Tag Archive for: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Stoute biding his time with Bay Bridge

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Sir Michael Stoute has confirmed he will wait for easier ground before unleashing Bay Bridge.

The master trainer has also not ruled out a possible tilt at the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes for Derby winner Desert Crown.

Bay Bridge was fourth to Vadeni when favourite for last season’s Coral-Eclipse and while he held an entry for Saturday’s renewal, connections decided to forgo the opportunity.

The son of New Bay earned top-class honours when taking the scalps of both 2021 Derby victor Adayar and the previously unbeaten multiple Group One winner Baaeed in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.

However, he has run three times this term at the top level and fallen short, although he was a half-length runner-up to Luxembourg in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh, before finishing seven lengths behind runaway winner Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Stoute will pick his moment for the James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud-owned Bay Bridge, once there is sufficient cut underfoot.

He said: “There are no plans for Bay Bridge, we want some nice juice in the ground for him.”

Meanwhile, Desert Crown is cantering again ahead of a possible run in the King George.

Last year’s impressive winner of Epsom’s blue riband suffered a minor ankle injury thereafter and missed the remainder of the season.

On his belated return, following a 355-day lay-off, he was touched off by Hukum in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May.

He looked impressive in his work a few days before his intended run in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, but following a routine piece of work, he was scratched from the race after he was found to be lame.

“The hitch he had was very minor and when they investigated there was nothing,” said Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Saeed Suhail, who owns the colt.

“He missed a few days, unfortunately at the wrong time. He was just a bit lame, they go lame, don’t they?

“I just know that he is cantering and in full exercise. I would be hopeful, but can’t tell you when he’ll run, as I don’t know. I would be hopeful it would be the King George, but that decision will be up to Sir Michael.

“I very much like what I’ve been seeing from him when cantering. He looked a bigger, stronger horse at Sandown. I don’t think there is anything to worry about at all.”

Desert Crown is cantering ahead of a possible King George run
Desert Crown is cantering ahead of a possible King George run (David Davies/PA)

Stoute remains non-committal about Desert Crown’s next target, although he holds engagements in the Ascot middle-distance showpiece – for which he is a best-priced 10-1 chance – York’s Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes.

Stoute added: “No, we haven’t got any plans for him yet. He is back cantering. He is on the move again.

“We are not going to make any plans yet. We’re not going to do anything yet, we’ll wait until we get him in strong work, but I don’t know yet when that will be.”



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Deauville Legend set for Pyledriver rematch at Ascot

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Deauville Legend could take on defending champion Pyledriver in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, with trainer James Ferguson confident he will take “a huge step forward”.

Fourth in the Melbourne Cup on his previous run at Flemington, the lightly-raced four-year-old produced a fine run on his return from a 235-day break when beaten just under three lengths by Pyledriver in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A head runner-up in last year’s King George V Stakes, Deauville Legend went on to take two Group races and his Newmarket handler is happy to meet Pyledriver again in the all-aged Group One contest at the Berkshire track on July 29.

“That was huge after an extremely long lay-off,” said Ferguson.

“We knew it would be a tough ask and he just went for his girths half a furlong from home, and he will probably take a huge step forward from that.

“Deauville Legend will probably go to the King George. He’s had two solid runs at Ascot now and it is a track he obviously likes.”

Zoology almost made it a meeting to remember for the young trainer, the three-year-old stepping up on his fourth-placed effort in the Greenham to run Age Of Kings to a length in the Group Three Jersey Stakes on vastly different ground.

He stayed on nicely inside the final furlong to claim the runner-up spot under Oisin Murphy, and Ferguson feels he may be ready to go up in trip.

He said: “I’ve always been confident in the horse and I’m very grateful to have a Zoustar of his calibre.

“He has just done better with age and he’s developed mentally as well as physically. He looks a different horse to the one we had six months ago – he’s changed that quickly.

Zoology ran a huge race under Oisin Murphy in the Jersey Stakes
Zoology ran a huge race under Oisin Murphy in the Jersey Stakes (John Walton/PA)

“I thought he ran really well and potentially he could step up to a mile.

“The Greenham at Newbury was on terrible ground. He is genuine. That’s Zoustars for you – they are genuine and very honest. But I can’t tell you where he will go next.”

Likewise, Canberra Legend, who was beaten three lengths by Waipiro in the Hampton Court, could also be upped in trip next time.

A son of Australia, he had previously disappointed in York’s Dante Stakes, finishing ninth of 11 to The Foxes.

Ferguson was happy to see him bounce back to something like his best at Ascot and has pencilled in the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on August 3 for his next outing.

“Just put a line through the Dante,” he insisted. “We saw the real Canberra Legend this time and he will probably step up to a mile and a half. He will probably go to the Gordon.”



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King George in Hukum’s sights after bypassing Royal meeting

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Hukum, who bypassed Royal Ascot because of the fast ground, will now be aimed at the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Trainer Owen Burrows decided to withdraw Sandown’s Brigadier Gerard winner from the Hardwicke Stakes, after the ground tightened up throughout the week.

Hukum beat last season’s Derby winner Desert Crown in his scintillating return to action following a year off, having sustained a potentially career-ending hind-leg fracture during his victory in last year’s Coronation Cup at Epsom.

Connections felt they did not want to risk him in the race won by last year’s King George hero Pyledriver.

However, Shadwell’s longstanding racing manager Angus Gold is keen to take on the Hardwicke winner in the 12-furlong highlight on July 29.

“Hukum will run if and when we get some rain,” said Gold. “It was a touch and go situation yesterday.

“We were longing to run him, but Owen just felt in the end that while we could run him and he could win it, he might come back a bit sore after it and we’d all look silly.

“We kept him in training and spent a lot of time getting him right again after his injury last year and he just felt it was too big a risk. It is frustrating but sensible.

“Very much the idea is the King George. If the ground was good or even if it was good to firm, we might have to take a chance. That’s the big day. We will see how we are going nearer the time.”

Anmaat will head to the Coral-Eclipse on Saturday week
Anmaat will head to the Coral-Eclipse on Saturday week (Nigel French/PA)

Meanwhile, Burrows’ Prix d’Ispahan winner Anmaat is being primed for the Coral-Eclipse on Saturday week, although Prince of Wales’s Stakes hero Mostahdaf will swerve the race.

Gold said: “We had a winner which was a very important winner. Touch wood, Mostahdaf has come out of it very good. I spoke to John Gosden yesterday and he says he is bouncing.

“John is absolutely right and said that we know this horse is good fresh. He has run plenty of horses back two weeks later, thinking you have had plenty of time, and they come out and run flat.

“Particularly as we have done that with Al Asifah, I think we will be sitting still with Mostahdaf and hopefully get him to York in the same form in August.”

He added: “The Eclipse is off the cards for Mostahdaf. We still have Anmaat in, ground permitting. If he’s in good form and conditions look suitable, hopefully we will go there with him.”

Mostahdaf and Jim Crowley secured Group One honours in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
Mostahdaf and Jim Crowley secured Group One honours in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (David Davies/PA)

Promising three-year-old filly Al Asifah, who won her first two starts, including a runaway success in a Listed 10-furlong contest at Goodwood earlier this month, will be held back after a disappointing sixth to Warm Heart when odds-on for the Ribblesdale Stakes on Thursday.

Supplemented for the Group Two contest for her first try over 12 furlongs, just 11 days after her second start, she raced wide but did not pick up when jockey Jim Crowley asked the question.

Gold said: “Everyone has different opinions on Al Asifah, but to me she was just flat.

“Jim said he was never really happy with her, never really comfortable. I see all the experts saying she didn’t stay – she wouldn’t have won at a mile and a quarter.

“I don’t care what anybody says, at Goodwood she ran right through the line and here she was struggling from two out.

“She had only had two runs before, but she was just a bit more on her toes before. It was only 11 days after her previous run and everything has happened quite quickly for her. It could be a combination of things, but for me, she didn’t run her race.

John Gosden will give Al Asifah a break after her Ribblesdale disappointment
John Gosden will give Al Asifah a break after her Ribblesdale disappointment (Mike Egerton/PA)

“When you see how she picked up and ran through the line at Goodwood, she didn’t pick up and run anywhere at Ascot. It was fairly obvious it wasn’t the same run.

“We’ll give her a break now and get her back in the autumn. I still think she will be a very nice filly. We haven’t even discussed targets. We will give her some gentle downtime, three weeks or so, then bring her back and take it from there.”

Similarly, Mutasaabeq, who won the Group Two bet365 Mile at Newmarket on his return to action before a three-length defeat in the Lockinge at Newbury, will be given more time after finishing with just one behind him in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday.

“Mutasaabeq is a funny horse,” Gold said of the Charlie Hills-trained five-year-old. “He runs well fresh.

“We tried to hang on to him this time to see if that helped, but it almost seemed he sulked and just went nowhere.

“We’ll see what there is for him, but we will just give him a bit of time now. He’s had three runs relatively quickly, but he’s the sort of horse who could easily come out and win another Group Two later in the year.”



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