Tag Archive for: Illinois

Illinois and Jan Brueghel set for Irish St Leger clash

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Two Ballydoyle heavyweights in Illinois and Jan Brueghel are on a collision course in the Comer Group Irish St Leger at the Curragh on Sunday week.

Illinois finished second to Trawlerman in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June and was then beaten by younger stablemate Scandinavia in the Goodwood Cup.

Jan Brueghel beat Illinois by a neck in last year’s St Leger at Doncaster and was too good for Calandagan in this summer’s Coronation Cup, but trainer Aidan O’Brien has admitted to getting his tactics all wrong when he attempted to make all in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Speaking at a press morning at his Ballydoyle Stables ahead of the Irish Champions Festival, O’Brien said: “I think Illinois and Jan Brueghel will take each other on, the lads are very happy for that to happen. They are two older horses.

“We might not have seen the best of Illinois yet because the Gold Cup was a bit hard on him and his preparation up to it might not have been brilliant. He might have felt that a little bit in Goodwood, but we think he’s in a good place again. It might take until next year to get him right back.

“Jan Brueghel, we absolutely made a hash of it in the King George but he’s very well. Obviously he’s very idle in front, he needs something to be running at but he stays very well and he’s in good shape.

“You get plenty of days like Ascot but it’s sport and you have to take the good with the bad, you often learn more from the bad. At least we know what not to do with him any more, we won’t ask him to make his own running. He loves following a horse, stays very well but he is lazy.”

When asked if Jan Brueghel could be a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe contender, O’Brien added: “He could be anything if the pace is on. We did the perfect thing with him at Epsom and then the completely wrong thing at Ascot.”

Scandinavia sees off Illinois for Ballydoyle one-two in Goodwood Cup

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Scandinavia got the better of stablemate Illinois in a thrilling finish to the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup Stakes, in a race overshadowed by a fatal injury to the veteran Trueshan.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained stable companions dominated the betting, so while Scandinavia was discarded by Ryan Moore, Wayne Lordan’s mount was still only a 4-1 shot following his victory in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.

Illinois attempted to make all but Scandinavia drew upsides over a furlong out and the two had it between them, with the concession of 14lb ultimately proving too much for Moore’s mount, who went down by three-quarters of a length. Sweet William stayed on for a never-nearer third.

O’Brien immediately signalled the St Leger at Doncaster as the big aim for his winner.

“Wayne gave him a lovely ride – in the race at Ascot (Queen’s Vase) he was trapped six wide all the way and then at Newmarket Ryan said he felt like a very good horse,” he said.

“Illinois went out there in front and looked to have the race won, but then the other horse got him.

“We went to the Gold Cup (with Illinois) without a preparation and I know we haven’t seen the best of him.

“Scandinavia is a typical Justify, he just won’t lie down, he puts his head down and won’t be beaten.

Winning connections following the Goodwood Cup
Winning connections following the Goodwood Cup (PA)

“Lambourn didn’t go to the King George as we had one eye on York for him. It’s all out in the open and this horse is ready made for the Leger, which is where he will go.

“He (Scandinavia) travelled very well through the race, he has a great mind. Lambourn can go for the Voltigeur and then maybe for the Arc.”

O’Brien was also pleased with the performance of the runner-up, feeling his best is still to come.

He added: “I thought Ryan did everything perfect today on Illinois. He was out there and had the race won, and then the other horse just came and got him.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Illinois yet because I think we went to the Gold Cup a year too early and his preparation wasn’t right to win a Gold Cup.

“He ran an unbelievable race, and he’ll have the rest of the season, but often when that happens it can stop the progression you would really want to come. I really think we haven’t seen the best of him yet.”

Alan King’s hugely popular Trueshan, winner of the race in 2021, was pulled up sharply by Hollie Doyle at halfway, with news sadly emerging his injury had proved to be a fatal one.

Of the placed horses, Josh Gosden said of Sweet William: “He ran a very brave race and we couldn’t be more pleased with him. He’ll go to York and Doncaster now.

“A galloping track suits him, maybe a fiddly one like this doesn’t. Aidan’s runners controlled the early easy fractions. When they do that they are very hard to catch.”

Sunway was for fourth for locally-based David Menuisier, who said: “He was beaten fair and square, but he stays well and did his best. There was no excuse. He is just behind the best at a mile and a half to two miles. As long as Aidan turns up we will be settling for the places. I am thinking he could go for the Prix Kergorlay and maybe the Cadran, try to meet the French rather than the British.”

Illinois expected to thrive over Goodwood Cup trip

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Illinois and Scandinavia give Aidan O’Brien a strong hand in his bid for a fifth victory in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on Tuesday.

The Ballydoyle handler saddled the brilliant Yeats to land the Group One contest in both 2006 and 2008, a feat repeated by his latest superstar stayer Kyprios, who struck gold in 2022 before regaining his crown 12 months ago.

Following the latter’s retirement, Illinois was drafted into the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and performed admirably to finish best of the rest behind the front-running Trawlerman – and with the latter not in attendance, the four-year-old is favourite to go one better on the Sussex Downs.

O’Brien said: “He ran well in the Gold Cup and we’re looking forward to this, obviously it’s a shorter trip than Ascot.

“We thought this would be a nice third race back for him this year and we’ve been very happy with him since Ascot.”

Connections have a major second string to their bow in the form of Scandinavia, a dominant winner of the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket three weeks ago and as the sole three-year-old in the field, he is in receipt of a stone in weight from Illinois and the rest of his rivals.

“He was good in Newmarket and he seems in good form. Obviously he’s only a baby, but he liked the extra distance in Newmarket the last day and seems to have come out of the race well,” O’Brien added.

Sweet William won the Summer Handicap in 2023
Sweet William won the Summer Handicap at Goodwood in 2023 (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Despite deciding against running Trawlerman, John and Thady Gosden are well represented, with Gold Cup fourth Sweet William joined by French Master and Military Academy.

French Master claimed his fourth win from six career starts in the Copper Horse Stakes at the Royal meeting and now tests the water over two miles on a track where he has been successful before.

John Gosden said: “Sweet William has been in very good form. He broke well in the Gold Cup, it was a tough race and in the end the two and a half (miles) was a little too far for him – he’s a two-mile to two-and-a-quarter-mile horse, but he ran a brave race.

“He’s in very good form and he knows Goodwood well, so back we go again.”

French Master will dip his toe in Group company for the first time
French Master will dip his toe in Group company for the first time (John Walton/PA)

Of French Master, the trainer added: “I think he’s a horse who will rise to the occasion. He won in good style (at Royal Ascot), but he’s going from a handicap to a completely open Group One.

“We’re hopeful he’ll run a good race and we’re very much looking forward to running him and seeing the jump in class. If he doesn’t handle it, we can regroup.”

Saeed bin Suroor
Saeed bin Suroor (John Walton/PA)

Another who appears better suited to the drop in trip will be Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Future, who split Illinois and Sweet William when third in the Gold Cup.

Bin Suroor said: “Dubai Future worked well on Thursday and heads to Goodwood in good order.

“He ran a good race in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, but two miles suits him better, as he showed in the Dubai Gold Cup.

“He has done very well this year and I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on.”

Illinois part of strong-looking cast for Goodwood Cup

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Gold Cup runner-up Illinois is the star name among nine confirmations for the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

The two-mile contest is the feature event on the opening afternoon of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Tuesday and with his Royal Ascot conqueror Trawlerman not in attendance, Illinois is the odds-on favourite to break his Group One duck for Aidan O’Brien.

The Ballydoyle handler has also left in his runaway Bahrain Trophy winner Scandinavia, who is the only three-year-old in the potential field, while in Trawlerman’s absence John and Thady Gosden could saddle the improving French Master, consistent stayer Sweet William and Military Academy.

Alan King will be encouraged to see some ease in the ground for his 2022 Goodwood Cup hero Trueshan, who has not been seen in competitive action since finishing fourth at ParisLongchamp in late May.

Saeed bin Suroor’s Gold Cup third Dubai Future, the Andrew Balding-trained Subsequent and Sunway from David Menuisier’s yard are the other contenders, with the latter poised for a first outing over two miles after finishing fourth in the Hardwicke Stakes last month.

Menuisier said: “He ran well at Ascot and Oisin (Murphy) felt he’d be better over further.

“He stayed a mile and three-quarters in the St Leger last year so we’re hopeful he’ll get the trip. The blinkers seemed to help him concentrate, so we’ll keep them on.”

The Pulborough-based trainer also houses an interesting contender for the Group Two Coral Vintage Stakes on the same card in the form of Goodwood Galaxy, who is owned by the Goodwood Racecourse Owners Group and made a strong impression when winning on debut at Salisbury earlier this month.

“He’s really well and on Tuesday, he did a piece of work and came through it like nothing happened, so I’m very pleased,” Menuisier added.

“When you win first time out, you really only have two options, go for a novice with a 7lb penalty, or take a shot at a stakes race. These days, novices and maidens are so strong that you can easily bump into a Godolphin or a Gosden horse that turns out to be Group class, and you’re giving them weight. At least in a stakes race you know it’s a good level, but at level weights.

“Goodwood is our back garden, so we’re going there relaxed and grateful to have such a nice horse in the yard, but we’re going there to try and win.

“Glorious Goodwood is very close to my heart, more so than Royal Ascot, if I’m honest. It’s the meeting of the year where you want to go and show your colours. Training for the Goodwood Racecourse Owners Group there, it’s nearly a dream come true.”

Goodwood Galaxy is one of 18 juveniles in contention for the Vintage, with Aidan O’Brien’s pair of Brussels and Dorset, Charlie Appleby’s Pacific Avenue and Eve Johnson Houghton’s July Stakes victor Zavateri among the leading hopes.

Group Two honours also up for grabs in the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes, which features Ralph Beckett’s dual winner Kinross, the Gosden-trained defending champion Audience and Andrew Balding’s French Guineas runner-up Jonquil.

Henri Matisse ready to renew Field Of Gold rivalry at Goodwood

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Aidan O’Brien has confirmed Henri Matisse on course for a rematch with his Royal Ascot conqueror Field Of Gold in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

O’Brien’s Wootton Bassett colt ended last season in victory at the Breeders’ Cup and struck Classic gold in the French 2,000 Guineas before finding only John and Thady Gosden’s Field Of Gold too good in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

The Ballydoyle handler said: “He’s being trained for the Sussex and is going good so far. We’re very happy with him and he is progressing.”

Also a runner-up at the Royal meeting was Illinois, in the Gold Cup behind Trawlerman, and he too is set for a trip to the Sussex Downs, where he could be joined by an emerging stablemate.

O’Brien said: “At the moment he (Illinois) is going for the Goodwood Cup and it’s possible that Scandinavia could go there as well.

“We were very happy with his run in Ascot. We’d prefer he had another year before he went there (for the Gold Cup), but that is the way it worked out.”

O’Brien also outlined plans for Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad, who will be seen next in top-level action at the Curragh.

He said: “The plan is to go for the Phoenix Stakes (August 9). That is the way we are thinking at the moment.”

O’Brien expecting Illinois progress after Gold Cup defeat

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Aidan O’Brien feels there is room for improvement in the staying division with Illinois, after his planned super-sub had to make do with the silver medal in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

Less than a month ago the Ballydoyle handler expected to be saddling dual Gold Cup hero Kyprios in his bid for a 10th victory in the two-and-a-half-mile feature, but the recurrence of an old injury and his star stayer’s subsequent retirement left O’Brien with no option but to shuffle his pack.

Illinois looked bound for the Coronation Cup at Epsom following his winning reappearance in Chester’s Ormonde Stakes, but Jan Brueghel successfully stepped in to fill that void, meaning Illinois was asked to run over a full mile further in Berkshire and he found Kyprios’ old rival Trawlerman too strong.

O’Brien said: “We thought Illinois would be a Gold Cup horse next year and obviously the plan was Kyprios would come here this year and Illinois would step up next year.

“The plan was for him to go to the Coronation and I was training him as a good mile-and-a-half horse, and then when Kyprios retired we switched him to this race.

“We have to be happy with the run and he had a lovely preparation the last day. Maybe if we knew he was coming here straight away, we might of had him going earlier and maybe lighter.”

While Illinois was seemingly put in his place by Trawlerman, O’Brien would not shirk a potential rematch in the Goodwood Cup, adding: “He might go to Goodwood and meet this horse again and I would imagine he will progress again then.

“He got tired at the two-furlong pole today, like a lot of horses do, and we will see if we can improve him another little bit for this distance.

“It shows how good Kyprios was as Trawlerman had been second to him a couple of times, I think.”

Illinois was beaten seven lengths by Trawlerman and was a further seven lengths clear of Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Future in third.

“He did well and he stayed. I put a hood and cheekpieces on him which made him nice and relaxed in the race,” said bin Suroor.

“James (McDonald) gave him a good ride and he’s tough – he’s a horse who at nine years old is still young at heart. He’s doing really well and we are very happy with him.

“I think we will go to Goodwood next. The winner is a good horse, but I am pleased with my horse’s run.”

The disappointment of the race was perhaps French raider Candelari, who had won four of his five previous starts for Francis Henri-Graffard but was a well-beaten sixth on this occasion.

Graffard said: “He was travelling nicely when the pace was fine but when the winner started to quicken and upped the pace, my horse was quite surprised.

“To come here in this type of race, they need the experience. In France they don’t learn an awful lot as they crawl in races then sprint. This horse has a great turn of foot but he can’t use his turn of foot in a race like that over that distance.

“He gained a lot of experience there and he is only four and still improving, but it is still disappointing. I need to learn and think how I can get him better to be competitive.

“I think he is still an exciting stayer, as you saw from his win in France, but today was a different game over a very long distance.

“I have a lot of faith in him and six months ago he hadn’t seen a racecourse, so he has come a long way in a short space of time.”

O’Brien looks to Illinois in search for perfect 10 in Gold Cup

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Illinois will go into unknown territory when he plays the role of super-sub for Aidan O’Brien in his search for a 10th victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

The master of Ballydoyle handler has an unrivalled record in the two-and-a-half-mile feature, with the brilliant four-time winner Yeats, Fame And Glory, Leading Light, Order Of St George and dual scorer Kyprios all featuring on the roll of honour.

Kyprios looked well placed to make it a hat-trick after winning Ireland’s two key trials in the spring, but his subsequent retirement led to a shuffling of the pack and it was last month’s Ormonde Stakes winner Illinois who got the call-up.

O’Brien said: “Everything has gone well so far and we always thought he was a horse who could step into the role of a Gold Cup horse.

“We thought he could do that next year and he was standing in line behind Kyprios, but he’s had his run and it went well.

“We have always thought he would stay the trip, but it’s not until you go past the quarter (mile) pole in the Gold Cup that you find out.”

Trawlerman and Sweet William finished second and third respectively behind Kyprios 12 months ago and the John and Thady Gosden-trained duo are back for another tilt at Gold Cup glory.

Trawlerman in action at Sandown
Trawlerman in action at Sandown (Adam Davy/PA)

Reflecting on Sweet William’s comeback third in last month’s Yorkshire Cup, Gosden senior said: “It was a great run at York as a mile and six (furlongs) would be on the sharp side for him.

“He enjoys the climb at Ascot and he’s solid at two and a quarter miles and as always two and a half takes him into no man’s land, but we’ve been very pleased with his preparation.

“He’s in great order and he’s a wonderful character. He does everything in his own time and hopefully his work (last week) will have sharpened him up nicely.”

Of Trawlerman, he added: “He won the Henry II well and is training nicely. He’s a different type of horse to Sweet William as Trawlerman likes to bowl along, whereas the other comes with a strong late run and to that extent they suit each other rather well as they are not trying to do the same job.

“There’s no Kyprios this year, but it will still be a smart field and it will be a good race with Illinois in there.”

French hopes are carried by Francis-Henri Graffard’s Candelari, who has come a long way since making a winning debut on the all-weather at Chantilly in early December, most recently impressing with a Group One triumph in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at ParisLongchamp.

Nemone Routh, racing manager for the late Aga Khan’s French Studs, said: “We’re very happy with the horse, he worked well last week and it looks like he’s taken his last run very well.

“The question marks are over whether he will stay the distance, we believe he will be because he finishes his races strongly but obviously that is an unknown, and he probably lacks the experience of the rest of the field.

“He only made his debut in December, so he’s only really been racing for six months, but then he’s not got as many miles on the clock as some of the others and I think he’s a natural stayer and a very genuine horse.”

It would be quite a story if Candelari were to win what is arguably the biggest race of the entire week at Royal Ascot given he was very nearly moved on seven months ago.

“He is a horse who has taken us massively by surprise,” Routh added.

“We nearly sold him unraced in November but took him out during the week of the sale because he is so well-bred and he hadn’t had any major setbacks. He’s just a big horse who was quite immature and after we castrated him it took us a while to get him fit again.

“He’s obviously not a flashy worker as he’s a staying horse, but we just felt we’d give him a chance and then Francis found that first race for him on the Fibresand at Chantilly when he was incredibly green, he reared up in the stalls and lost 10 lengths at the start. If you watch the race it’s hilarious and he still won by eight lengths!

“He really did show us something that day and he’s never looked back. It shows that sometimes these horses just need time. They’re not fast, they’re not two-year-olds and he wasn’t really even a three-year-old, but if you give them time they can repay you and he has repaid us in spades.

“It’s been an amazing story already, we think he’s an improving horse and the good thing is he will have his ground as he needs good, fast ground to be at his best.

Illinois leads eight chasing Gold Cup glory

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Ante-post favourite Illinois headlines eight declarations for Thursday’s Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

His trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the two-and-a-half-mile highlight a record nine times, with four-time winner Yeats and dual hero Kyprios among those to fly the Ballydoyle flag.

Kyprios was expected to bid for a hat-trick this year before suffering a career-ending injury last month, leaving St Leger runner-up Illinois to step into the staying breach.

Godolphin will be double-handed with the John and Thady Gosden-trained Trawlerman, who is ridden by William Buick, and Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Future who will be partnered by James McDonald.

The latter finished last behind Candelari in a ParisLongchamp Group One last time out and that Francis-Henri Graffard-trained rival is among the leading candidates here as he bids to become the first French-trained winner of the race since Westerner 20 years ago.

Sagaro Stakes first and second, Yashin and Coltrane renew rivalries, while Sweet William is a second Gosden-trained contender and completes the line up along with Wonder Legend.

Trueshan and Jan Brueghel were the only two horses not declared.

Musidora Stakes second Serenity Prayer heads 11 contenders for the Ribblesdale Stakes, having seen the York form boosted when winner Whirl ran a close second in the Oaks at Epsom.

Paddy Twomey fields Catalina Delcarpio, Garden Of Eden is one of three for O’Brien, with the Gosden team also triple-handed with Life Is Beautiful, Go Go Boots and Understudy.

O’Brien’s Charles Darwin leads 16 chasing Norfolk Stakes glory and French Derby third Detain drops down in class as one of 14 runners in the Hampton Court Stakes.

The King George V Stakes, the Britannia and the closing Buckingham Palace Stakes have all drawn full fields of 19, 30 and 29 respectively.

Illinois and Candelari on course for Gold Cup showdown

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Aidan O’Brien’s Illinois and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Candelari have the chance to fill the void left by Kyprios after standing their ground for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

There is a vacancy at the top of the staying tree after the recent retirement of O’Brien’s dual Gold Cup hero, but hopes are high Illinois could prove a ready-made replacement judged on his impressive Ormonde Stakes success at Chester.

O’Brien has also confirmed Coronation Cup hero Jan Brueghel, but Illinois is poised for a mouthwatering showdown with Graffard’s French raider, who announced himself at the top-level with a sublime performance at ParisLongchamp in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier.

John and Thady Gosden’s Trawlerman and Sweet William have been regular bridesmaids to Kyprios and now have the chance of their moment in the spotlight, with the former winning well in his Sandown reappearance.

Andrew Balding’s Coltrane is another regular in this event, but he will have to reverse Sagaro Stakes form with Michael Bell’s Yashin to make his presence felt, with Bell looking to recreate the Gold Cup exploits of Big Orange from 2017.

Saeed bin Suroor has confirmed Dubai Gold Cup scorer Dubai Future, with James Ferguson’s Wonder Legend given the chance to transfer his smart all-weather form on turf.

The 10-strong list is rounded off by Alan King’s stalwart Trueshan, although the warm weather has the potential to once again scupper any hope of him appearing in this race.