Tag Archive for: Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes

Al Nayyir books Ascot ticket with dominant Bowl performance

/in /by

Al Nayyir laid down a marker to his potential Champions Day rivals after coasting to victory in the Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes.

The six-year-old was a short-head second in the Group Two Lonsdale Cup at York on his debut for Tom Clover last month, but he justified his tag as 11-8 favourite in the Listed contest at Newmarket with the comfortable triumph.

Aidan O’Brien’s Fighter was bidding to complete a hat-trick in the two-mile race and occupied the pace-setting role.

However, jockey Luke Morris cruised through a gap with ease before stretching Al Nayyir’s advantage with every stride.

Harbour Wind, representing Dermot Weld, made his initial move alongside the eventual winner but finished eight lengths behind in the runner-up spot.

Al Nayyir is now 7-1 from 16s with Paddy Power for the British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot next month.

“He did it really nicely and he is a very exciting stayer and I couldn’t be more thrilled by the way he won there, he did it hard held didn’t he,” said Clover.

“We’ve got him in on Champions Day and I imagine that will be the logical step, but I would just love to avoid Kyprios if we could, that would be nice.

“It’s impossible to know if he could put it up to Kyprios, but he does look very classy and the way he ran at York, he came from a long way back and hit the line strongly. You would love to see them have a match at some point. We’re all sports fans and it would be great to see.”

He went on: “He is a very exciting horse for us and I’m just pleased for the owner and very grateful for their support. He’s one of our highest-rated horses and we love having these stakes horses.

“He ran a huge race at York and just seems to be improving. He didn’t get a smack and to win any stakes race by that distance is exciting. He’s a lovely horse and by Dubawi, they tend to improve with time and age and hopefully he will keep progressing.

“The form at York with Vauban looks strong and he has placed at Group One level previously and probably deserves to win one at some stage.”

While Ascot is an immediate consideration, Al Nayyir could head to Dubai again over the winter months.

Clover added: “The plan is to go to Dubai and the owner is very keen to go, and I would love to go as well. Fingers crossed we can get him out there and we would love to go there this winter.

Trainer Tom Clover in the parade ring at York
Trainer Tom Clover hopes to send Al Nayyir to the Middle East this winter (Mike Egerton/PA)

“There’s some great prize money in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. I’m just thrilled the horse has got his head in front today, he deserved to win a race and he’s gone and done it in the style we hoped and hopefully now we can roll on to our next race in a few weeks’ time.

“He hasn’t had much of a race there today, so hopefully he comes out of it fine and we can go there with plenty to look forward to.”

Weld, who made the trip across the Irish Sea to Suffolk, was delighted with Harbour Wind’s performance and is also eyeing Ascot.

“He’s run his usual excellent race and he’s never finished outside of the first two in his life,” he said.

“Fair play to the winner, he looks a high-class stayer. He came into the race rated 114 and he has probably run way above 114 in my opinion.

“I would say we would head to Champions Day. We will review it with the owner and discuss his plan and I would say the ground was a bit too deep for him there today.”



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns

Clover backing Al Nayyir to bloom in Rose Bowl

/in /by

Tom Clover’s Al Nayyir will attempt to build on his narrow York defeat in the Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket.

The Dubai Gold Cup runner-up is a more than handy addition to Clover’s Kremlin House string and showed his quality on stable debut, pushing Vauban all the way in the Lonsdale Cup.

Beaten only a short-head on the Knavesmire, connections took comfort in the fact the narrow loss proved they have a key player in the staying division.

Now Al Nayyir’s trainer is keen to run in this Listed event on the Rowley Mile before a return to deeper waters at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day in October.

“Al Nayyir is in great shape, I’m very pleased with him and he’s trained great since York,” said Clover.

“I’m looking forward to him running, I just hope there isn’t too much rain overnight ideally. There looks to be some rain but I don’t know how much.

“He seems very well in himself and with a bit of luck, he will run a really big race tomorrow. Ascot on Champions Day is the plan, so hopefully that will work out.”

Also seeking to book his ticket for Champions Day is Dermot Weld’s Harbour Wind, who has already struck at Listed level this term and arrives having finished second in the Group Three Prix Gladiateur earlier this month.

Fiona Craig, racing adviser to owners Moyglare Stud Farm, said: “Because he’s already won a Listed race this year he’s got a penalty, so he’s going to have to give weight away to some useful horses, but the ground will be OK.

Harbour Wind at Leopardstown
Harbour Wind at Leopardstown (PA)

“We hardly had any rain in Ireland since probably June and it’s been fast ground and he’s not a horse who can go on that. If you run him on firm, he’s going to be crippled the next day.

“We’ve been trying to avoid Kyprios given they’re in the same ownership, so it didn’t make any sense to run him in the Irish Leger.

“We’ve waited for this and if he runs a good race, we might try to run him in the stayers’ race at Ascot on Champions Day.”

Aidan O’Brien sends over the hat-trick seeking Fighter after landing comfortable knockout blows at the Curragh and Leopardstown recently, while Irish raiders account for almost half of the seven-strong field with Gordon Elliott’s Samui also facing the starter.

Park Hill runner-up Night Sparkle represents Andrew Balding, with Jamie Osborne’s Drawn To Dream and Archie Watson’s Beamish completing the line-up.



Try Tix for Better Tote Returns