Juddmonte has announced the retirement of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Bluestocking.
The Camelot filly won five of her 13 starts for the leading owner-breeder and trainer Ralph Beckett, also enjoying Group One success in the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland and the Prix Vermeille in France en-route to landing Europe’s premier middle-distance prize on her return to Paris earlier this month.
Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s European racing manager, said in a statement: “Bluestocking has given so much enjoyment over the last three seasons and we thank Ralph Beckett and his team at Kimpton Down Stables who have done such an excellent job with her.”
While Bluestocking and the top-class American mare Idiomatic will commence broodmare duties in 2025, Juddmonte’s Champions Day winner Kalpana will remain in training next season.
The three-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes for trainer Andrew Balding and connections will aim for more top-level success in 2025.
Douglas Erskine Crum, Juddmonte’s chief executive, said: “It is not often that Juddmonte has had three outstanding fillies and mares at the same time and, as the season draws to a close, we have had some important decisions to make.
“Idiomatic retired last week after a minor injury kept her from attempting a repeat of her win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff this Saturday. She won five Grade One races and was the leading filly and mare in the USA for the past two years.
Kalpana winning on Qipco Champions Day at Ascot (Nigel French/PA)
“Bluestocking has been the leading four-year-old filly in Europe this year and the two together bring further outstanding quality to our broodmare band both in the UK and the US.
“Kalpana will continue to race for us next year and is clearly an exciting prospect.”
On a day of announcements for the team, Juddmonte also revealed it’s 2025 European stallion fees, with the superstar racehorse and sire Frankel to stand for £350,000.
Bated Breath’s stud fee is £8,000, Chaldean’s is £25,000, Kingman will stand for £125,000 and Oasis Dream for £15,000.
Mating plans for Bluestocking and Idiomatic will be decided at a later date.
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Ralph Beckett reflected on an “extraordinary” afternoon in Paris after Bluestocking carried the Juddmonte colours to a record seventh victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
There are few silks more famous than those of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, with some of the greatest equine names the sport has ever seen carrying the green, pink and white with distinction in the world’s biggest races.
Rainbow Quest (1985), Dancing Brave (1986), Rail Link (2006), Workforce (2010) and the brilliant dual Arc heroine Enable (2017 and 2018) have all struck gold in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest, quite a list for Beckett’s superstar filly to join.
“It’s extraordinary really. I grew up watching Rainbow Quest and Dancing Brave, so to train a winner in these colours is a huge thrill,” said the Kimpton Downs handler.
“It’s a privilege to train for Juddmonte and to train an Arc winner for them as well is extraordinary.”
Bluestocking was just a yearling when Abdullah died at the age of 84 in January 2021. She was a winner on her only start at two and showed top-class form in defeat at three, but few would have marked her as a potential Arc winner until as recently as three weeks ago.
The daughter of Camelot was brilliant in winning the Group Two Middleton Stakes on her seasonal bow and broke her Group One duck in the Pretty Polly in Ireland.
However, she was clearly second best behind the remarkable Goliath in the King George and a fourth-place finish in a Juddmonte International won by City Of Troy had connections thinking Bluestocking might be best served going back against her own sex.
Bluestocking passes the post in front (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
There was, though, a change of of heart following her never-say-die success over the Arc course and distance in last month’s Prix Vermeille, prompting the Juddmonte team to pay the €120,000 supplementary fee to book her ticket back to the Bois de Boulogne for the big one.
Beckett added: “I think after York we were going to go back to fillies only, but obviously she won what looked a strong Vermeille at the time and that gave us encouragement to come here.
“The fact that she really enjoyed the ground here three weeks ago was a positive as well and the fact that she came through that test was another positive.
“We were slightly taking it on trust that we could get her back for the Arc. It went pretty smoothly at home, but mostly because we didn’t ask her any questions – it was all about her well-being really.
“She came here in good form and I was pleased with the way she looked in the preliminaries. She’s just a real professional as she knows what’s required and has worked it out for herself, which makes our job a whole lot easier.”
Rossa Ryan celebrates with connections after winning the Arc (AP/Michel Euler)
Beckett is no stranger big-race success, having enjoyed Group One and Classic glory at home and abroad.
Asked about his emotions as Bluestocking approached the winning line in Paris, he said: “I was expecting something to come and run her down late, as happened last year with Westover (finished second to Ace Impact).
“She actually hit the front earlier than Westover did and it’s a long straight, so that’s always a concern, but it was going to take a good one to go by her as she doesn’t give in easily.”
In contrast to Beckett, Rossa Ryan is still a relative newcomer when it comes to winning at the top level, with his maiden Group One victory aboard Shaquille in last year’s July Cup followed up by his two on Bluestocking earlier this season.
The Galway-born jockey has now proved his worth on the biggest of stages, though, with the more positive tactics employed three weeks ago again working a treat.
Ryan said: “When I dissected the form I was fairly confident, but I wasn’t confident enough to tell anyone!
“She fulfilled what I thought she possibly could and I’m just the lucky one to have been on her. There’s a lot of people involved that have done a lot more work than I have, I’m just here in front of you.
“In the Vermeille, being drawn where we were opened doors to us and it’s probably won us the Arc really and truly. The draw was key and she’s been jumping and settling well and once I got in behind Ryan (Moore, on Los Angeles) I got into a great rhythm and from there I had every chance to win, but at the same time we had to see what was really there and she didn’t let us down.
“To be honest, I was just praying to get to the line. She quickened and quickened well and kept going. She did it well, but for me it was just getting to the line as quickly as we could and thankfully we did.”
What the future now holds for Bluestocking remains to be seen, with connections keen to enjoy this landmark success before deciding on their next move.
“It’s unbelievable and a huge relief,” said Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon.
“More often than not, it (supplementing) doesn’t work out, but if Ralph was happy the owners were very keen to do it and he gave us the green light on Wednesday morning and it’s been a dream since.
“What’s next for her, I don’t honestly know. We discussed during the year that this could be her final season racing, but the owners will ultimately decide that in the next few weeks.
“For Juddmonte, Prince Khalid’s whole ethos was female bloodlines and broodmares. To win Juddmonte’s seventh Arc with a filly is very, very special.”
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Connections of the “rock solid” Babouche are confident she will put up a staunch defence of her unbeaten record in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Kodiac filly has carried the Juddmonte silks to a hat-trick of wins this summer for trainer Ger Lyons, making rapid progress from a Cork maiden win in June to a Group One victory against the colts in last month’s Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
On the latter occasion, she readily accounted for the subsequent Prix Morny winner and Saturday’s Middle Park favourite Whistlejacket and while not taking anything for granted, Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon “wouldn’t swap” Babouche for any of her Rowley Mile rivals.
Group 1 GLORY for 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐞 🏆
Progressive filly Babouche extends her winning run to three as she sees off Whistlejacket to land the @keeneland Phoenix Stakes under @ctkjockey.
“She’s in great form, she’s unbeaten so far this year. Ger is very happy with her and Colin (Keane) rode her on Thursday morning and thought she was in good form,” he said.
“She’s got a little bit heavier and a little bit stronger from her last race, which is good to see.
“I think it looks a very hot renewal with the Moyglare winner (Lake Victoria) in there, which is very unusual, and I think some of them French fillies look very good. She hasn’t let us down all year, so hopefully we can keep it up.
“Put it this way, I wouldn’t swap her for anything else. She’s been rock solid, she’s beaten the colts, the form has worked out in the Morny and she’s been a pillar of consistency all year.”
Babouche with Colin Keane after winning at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)
A total of 32 millimetres of rain fell at the track from Thursday into Friday, turning the ground heavy before it was later changed to soft. Connections will the dice, however.
Mahon added on Friday: “She will definitely run, whether she’ll go on it (testing ground), we won’t know until she does.
“We’ll all find out together whether she likes it or not, that’s the best way.
“We’re looking forward to seeing her again in a different challenge on a different track and it will be interesting to see how she fares out.”
The biggest threat to Babouche appears to be the Aidan O’Brien-trained Lake Victoria, who is turned out just under a fortnight after completing a hat-trick of her own in the Moyglare.
The daughter of Frankel has been campaigned exclusively over seven furlongs thus far, but jockey Ryan Moore does not see the drop to six being a major issue.
Perfect record INTACT 🟦🟧
Lake Victoria is now 3-3 after powering down the outside to land the @MoyglareStud Stakes.
He told Betfair: “I am looking forward to getting back on Lake Victoria, who I rode on debut at the Curragh over seven furlongs when beating a nice type in Red Letter, who has since franked the form.
“She stepped up into Group Three company next time out in the Sweet Solera at Newmarket’s July course and handled the track well to see off Mountain Breeze, and last time out she kept her unbeaten run going when taking the Moyglare Stud Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend and that was a good race.
“She drops down to six furlongs here, which shouldn’t be a problem, and I am not fearing the slow ground will affect her either.
“Babouche is obviously our main danger, also being an unbeaten Group One winner, and it is set up to be a good match.”
There is a strong presence from France, with Patrice Cottier’s Prix Morny third Daylight joined by Francis-Henri Graffard’s impressive Chantilly scorer Rayevka, who was supplemented on Monday.
“She’s in very good form, she’s very well and we are looking forward to running her,” said Graffard.
“It was the way she did it when she won last time and the way she has come out of the race, she’s come on a lot, so we are going to give it a go before she winters.
“Obviously it’s a big challenge, I just hope the ground will not be too heavy, as that is my main worry.
“She would be happy on good to soft, we don’t know how she will take to the track at Newmarket but that is the same for nearly all the fillies and we will find out.”
Ed Walker’s Celandine earned her shot at top-level honours with a Group Two triumph in last month’s Lowther Stakes at York, while Leovanni looked the part in winning her first two starts for Karl Burke, but had to make do with minor honours in third behind Celandine on the Knavesmire.
Jockey James Doyle celebrates on Leovanni after winning the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot (David Davies/PA)
Richard Brown, racing adviser to Leovanni’s owners Wathnan Racing, said: “She’s in great nick. It looks like one of the hottest Cheveley Parks we’ve seen for a very long time but she owes us nothing.
“She’s already won a Queen Mary (at Royal Ascot), so she’s going to line up and take her chance.
“There were a few things at York that probably didn’t go her way. James (Doyle) was keen to ride her with a view to getting her to stay but he felt afterwards that she saw the trip out well. We can probably ride her with a bit more confidence this time.
“It was hard carrying the penalty and she was beaten under two lengths with a 3lb penalty. She’s in very good nick and though it looks a phenomenally hot race, it is the obvious place for her.”
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Owners Juddmonte enjoyed a pleasing afternoon on Wednesday, with a pair of juveniles winning with the promise of plenty more to come – as well as taking the feature race at Sandown.
It was at Sandown the Harry Charlton-trained Cosmic Year was a hugely impressive debut winner in the Sir Michael Stoute – Farewell And Thank You Novice Stakes under Oisin Murphy, earning a 33-1 quote for the 2000 Guineas from Paddy Power.
And in a nice piece of symmetry at Yarmouth, the Stoute-trained Nightwalker confirmed the promise of his debut third in what a turned out to be a hot event when making all the running under Ryan Moore on his birthday in the EBF Future Stayers Maiden Stakes.
As is to be expected, both two-year-olds are from regal Juddmonte bloodlines.
Nightwalker made every yard of the running for Ryan Moore (Nigel French/PA)
Cosmic Year (5-2) is by Kingman out of Passage Of Time, two Group One winners for Juddmonte, while Nightwalker is a half-brother to the US Grade One winner Whitebeam and from the same family as St Leger winner Logician.
“It’s been a good day at the office,” said Juddmonte’s Barry Mahon.
“In fairness to Harry he flagged up that Cosmic Year looked well above average a while back and Oisin went in to ride him and he was very complimentary too, so we were excited to see him today.
“No matter what they do at home they are never fully extended so it was nice to see that when he was asked for his effort he had a change of gear. He looks an exciting prospect.
“He’s got a real Juddmonte pedigree, he’s related to Time Test and Tempus and Passage Of Time herself was a great racemare. He’s bred to be good and he looks good physically.
“Oisin said he’d be happy if he did run again or if he was put away. I’d probably like to give him another run in a suitable stakes race to give him experience because when you get to the spring next year the Group Ones start coming thick and fast and if you don’t have experience it can be hard.”
At Yarmouth Nightwalker (6-5) held off the well backed Ultrasoul, who had run well in the Convivial maiden at York.
“I think Nightwalker was just very green on his first run and he got stuck on the wing,” continued Mahon.
“Ryan had ridden him work a few times and liked him. I think he’s a promising horse who will get a mile and a quarter next year.
“Hopefully Michael will want to go once more this year, especially as it’s his last – it was nice that we won the race named after him at Sandown.
“Ryan said he wasn’t doing much in front, just going through the motions and he went away again when they came to him.”
At Doncaster last week Juddmonte did suffer a rare reversal with one of their juveniles when Jonquil, who looked so promising on debut at Sandown, ran no race at all in the Flying Scotsman.
“Ryan just felt he was very flat and he was beaten at halfway. He checked out good after so all we’ll put it down to is that he was flat and the race came too soon,” explained Mahon.
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Sir Michael Stoute and leading owners Juddmonte have joined forces on many big occasions down the years and in Jonquil they could have a colt to bring the curtain down on their long association in the best possible way.
The Freemason Lodge handler has announced his intention to retire at the end of the season, but before the nights draw in and the leaves completely fall from the trees, Juddmonte’s homebred son of Lope De Vega could announce himself as a star of the future.
An impressive winner at Sandown on debut when overcoming a compromising position to win with authority at the line, Jonquil now takes an immediate leap into Listed company at Doncaster, where he will contest the Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes on Friday.
It is a race Stoute and Juddmonte combined to win with Sangarius in 2018, while it may come as no surprise that the Barbadian is the Town Moor contest’s most successful trainer – with five victories in the seven-furlong event overall.
Oh, my … 😱
Everything went wrong for debutant 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢l (Lope De Vega) @Sandownpark but he still wins, hands-and-heels, under Ryan Moore@JuddmonteFarms's youngster looks a serious prospect from what should emerge a deeply informative @BritishEBF Maiden ✨ pic.twitter.com/OO7kikCAGS
Now Jonquil is bidding to dispatch the opposition to the boundary and make it six for his cricket-loving handler, having shown encouraging signs since his Esher bow.
“It’s a little bit of a quick turnaround but he came out of Sandown in very good shape, he was very fresh the next morning and the team at Sir Michael’s have been pleased with him in his work back,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.
“We’re looking forward to seeing him again and it’s the next step up the ladder, but we were all impressed with his debut win and hopefully he can build on that.
“He looked fairly streetwise because he had every chance to get beat but he seemed to know what he was doing and I think guts and determination got him through.”
Juddmonte’s association with Freemason Lodge has lasted almost 25 years and since Comfy landed the Acomb Stakes in 2001, Stoute has saddled over 50 stakes winners in the famous pink, green and white silks of the Abdullah family’s racing operation.
Workforce returns after winning the Derby (Sean Dempsey/PA)
Their finest hour came with the Derby and Arc double of Workforce in 2010, with Ryan Moore – the man who will steer Jonquil at Doncaster on Friday – in the saddle at both Epsom and Longchamp.
“Sir Michael has probably been one of the best British trainers of the last century, he’s right up there with the best of them and he’s trained some great horses for us and over 50 stakes winners,” continued Mahon.
“It’s great to see him going out on his terms and going out on a high. Hopefully Jonquil can send him off on a high from our point of view and on a good note.”
Another success story of the Stoute-Juddmonte link-up was Expert Eye, who would go on to become a member of his owners’ stallion band – before recently switching to South Africa – after being guided to victories at both Royal Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup by the Newmarket handler.
Sir Michael Stoute with Expert Eye at Royal Ascot (Nigel French/PA)
After showcasing his potential in the early stages of his career, the son of Acclamation overcame hiccups at the end of his two-year-old season and at the beginning of his Classic year to eventually win three times during the summer of 2018.
Expert Eye bowed out after landing the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, and Mahon believes his handling of the colt was the epitome of Stoute’s genius as a trainer.
He added: “I suppose Expert Eye was his last Grade One winner for Juddmonte since I’ve started working for them and the job Sir Michael did with him from the start of his three-year-old career, when he had some stalls issues, I don’t think any man could have turned him round the way Michael did.
“To get him to win at Royal Ascot and then the Breeders’ Cup, that was a phenomenal training performance.”
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Connections will consider options on both sides of the Channel for Field Of Gold following his Solario Stakes success at Sandown.
Third behind subsequent Listed winner New Century on his Doncaster debut, the Kingman colt confirmed that promise when opening his account with a comfortable victory at Newmarket’s July meeting and followed up at Group Three level in Esher.
John and Thady Gosden’s Juddmonte-owned grey is now set to have his sights raised even higher, but whether that will be at Newmarket in either the Royal Lodge or the Dewhurst, or at ParisLongchamp in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend remains to be seen.
“We were absolutely delighted with him on Saturday, I thought he did it very well,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.
“He’s quite a professional horse for an inexperienced horse, to be fair, and Kieran (Shoemark) was very impressed.
“He felt when they crossed the line and the second horse (Matauri Bay) came to him, he took off again, so he probably wasn’t doing much in front and I thought he put the race to bed nicely – he’s an exciting colt going forward.
“I think there’s three options – the Royal Lodge, the Dewhurst and the Lagardere.
“We haven’t made a decision and we’ll see how the horse comes out of it and sit down with the owners in a week’s time, but it will be one of those three, I would imagine.”
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Nostrum is set to sidestep the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile at Haydock on Saturday in favour of a trip to Newbury next week.
Following a hugely promising start to his career which included Group Three and Listed wins, plus third place in the Dewhurst, Sir Michael Stoute’s four-year-old rounded off 2023 with successive odds-on defeats and finished last of six on his return in Sandown’s bet365 Mile.
However, a subsequent gelding operation appeared to have the desired effect, with the son of Kingman performing far better on his most recent outing when finishing a close second to Noble Dynasty in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in July.
A quick fire double on the card for @WilliamBuickX and Charlie Appleby as Noble Dynasty comes home first in the Plantation Stud Criterion Stakes! 👏 pic.twitter.com/B82h5ixOqz
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) June 29, 2024
Owners Juddmonte are hoping he will continue his resurgence in the second half of the season, but are planning to instead rely on Andrew Balding’s filly Clove Hitch on Merseyside this weekend, with Nostrum bound for the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury on September 20.
“Clove Hitch is going to run at Haydock and Nostrum is going to wait for a Listed race at Newbury,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.
“Ryan Moore actually sat on Nostrum this morning and thought he felt great, so he’s ready to come back.”
Clove Hitch will head to Haydock on something of a retrieval mission following a slightly disappointing effort in the Coral Distaff at Sandown last time out.
Andrew Balding trains Clove Hitch (Zac Goodwin/PA)
However, she was not beaten far when third behind the top-class Economics at Newbury earlier in the season and could hardly have been more impressive when scoring by eight lengths at the Berkshire circuit on her penultimate outing
Mahon added: “Clove Hitch is going to take her chance at Haydock. She obviously looked impressive winning her maiden and on soft ground in Sandown the last day, she actually came out of it very sore. Ryan felt she was coming to win her race and she lost her action.
“She came out of it quite sore, so we’ve given her a little freshen up since then and Andrew is happy with her and she’s moving well again.”
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Field Of Gold will be following in some illustrious hoofprints if he can add to John Gosden’s record tally in the Sky Bet Solario Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.
The Clarehaven handler, who now trains in partnership with son Thady, has saddled six previous winners of the Group Three contest, with his Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Raven’s Pass (2007) and a pair of top-class milers in Kingman (2013) and Too Darn Hot (2018) featuring on the roll of honour.
Field Of Gold, a Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman, finished third behind subsequent Listed scorer New Century on his Doncaster debut in late June before opening his account with a facile success at Newmarket’s July meeting.
Connections expect to have a clearer idea of his long-term aspirations after he lines up in this weekend’s seven-furlong feature.
Field Of Gold stretches clear of his rivals at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)
“We’re excited to see him. Obviously he won his maiden in good fashion and this is the next step up the ladder we sort of waited for,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.
“He seems in good form and John and Thady are happy with him. The Acomb Stakes at York last week was mentioned, but I think we were always going to sit tight and wait for this.
“He’s a big horse, so we were keen to give him a little bit of time. He probably got to the races plenty early because he was naturally so talented, but he’s had a nice gap from his last race and I think physically he’s done very well.
“John has used this race plenty of times in the past, it can be a very good race and we’re looking forward to seeing if we’re up to this level.”
Chief among Field Of Gold’s rivals are two unbeaten juveniles in Royal Playwright and Matauri Bay.
Andrew Balding’s Royal Playwright looked the part when making a successful start to his career at Salisbury last month under Hayley Turner, and three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy is looking forward to taking over in the saddle.
He said: “Royal Playwright won well on debut at Salisbury. He’s very well bred and he’s training like a nice horse.”
A brother to Breeders’ Cup winner Aunt Pearl, the Ralph Beckett-trained Matauri Bay has his sights raised after scoring on his introduction at Leicester three weeks ago, with the runner-up Shah doing the form no harm when occupying the same spot in the valuable Convivial Maiden at York.
Trainer Ralph Beckett at York last week (Mike Egerton/PA)
“He was very professional on debut and it was nice to see the second come out and run so well in the Convivial, which must be a nice indicator I suppose to the strength of that race,” said Alex Elliott, racing adviser to Matauri Bay’s part-owners Valmont.
“We’ve got a nice draw (stall two), Sandown is a very fair track, we’re excited to run him and this should tell us where we’re at really.
“John Gosden’s horse looked very good when he won at Newmarket, but he’d had a run, and the horse of Andrew’s beat one of ours (Original Outlaw) at Salisbury and is a very well-bred horse.
“Quite often the Solario is a stallion-making race, when you look through the history of it. If it goes to plan, we can map out the rest of the year. We’re looking forward to it.”
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Trainer Ger Lyons and owners Juddmonte are preparing to split their aces in the juvenile fillies’ division, with Babouche bound for Newmarket and Red Letter set to appear on Irish Champions Weekend.
Babouche stretched her unbeaten record to three when defeating subsequent Prix Morny hero Whistlejacket in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and the daughter of Kodiac will bid to double her Group One tally in the Juddmonte-sponsored Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 28.
Frankel filly Red Letter, who finished a close second to Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria on debut before going one better at the Curragh, could also bid for top-level honours on her next start in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 15, but she will also have a Listed option at Leopardstown the previous day.
Red Letter was an impressive winner on Irish Oaks weekend at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)
“We’ve discussed it with the owners and they’re keen to go to the Cheveley Park with Babouche, so that’s good,” confirmed Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.
“All being well, Red Letter will run on Champions Weekend. Whether that will be in the Ingabelle on the Saturday or the Moyglare on the Sunday, we’ll see how she’s working and decide closer to the time.
“Obviously, the form of Babouche’s last run looks solid. I don’t have all the times but I believe she broke some sort of record on the day and when they do that, it has to be a good performance.”
Another filly who looks bound for bigger and better things for the Lyons-Juddmonte axis is Revoke, who created a deep impression when dominating her rivals on her introduction at Naas last weekend.
Ger Lyons has another good one! 👀
Blue Point filly Revoke impresses on debut under @ctkjockey 💚🩷🤍
She too looks set for a step up in class, with Mahon adding: “Ger has a lovely team in fairness to him and Revoke looks a smart filly. She’s not over-big, but she’d been showing plenty at home and she’s quick.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to kick on and head into stakes company for her next start. Where that will be, we’ll have to wait and see, but she’s a nice filly to have.
“She was good over six furlongs the other day and could even drop back to five, as she’s very speedy. She’ll slot into a stakes race somewhere and we’ll go a bit slower with her.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/277117779-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-08-30 09:17:372024-08-30 09:17:37Juddmonte eyeing more Group One glory with juvenile fillies
Owner-breeders Juddmonte have been dealt a major blow after their exciting mare Laurel suffered a fatal heart attack.
Runner-up in the 2022 Sun Chariot after winning her first two career starts, the daughter of Kingman made a successful reappearance in Listed company last season, but was sidelined for the rest of the year by an injury after disappointing in the Lockinge at Newbury.
John and Thady Gosden’s five-year-old made a hugely-promising return from over 12 months on the sidelines when filling the runner-up spot behind stablemate Running Lion in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and was being readied for a return to Group One level in France before a recent accident on the gallops.
“She was a great filly and I think her better days were still to come as John was always adamant that she was a Group One filly,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.
“Last year she obviously missed most of the season with an injury and she had such a promising comeback run at Ascot, we were really excited.
“She was due to head to France for the Prix Jean Romanet and unfortunately she had a heart attack and dropped dead on the gallop, which was very sad.
“Luckily her jockey and everyone was OK, but it’s never a nice thing unfortunately.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/276577160-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-08-29 15:08:552024-08-29 15:08:55Juddmonte suffer loss of leading mare Laurel
Bluestocking will search for top-level honours racing against her own sex later in the autumn after her creditable effort in defeat in the red-hot Juddmonte International Stakes at York.
The Juddmonte-owned daughter of Camelot – who broke her Group One duck earlier in the summer – was running over the same course and distance she thrived on in landing the Middleton Stakes in May when finishing fourth to the ultra-impressive City Of Troy.
It is the second successive time Ralph Beckett’s four-year-old has held her own against the best around, having also chased home Goliath for second in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last month.
Having made her connections proud once again on the Knavesmire, she is now set for a short break before further action later in the year.
“We were absolutely delighted with her and when we look back, you are going to say it’s the race of the year and she has given her running to finish fourth,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.
“You couldn’t not be happy with the run. Of course we all want to win, but she has run exceptionally on ground that is probably a little bit quicker than she would like.
“She has never let us down and came out of the race fine and she will have a little break now while we freshen her up for the autumn.”
Bluestocking winning at the Curragh earlier this year (Damien Eagers/PA)
Both a trip to ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend and British Champions Day are on the radar for Bluestocking when she returns to the track, with any potential visit to the French capital likely to involve a shot at the Prix de l’Opera rather than the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe itself.
She could also join Juddmonte’s Andrew Balding-trained Kalpana in the starting stalls for the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on October 19, a race she finished a neck second in last year.
“I would say we will give September a miss and really freshen her up and look at Longchamp and Ascot in October,” continued Mahon.
“I would be favouring the Prix de l’Opera. The owners were keen to go for the Arc before the other day and if she was in the race, you would say fair enough, let’s roll the dice. But she’s not in it, so you are going to have to put out €120,000 to supplement her.
“She’s a high-class filly but taking on the colts, she probably has another couple of lengths to find, so why not stick to your own sex for the rest of the year and try and win another Group One if she could.
“We have two lovely fillies and Kalpana will run at Ascot in the Fillies & Mares. It will be nice to have two exciting fillies to look forward to at the end of the season.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/276192882-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-08-25 13:07:312024-08-25 13:07:31Bluestocking set for little break before Paris or Ascot trip
Field Of Gold is set for a step up in class on his next start after opening his account in impressive fashion at Newmarket.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the high-class Juddmonte-owned prospect bumped into the talented New Century when a respectable third at Doncaster on debut, but gave a glimpse of his potential when storming to victory on the July course.
The son of Kingman, who cost €530,000 as a foal, put distance between himself and the opposition on that occasion in the hands of Kieran Shoemark, with all involved taken by what they witnessed.
Field Of Gold delighted his connections at Newmarket (David Davies/PA)
“I think he looked very good and it is always nice to hear when a jockey comes back in and says they weren’t going quick enough,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte.
“That’s always a good indication. Kieran said they just weren’t going quick enough and he lengthened impressively to the line.
“He’s a very big horse, but I think he has the potential to develop into a very nice horse and he’s in no better hands than John and Thady to develop him well.”
John Gosden trains Field Of Gold alongside son Thady (Mike Egerton/PA)
Future plans are still to be finalised, but connections appear to be heading towards a move into Group-race company, with York’s Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (August 21) and the Sky Bet Solario Stakes at Sandown on August 31 both Group Three options next month.
Mahon continued: “As to where we will see him next, I don’t really have a definitive plan, but I suppose something like the Solario or the Acomb – those type of races towards the end of August might fit into his schedule nicely.
“He’s won his maiden now and he was a good third on his first start in a novice, so I think it is time now for him to probably step up on his next start and it’s just a case of looking to see what fits in with his schedule.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/276827514-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-07-28 15:22:022024-07-28 15:22:02Promising Field Of Gold set for rise in class
Hot favourite Babouche was made to pull out all the stops to maintain her unbeaten record in the Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh.
The daughter of Kodiac had made a huge impression when justifying cramped odds on her introduction at Cork last month and was the 13-8 market leader to complete a quickfire double on the card for owners Juddmonte, trainer Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane following Red Letter’s triumph in the opener.
After initially being sandwiched shortly after the start, Babouche was soon travelling strongly as Treasure Isle blazed a trail for the first half of the six-and-a-half-furlong Group Three.
Babouche moved up stylishly as the pacesetter started to falter, but was then challenged by Aidan O’Brien’s Camille Pissarro, who was looking to bounce back from a disappointing effort when favourite for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
No quarter was given by either horse or rider in the final furlong, but it was Babouche who stuck her neck out where it mattered, with half a length the winning margin.
Lyons said: “She’s a filly we’ve always liked and has a temperament to die for.
“She’s become more switched off since she ran in Cork. It’s OK winning in Cork like we did, but we learned nothing because she did it all on her own, with the way the race was run.
“She got mashed out of the stalls there, then had to do it the hard way and then got to the front and parked and looked around.”
Babouche now looks set for a step up to Group One level, with her trainer adding: “Maybe she’ll improve and she needs to improve if we’re going to keep going forward. We’ll see how she comes out of it, but at the minute we’re going to take on the boys in the Phoenix Stakes.
“She doesn’t show a whole pile at home since her run. Before her run we knew she was special, but since then she shows you nothing.
“I’ve always said that we’re winning our Listed, Group Threes and Twos, but for the Group Ones you need the temperament. That can be the final thing that you’re missing and she seems to have that.
“Her sister was a seven-furlong/mile filly and I can see her doing that.
“She’s going to be a Guineas filly – I’ll be training her for the Guineas.”
Red Letter was an impressive winner at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)
The aforementioned Red Letter had earlier confirmed debut promise with her dominant victory in the Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital Irish EBF Fillies Maiden.
The Frankel filly was beaten just a head by the O’Brien-trained Lake Victoria on her racecourse introduction over the course and distance three weeks ago and was an 8-11 favourite to go one better.
Odds-on backers will have had few concerns for the duration of the seven-furlong contest, with Red Letter soon bowling along at the head of affairs and quickening up smartly from the front to score comfortably by just over four lengths from 50-1 shot Indigo Dream.
Ballet Slippers, a first runner out of O’Brien’s seven-time Group One-winning mare Magical, also shaped with plenty of encouragement on her first competitive outing in third.
Of the winner, Lyons said: “It was no more than you probably expected from her after seeing her on debut the first day.
“She stepped forward nicely and you’d expect her to win her maiden that way, so we’re delighted.
“We’ll see how she comes out of it before making any plans. I think it’s just raw ability at the moment, I don’t think she’s a two-year-old and I think it’s all about next year with her.
“We’ll let her tell me what we do with her. I’ll tell Barry (Mahon, owners’ racing manager) what I’m seeing at home and discuss it with the (Abdullah) family about whether we come back for the Moyglare or something like that.
“She’s done a lot quick, we are only in the middle of July. She looked raw going down to the start and it’s pure ability what you are seeing out there.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/276910395-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-07-21 13:42:422024-07-21 13:42:42Babouche completes red-letter day for Ger Lyons at the Curragh
Connections of Kikkuli are confident the impeccably-bred colt will have his day in the sun before the season is out after coming up short in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday.
A half-brother to the great Frankel, the Kingman colt came close to claiming Royal Ascot success on his penultimate start when charging home to get within a short head of the dual Guineas-placed Haatem in the Jersey Stakes.
On the strength of that form, Harry Charlton’s youngster travelled to France for his first foray into Group One company as a major contender – and while he could only finish sixth in the hands of Ryan Moore, there is optimism within his camp that better days are ahead.
“He was only beaten four lengths in the end and I think it was an OK run,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager to owner-breeder Juddmonte.
“In fairness he got quite a hefty bump mid-race, Ryan said it just set him alight and he pulled like a train for two furlongs in the middle of the race and that probably cost him at the end of the race.
“He’s done a lot in a short space of time and Ryan was very complimentary – he said there’s a good horse in there. He’s just immature and it hasn’t quite happened yet, but it will happen and that experience will have brought him forward.
“I think he’ll have a little freshen up now as he’s obviously had two hard runs in the space of two weeks. I think he’ll have a little freshen up for the rest of July and we’ll see what there is for him in August.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/276614943-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-07-09 11:38:512024-07-09 11:38:51Kikkuli backed to strike after Deauville outing
Laurel could be rerouted to the Prix Rothschild later in the month after a minor setback ruled out a possible outing in this week’s Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
The daughter of Kingman won three of her first four starts for the Juddmonte team before disappointing as a leading fancy for last year’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Having returned from over a year on the sidelines with a fine effort to finish second to stablemate Running Lion in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, the five-year-old looked set to return to Group One level in Friday’s feature event on the July Course, but she was not confirmed on Saturday.
“She’s had a little hold-up with a foot abscess and missed a couple of days training last week,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.
“Unfortunately, we’ll have to hold tight and get her over that and we could look at something like the Prix Rothschild (at Deauville on July 28) if she gets over it in time.”
Another Juddmonte-owned filly who will not take up her engagement at the July meeting is Babouche, who could hardly have been more impressive when making a winning debut for Ger Lyons at Cork last month.
The youngster is entered in the Group Two Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes on Friday, but Mahon revealed she too has had a small hiccup in her preparation.
He added: “She’s not going to run. Again she had a little hold-up and did her first bit of work back on Saturday and Ger thinks her fitness levels wouldn’t be strong enough to travel over after having a little break, so we’ll probably aim her at something like the Anglesey Stakes.
“I’d say she’s a high-class filly, they’ve always liked her and she’s a very good-looking filly with a good pedigree.
“She’s one we’re looking forward to, we just need to be a little bit more patient and she could be exciting.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/272259873-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2024-07-08 13:18:242024-07-08 13:18:24Laurel retains Rothschild option after missing Falmouth date
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