Tag Archive for: Harry Charlton

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.”

Charlton expects York trip to suit Hand Of God

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Harry Charlton is keen to heed the advice of William Buick, as he drops Hand Of God back in distance for a shot at York’s ultra-competitive £200,000 John Smith’s Cup on Saturday.

The smart four-year-old excelled over 10 furlongs when striking in the Golden Gates Stakes at Royal Ascot last year and remains lightly raced having been seen just twice since.

He stepped up to a mile and a half when a respectable sixth in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at the latest Royal meeting, but will now swiftly return to a mile and a quarter after feedback from his Ascot rider Buick.

Charlton said: “William got off him at Ascot and just said ‘he’s run great, I’ve come there two down like I’m going to win but he hasn’t stayed – get back to 10 furlongs’. So, this was the obvious next step on a nice, galloping track over 10 furlongs.

“I think he wasn’t quite ready for his seasonal return at Newmarket when he ran. He was ready for Ascot obviously, but we were just running at the wrong trip. So, I’m hoping it lands nicely for him at York on Saturday.

“He’s not needed to do too much since Ascot because it’s only a 22-day gap, but he seems in good form.”

King’s Gambit pointed at Goodwood after strong Wolferton run

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King’s Gambit will head to the Coral Glorious Stakes at the Qatar Goodwood Festival after bouncing back to form when third in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A consistent Group-level performer for Harry Charlton, he won the London Gold Cup as a three-year-old before making the frame in races like the Hampton Court Stakes, York Stakes and Great Voltigeur.

Not disgraced on his first start in the Wathnan Racing silks in Qatar in February, he then underwhelmed in Newbury’s Aston Park Stakes on his return to British racing.

However, he showed his true colours at the Royal meeting when beaten only a length and a half by Haatem, with Charlton now looking forward to returning to a mile and a half on the Sussex Downs next month.

Charlton said: “I thought he ran a huge race at Royal Ascot as he was drawn wide and got caught further back than ideal so I thought he did well to make up so much ground on Haatem who A, is a good horse, but B, got the perfect trip round under James Doyle.

“When you watch it back it would have been remarkable if he had caught him up, so I thought it was a huge run and it was great to see him back to his consistent, usual self after a poor run really at Newbury.

“He’s a hugely consistent horse and the plan is to head for the Group Three 12-furlong race at Glorious Goodwood which has Qatari sponsorship.”

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.