Tag Archive for: Jersey Stakes

Osborne relishing Ascot opportunity for Stoute

Saffie Osborne has described riding the fancied Never So Brave in the Jersey Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute as a “massive privilege”.

Osborne’s career has been one of steep progression in recent seasons and while her father Jamie provided her with a large proportion of her winners in her early days, her biggest victories have come for Ed Walker, Harry Fry and Clive Cox.

However, a Group Three winner for Stoute on the biggest stage of all would be another level entirely and in Never So Brave, a horse who won easily at Chester’s May meeting, she has a live chance.

“He’s obviously put two wins to his name and is a very nice horse,” said Osborne.

Never So Brave has progressed rapidly this season
Never So Brave has progressed rapidly this season (Martin Rickett/PA)

“It’s an honour to be riding for Sir Michael at the Royal meeting. It’s a pretty deep race with lots of horses with good form, but hopefully he can run well.

“It’s a massive privilege to ride for Sir Michael. He is someone I have grown up watching train so many big winners all around the world and to be consistently riding for him now is really special.”

With his form boosted by stablemate Rosallion earlier in the week, Haatem is out to bag his own big race sporting his new colours of Wathnan Racing.

Third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and only just reeled in by Rosallion in the Irish equivalent, Haatem is dropping down in trip and class for the seven-furlong Group Three.

He was bought by Wathnan following the Irish Guineas but with a 3lb penalty for his Craven Stakes win, he may not have things all his own way.

“He’s going to have to carry a penalty, which is never easy to do, but he’s a big, strong horse. Physically it looks like the penalty shouldn’t hinder him too much,” said Wathnan’s Richard Brown.

“He’s a top-class horse and has proven it this year. He was a very impressive winner of the Craven and has gone on to prove it in two Classics.

“He’s not short of speed, but we know he’s going to stay. In the Jersey you have to be a strong stayer and you don’t win the Jersey if you don’t stay.

“I think he will be a good candidate in what is shaping up to be a very hot race and we’re looking forward to seeing him in the Wathnan colours for the first time.”

Ralph Beckett’s Task Force was a top-class juvenile, finishing second in the Middle Park. He has only run once this season when seventh in the 2000 Guineas.

Task Force was a Listed winner at Ripon last term
Task Force was a Listed winner at Ripon last term (Ripon Racecourse)

“We haven’t seen him since the 2000 Guineas but he came out of it in good shape,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“We just felt he was maybe a little bit weak at that stage and with him being a May foal, he had only just turned three when he ran in the Guineas and he was probably just going through a bit of a growth spurt and looked a little on the weak side in the parade ring.

“Ralph has been happy with him since and the drop back to seven furlongs I don’t think will be an inconvenience.

“He was a staying on second in the Middle Park over six, so I think seven will be a nice trip for him and we’re looking forward to seeing him back in action.”

Also in the famous Juddmonte silks is Harry Charlton’s Kikkuli, a half-brother to the brilliant Frankel. He was second in Listed company last time out on just his third run.

“He was still learning his trade at Sandown and the ground had probably just got a little soft,” Mahon said.

“We were happy he handled ease in the ground and we had no great worries about ease in the ground to be honest, but I just felt that day it blunted his speed a little bit.

“The winner got away from him and Ryan (Moore) didn’t give him a hard time. I think he will have learned plenty from that and he will come on again.”

Aidan O’Brien runs River Tiber, last year’s Coventry Stakes winner and third in the Irish Guineas on his only outing this season, plus Mountain Bear and Pearls And Rubies.

O’Brien’s Bedtime Story is bred to be very good indeed, being by Frankel out of the top-class sprinter Mecca’s Angel.

She won on her debut and is likely to go off favourite in the Chesham Stakes, a race the trainer has won four times since 2016.

Charlie Appleby’s Age Of Gold, another Frankel colt, looked a runner of huge potential winning on his debut at Yarmouth.

Appleby told Godolphin: “He’s a once-run colt who won very well at Yarmouth over six furlongs and I feel the step up to seven is going to suit him. Hopefully he’s a live player.”

Amo Racing run the €260,000 newcomer Duke Of Monroth, from the family of Roaring Lion, with Paul and Oliver Cole’s Seaplane related to some strong stayers.

Elsewhere, Clive Cox has secured the services of Moore for Harry Three in the Wokingham.

A Group One contender two years ago, he returned from a long layoff to finish fourth in a Listed race on his comeback.



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Jersey Stakes consideration for smart prospect Enfjaar

The exciting Enfjaar could drop back to seven furlongs for the Jersey Stakes on the final day of Royal Ascot.

The Roger Varian-trained son of Lope De Vega downed Charlie Appleby’s Military Order amongst others over that trip in a red-hot Newmarket maiden in October – and confirmed the promise of that debut performance on his seasonal return when upped to a mile at Chelmsford, galloping to a professional six-length victory.

It was thought the Shadwell-owned son of Lope De Vega would head up in distance at the Royal meeting, with the Hampton Court mooted as a possible option.

But his name was missing from the six-day entries for that contest and with his handler keen to utilise the unbeaten colt’s proven speed, connections are considering a tilt at the seven-furlong Group Three which takes place on the Saturday of the summer showpiece.

“We didn’t feel it was the right time to go up in trip,” said Varian.

“You will see him in the entries for the Jersey and he is probably a miler as things stand. But having only had two runs he doesn’t qualify for the Britannia and he wasn’t in the St James’s Palace.

Enfjaar ridden by David Egan (centre left) wins the Weatherbys Print And Design Maiden Stakes at Newmarket
Enfjaar ridden by David Egan (centre left) wins the Weatherbys Print And Design Maiden Stakes at Newmarket (Tim Goode/PA)

“He looks promising and he’s not short of pace and that is why we were reluctant to go 10 furlongs straight away with him. If he is a miler I think you get a kinder experience dropping back a furlong rather than racing over too far. Only time will tell if that is the right decision or not, but if he runs at Ascot it will be in the Jersey.

“You will see him entered for the race on Monday morning, but we’re still nine days away from the race and that is quite a long time in a horse’s life and a lot can change. I wouldn’t say it’s quite confirmed, but is possible you could see him in the Jersey.”

Meanwhile, The Platinum Queen will not be seen until next month at the earliest following a disappointing return at Haydock in the Temple Stakes.

The Platinum Queen at the Breeders' Cup
The Platinum Queen at the Breeders’ Cup (PA)

Last year’s Prix de l’Abbaye winner did hold an entry for the King’s Stand Stakes on the opening day of the Royal meeting, but will be given all the time she needs following her lacklustre display on debut for the Carlburg Stables handler.

Varian continued: “She’s fine, she obviously didn’t run very well at Haydock and the feeling is for whatever reason she needs a bit of time to get her racing head and her racing body back to where it needs to be.

“She might run in July, but she won’t run again in June.”



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Thunderbear ready to roll at Ascot

Thunderbear is “not going to make up the numbers” when he lines up in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Jack Davison-trained three-year-old notched up just his second victory at Nottingham on his penultimate start, but highlighted his potential for competing with regularity at Group level when knocking on the door in the Lacken Stakes at Naas last month.

The son of Kodi Bear was beaten little over a length when fourth to Aidan O’Brien’s The Antarctic on that occasion and he will now step up to seven furlongs for the first time this season when he represents Davison’s burgeoning operation at the Royal meeting.

“He will go for the Jersey and we can’t wait for it really, he’s a really progressive horse,” said the Irish handler.

“He’s more of a six or seven-furlong horse, but a fast one all the same and it’s great to have a competitor at Ascot once again.

“I don’t think there were any hiding places at Naas last time, it was a very strong renewal and I think the extra furlong here will bring about more improvement.

“It’s a big day for our small but hopefully expanding stable. We’ve been training for five years and this will be the fourth year with a runner at Royal Ascot. We’re not going to make up the numbers, we’re going to try to be competitive, so it is definitely exciting.”



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Royal Scotsman expected to leave Curragh disappointment behind him

Royal Scotsman has a major Goodwood target in his sights but could head to Royal Ascot before that if he recovers from sore feet which caused his lacklustre run when favourite for the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh

The Paul and Oliver Cole-trained colt was a well-supported 6-4 chance after finishing a fine third to Chaldean in the Newmarket version.

However, he never looked on good terms with himself under Jamie Spencer and post-race tests showed the Fitri Hay-owned son of Gleneagles had an excuse.

Oliver Cole said: “He came back from Ireland and his front feet were a bit sore.

“Going down to post, he never picked the bridle up and coming up the straight, when racing, he never picked the bridle up. Clearly, it wasn’t his day. We will put a line through it. It was just one of those things.”

Royal Scotsman (left) on his way to a track-record success at Goodwood last season
Royal Scotsman (left) on his way to a track-record success at Goodwood last season (Adam Davy/PA)

Twice a winner at Goodwood last term, including when breaking the six-furlong track record, connections are confident he can still make his mark over a mile, although he has the option of dropping back to seven furlongs for the Jersey Stakes as well as staying in top-class company for the St James’s Palace Stakes.

“Either we go for the Jersey Stakes, the Group Three, or the St James’s Palace Stakes, we’ll play it by ear,” added Cole.

“I suppose if you take the softer option, there’s more chance of winning. He has got plenty of speed – he broke the track record over six (furlongs, Richmond Stakes at Goodwood) – and is in the July Cup.

“I think you have got to say he is potentially a very good miler. We have just got to hope that everything falls into place.

“The Sussex Stakes is the plan. It is whether we go Jersey or St James’s Palace, then Sussex, or he could even go straight to Goodwood. We will see what he is like. It is just getting over the setback – he was just sore on the soles of his feet.

“It was amazing, because before the race I had so much confidence. He is such a consistent horse, so to do that… but it’s horse racing.”



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