looks a shot in the dark at this stage, although we have done this before and like our last winner of this, Under The Stars, she won a novice at Ripon,” explained Tate.

“Yes, it’s a big ask and she is very much unproven. We hadn’t really revved her up at all before her first start and usually when they win first time out but are as green as she was, they can take a real step forward and that is the hope despite it being an unknown.”

Midnight Tango finished second in Newmarket’s Empress Stakes last month, with Richard Hughes’ Bella Lyra and David Loughnane’s Amberia not far away in third and fourth on the July course and also representing that smart piece of Listed form.

Hugo Palmer’s Albany Stakes fourth Fitzella will bid to go a few places better over the same course and distance after winner Venetian Sun advertised the form in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, while Eddie and Patrick Harty’s Irish raider Arugam Bay rounds off the field of 10, with Dance To The Music a non-runner.

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.

Staya swoops late for Dragon Stakes prize

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George Scott’s Staya built on the promise of her Royal Ascot performance by coming from last to first to land the 50 Years Together Coral Dragon Stakes at Sandown.

A winner on her Yarmouth debut, the Havana Grey filly was then beaten less than two lengths into fifth place in the Queen Mary Stakes and was a 5-4 favourite for this Listed event on the strength of that form.

Given plenty of time to find her feet by Callum Shepherd, she was delivered with her challenge widest of all inside the last of five furlongs and knuckled down when needed to get the better of a brief tussle with Military Code by a head.

Scott said: “I’m really pleased with her and I thought Callum negated the draw (stall two) well and kept her out of trouble.

“I think you can probably upgrade her performance as she had to take back and back and back and come with one staying run.

“She hit the line very well and booked herself a step back up in grade and will maybe go another furlong next time as well.”

Trainer George Scott has some major targets for Staya
Trainer George Scott has some major targets for Staya (David Davies/PA)

Having seen his exciting juvenile filly pick up some winning black type, the Newmarket handler has big-race plans for the rest of the campaign.

“To be honest I was never going to go five furlongs again after Ascot, but with her being a precocious, strong two-year-old filly I wanted to bank that stakes race with her,” he added.

“We’ll go for the Princess Margaret at Ascot next and in a dream world you’d be thinking Princess Margaret, the Lowther at York and then the Cheveley Park at Newmarket. That’s really what I’ve got in my mind for her, but obviously a lot can change along the line.

“She’ll be kept busy as she’s a very durable filly with a good mind, typical of the stallion, so she’ll have a busy campaign if she keeps giving us the right signs.”

Staya ready to fire in Dragon Stakes task

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Staya makes a quick return in Friday’s 50 Years Together Coral Dragon Stakes at Sandown after her promising run in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.

Beaten only one and three-quarter lengths in fifth place behind True Love, Staya had previously been a comfortable winner on her Yarmouth debut and George Scott’s talented two-year-old now drops back to Listed company for a race the Newmarket handler won with Rocket Rodney in 2022.

Scott said: “She ran great. We were really happy with her.

“She was a little bit green under pressure. I think she’s probably come on for the run.

“It was either come here to Sandown or go to the July meeting and I’d really like to make her a stakes winner, then I’d be thinking about working back from the Lowther (at York) or something.

“I think this is a more sensible option for her. I do think she’s going to be a fun two-year-old filly. I really like her.”

Charlie Appleby’s Military Code is back to the distance he won at in his first two starts after failing to make his mark when upped to six furlongs for the Coventry Stakes, while Karl Burke’s Love Olivia is seeking a revival having been well held at the Royal meeting.

Rogue Supremacy is one of two in the race for David O’Meara alongside Solana Rose and was another fancied to play a leading role at Ascot.

However, in contrast to Military Code and Love Olivia, the son of St Mark’s Basilica had valid excuses when finishing down the field in the Windsor Castle.

Tony Elliott, founder of owners The Rogues Gallery, said: “We were very disappointed at Ascot and Daniel Tudhope (jockey) came in and apologised for getting it wrong, which is allowed to happen from time to time.

“He said he followed the wrong horses who he thought would go forward and they didn’t, so it was jockey error to a point and hopefully we can get it right this time with less horses in the field. Unfortunately Daniel couldn’t ride, so we have Hector Crouch on who is riding really well for us lately.

“The horse is very well and we’re expecting him to go close. We feel he has improved again at home and it’s hard to know with these St Mark’s Basilicas as at the moment we’re the best one. It’s always an experiment with a horse by a first-season stallion, but we’re hoping for big things at Sandown.”

Richard Hannon’s Lebron Power impressed on debut at Windsor and is upped in class for just his second start, while Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s Blue Orbit is another heading to the race on the back of a victory. Rod Millman’s course runner-up Killavia completes the line-up.

Isle Of Jura targeting September Stakes reappearance

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Isle Of Jura is on course to make his long-awaited comeback in the September Stakes at Kempton.

The son of New Approach has been off the track for more than a year following his impressive win in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last season.

The five-year-old is back in work but Scott will not rush a racecourse return as he prepares Isle Of Jura for a campaign in the Middle East.

Scott said: “Isle Of Jura is great. I’m really, really happy with him. He’s had a few weeks cantering now.

“We’re tentatively aiming for the September Stakes at Kempton as a prep run for a Middle Eastern campaign which can start in Bahrain for the Bahrain International.

“It’s a little way away at the moment, but we’re pleased with the way he’s coming along and we’re thinking of Kempton for his return.”

One-time Classic contender Passenger retired

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Former Classic contender Passenger has been retired from racing.

The son of Ulysses won at Group Two level in the Huxley Stakes at Chester last season and the Group Three Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor the previous season while in the care of Sir Michael Stoute.

He was switched to George Scott’s operation following Stoute’s retirement but never saw a racecourse for the Newmarket handler before the decision was taken to call time on his career.

Passenger’s last run was a third-place finish last July in the York Stakes and Scott said: “Passenger won’t race again. I’m happy to say now he won’t see a racecourse.

“We got a really good body of work into him, we just felt he lacked that slight bit of edge to go back to racing so we decided to retire him and find him a happy home.

“He retires from racing in great shape.”

The five-year bows out having won three of his six starts, with his only below-par run being in the Derby, where he was 12th of the 14 starters behind Auguste Rodin.