Tag Archive for: Lezoo

Lezoo set to represent Beckett in Haydock’s Sprint Cup

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Ralph Beckett looks set to saddle Lezoo rather than stablemate Kinross in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.

The Kimpton Down handler has his string in excellent form at present, highlighted by his big-race treble last weekend courtesy of Kinross at York, Angel Bleu at Goodwood and Lezoo at Newmarket.

Lezoo notched her first victory since landing last season’s Cheveley Park in the Listed Hopeful Stakes on the July Course and is being readied for a return to Group One level on Merseyside.

The prolific Kinross also has the option of heading for Haydock following his City of York Stakes success, but Beckett expects conditions to be against him.

“Lezoo will go to Haydock for the Sprint Cup as it doesn’t matter what the ground is. I don’t know who will ride her yet and we will find that out in the coming days,” said the trainer.

“It depends on the weather for Kinross as he won’t run unless it is good or softer. I’m not going to run him over six furlongs on quick ground at Haydock Park as that won’t play to his strengths.

“My best guess is that he won’t run, but we will probably leave him in on Monday.”

Reflecting on Lezoo’s recent return to winning ways, Beckett added: “It was nice to see because when they dance as many dances as she did last year, it is tough to get them to do it again. 

Trainer Ralph Beckett at Newmarket
Trainer Ralph Beckett at Newmarket (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Things then didn’t go well in the spring and mid-summer. Timeform thought she ran to a mark of 110 and that is good whatever way you look at it. To make her a Stakes winner at three was good as well. 

“I don’t know how it will pan out now but having won a Listed race, it makes sense to go back to a Group One on a track that will play to the strengths of her, and we will go from there.

“She has never been a good work filly. She has never won a gallop. She has never gone through and worked really well, so you are going through all the time having to second guess her. 

“If we get beat, we get beat, but it is more that this is the right race for her. If she was to go and finish in the first four, that would be great as well.”



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Hong Kong in December viewed as a potentially ‘massive’ date for Kinross

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Kinross has the defence of his Prix de la Foret crown in his sights as the first of three key objectives for the back-end of the season.

Ralph Beckett’s ultra-consistent six-year-old bagged the 10th success of his career as he followed up his Lennox Stakes victory in style to win the City of York Stakes for the second year running on the Knavesmire.

Kinross’ victory spearheaded a fantastic treble for both Beckett and owner Marc Chan on Saturday, and connections now have their eye on securing further riches over the coming months.

Three major races have been highlighted for Kinross before the end of the year, with the son of Kingman set to return to ParisLongchamp on October 1 in search of a Foret double before taking another shot at conquering America in November after Kinross finished a brave third behind Modern Games in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2022.

Frankie Dettori jumping for joy from Kinross at York
Frankie Dettori jumping for joy from Kinross at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

After that all eyes will be on Sha Tin on December 10 where Kinross will bid to give his big-race pilot Frankie Dettori the perfect send-off before retirement on the home soil of his Hong Kong-based owner.

“Kinross will probably go straight to France, then the Breeders’ Cup and then the race in Hong Kong, they are the most important races for him,” said Chan’s racing manager, Jamie McCalmont.

Kinross also holds entries for both Doncaster’s Betfred Park Stakes (September 16) and the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Ascot, October 21) he won last year as well as Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup on September 9.

And although his Kimpton Down handler may elect to run Kinross in those events, getting the gelding to Hong Kong while he is at the peak of his powers will be the number on priority.

“Ralph knows the horse inside out for sure and it would be his call,” added McCalmont on Kinross potentially taking up his other entries.

“But it would be great to get the horse to Hong Kong for both Marc and for Frankie. For Marc to have this horse run in Hong Kong in December is massive for him.

“He’s six now and there’s no real time limit on when we would stop with him but as soon as he showed any ailments or loss of form, I think that would really decide that. There’s no reason whey he wouldn’t race for another two seasons, though.

“He’s such a lovely character and everyone adores him. He loves the attention and he loves to know he’s the king. It’s not great in my position to get emotionally attached to horses, but it is hard to not get attached to him.”

Kinross’ victory at York may have grabbed all the headlines at the weekend, but it was just one third of a phenomenal afternoon for his owner with Group One-winning juveniles Lezoo – whom Chan owns in partnership with Andrew Rosen – and Angel Bleu both returning to their very best, at Newmarket and Goodwood respectively.

Connections were thrilled to see them thrive on track as they combined for a near 50-1 treble, with each horse playing its own part to perfection.

“All three winners were as special as the other and if you said which winner meant more, all three were as equally pleasing for different reasons,” continued McCalmont.

“From a business perspective Kinross winning at York was massive because of the prize-money and there should be interest in Angel Blue now – he’s got to have some attraction as a stallion. That’s the fourth Group race he’s won and he’s won two Group Ones and two Group Two races.

“You quite often see this where a horse is a very good two-year-old and things seem to go wrong at three. But if you look at his three-year-old career he was beaten less than five lengths by Baaeed at Goodwood on ground he didn’t like and he came out of the race with an injury. That’s not exactly form to be laughed at. He’s clearly a better horse around a bend as much as he is on soft ground.”

Meanwhile, Lezoo could have earnt a return to Group One company for the Betfair Sprint Cup having shown the talent that saw her scoop Cheveley Park Stakes honours at two is still in place when successful in the Hopeful Stakes.

McCalmont added: “We could easily go to Haydock, we will see. People were beginning to question whether she had trained on or not, so to prove she has is great because myself and Ralph, we never doubted it.

“She’s a very valuable horse and will probably come up for sale at Tattersalls at the end of the year.”



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Lezoo gives Andrea Atzeni perfect send-off

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Andrea Atzeni enjoyed the perfect send-off ahead of his imminent move to Hong Kong as he steered Lezoo to Listed success in the JenningsBet Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket.

The Classic-winning rider is signing off after a 16-year stint in the UK, having decided to switch to the Far East for an initial six-month period.

Ahead of the new season at Sha Tin kicking off on September 10, Atzeni made one final visit to the July Course for four rides, the last of which was Lezoo in the feature event of the afternoon.

Last season’s Cheveley Park Stakes heroine was the 7-4 favourite to complete an across-the-card treble on the day for trainer Ralph Beckett and part-owner Marc Chan following the earlier victories of Angel Bleu in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood and Kinross in the City of York Stakes on the Knavesmire.

Dropping in class after being well held in the 1000 Guineas and the Commonwealth Cup earlier this season, Lezoo showed her ability to beat the 2021 Sprint Cup winner Emaraaty Ana by a neck.

Atzeni, who flies to Hong Kong on Sunday, said: “I half expected it (the win) and that’s why I’m not surprised, but when I picked up the ride on this filly I said to my agent ‘I’m happy to leave after that as otherwise I’m only going to get upset so I might as well leave on a high’.

“It is a big move, and it is hitting me more now, not so much in a shock way as I’m really excited and looking forward to it.

“It is a contract for six months, but it could be for six years.”

Of Lezoo, he added: “I thought she had a very good chance. She is obviously getting a bit of weight off the older horses. It looked like the perfect race on perfect ground.

“That big heavy shower we had made the ground very loose, which she probably didn’t appreciate as much as she would quick ground as she was wheel-spinning a little bit.

“She got the job done and it was great to get her head in front again.”

Tom Ward will step Woodhay Wonder back up in grade following her 14-1 success in the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes under PJ McDonald.

Third in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes over the course and distance on her latest outing, the daughter of Tamayuz went a couple of places better with a half-length verdict over Geologist.

Ward said: “She was still quite green in that race (Duchess of Cambridge Stakes) and the small field didn’t quite suit her. Today has helped with the big field and with there being plenty of pace.

“She has always shown a lot at home, but she has never really been in a position where she has had a truly-run race and today was the first time you got a chance to see what she is really all about.

“She has got Group Two black type and I’m hoping she will win a Listed or a Group Three at some stage.

“The Dick Poole at Salisbury in two weeks, if it doesn’t come too soon, we could look at, but there are plenty of races at the end of the season for her.”



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Lezoo offers Atzeni chance to say goodbye in style

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Andrea Atzeni has a fantastic chance of signing off with a farewell winner when he links up with Group One scorer Lezoo at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Classic-winning jockey will put a halt on his 16-year riding career in the UK after the meeting on the July course ahead of an initial six-month switch to Hong Kong where the new season kicks off at Sha Tin on September 10.

The Italian was granted a part-season licence in the Far East which will last until February 12, and fresh from Group One glory aboard Vandeek in Deauville’s Prix Morny, he can say goodbye in style having picked up the spare ride aboard last year’s Cheveley Park Stakes heroine as his final mount.

The Zoustar filly was last seen finishing down the field in the Commonwealth Cup, but has won four of her seven career starts and connections are delighted to have Atzeni aboard as the three-year-old attempts to bounce back to her very best in the Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes over a course and distance she has previously thrived.

“Andrea is a great guy and the way he’s ridden over the last couple of months is as well as he’s ever ridden. We’re very happy to have him riding on Saturday,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Marc Chan, who owns Lezoo together with Andrew Rosen.

“It’s an exciting day Saturday. There’s a couple of days we’ve wanted to run her but we didn’t want to run her back on soft ground again, we’ve just been waiting for the ground really.

“This is a good stepping stone back, she loves the course, we get her ground and she’s fine over the distance, so fingers crossed.”



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Dettori backing Lezoo to provide perfect return at Newbury

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Frankie Dettori has high hopes of making a successful return from suspension aboard Lezoo in the bet365 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The 52-year-old incurred a nine-day ban for careless riding aboard Saga in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, with a subsequent appeal proving unsuccessful, as well as an eight-day suspension for a whip offence aboard Queen Anne second Inspiral.

As a result Dettori missed the ride on Coral-Eclipse runner-up Emily Upjohn and was denied the opportunity to partner the third-placed Kinross in last weekend’s July Cup, the only British Group One to elude him during a glittering riding career that is due to come to an end later this year.

Dettori, though, is keen to move on as he readies himself for what he hopes will be a busy second half of the season.

Lezoo winning the Cheveley Park Stakes
Lezoo winning the Cheveley Park Stakes (David Davies/PA)

“I’m back and there is so much to look forward to,” he said.

“There’s the King George, Goodwood, Deauville and York. It’s going to be a packed summer and I’m looking forward to it.”

Like Kinross, Lezoo is trained by Ralph Beckett and carries the colours of Dettori’s long-time friend and supporter Marc Chan.

The magical Italian steered her to two of her four juvenile wins last year before William Buick took over for her Group One win in the Cheveley Park Stakes.

She has failed to trouble the judge in either the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket or the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot so far this term, but Dettori is confident about her chances in Saturday’s Group Three.

He added: “Lezoo was a Group One winner last year and she’s owned by Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen, who are two good friends of mine. It is always extra nice when you ride for your friends.

“I think we can put a line through Ascot, she just didn’t turn up. She’s a Group One winner and a good filly, so let’s hope we can get her going back to winning ways.”

The Michael Dods-trained Commanche Falls returns to Pattern level after a confidence-boosting Listed success at the Curragh three weeks ago.

Commanche Falls (right) winning at the Curragh
Commanche Falls (right) winning at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA)

The six-year-old finished third behind stablemate Azure Blue and Highfield Princess in the Duke of York Stakes on his penultimate start and was beaten just a head by Garrus in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the year.

“It’s obviously a tougher race than the one in Ireland, but it’s the only race there is for him really, so we’ll have to see how he gets on,” said Dods.

“He ran well at York before he won in Ireland, so hopefully he’s going there in good form.”

The Charlie Hills-trained Garrus is in opposition once more, while Adam Kirby is looking forward to riding Rohaan for trainer David Evans.

Rohaan is a dual winner of the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot
Rohaan is a dual winner of the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot (Steven Paston/PA)

He said: “Rohaan’s last run at Ascot was much more pleasing. He is moving well and hopefully he can show his hand on Saturday.

“He finished off well, but it was a very slowly-run race. We were just pleased he came home and was only beaten a couple of lengths.

“Any rain will do him no harm, but some of his best form is in top-flight races on good to firm, so we’ll see.”

Other contenders include Mick Appleby’s King’s Stand third Annaf, who has since finished fourth in the Coral Charge at Sandown, and the Karl Burke-trained Cold Case, who bids to bounce back from a disappointing showing behind Little Big Bear in the Sandy Lane at Haydock.



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Lezoo and Juliet Sierra set to enhance Beckett’s Guineas bid

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Saturday’s Newbury heroine Remarquee is set to be joined by stablemates Lezoo and Juliet Sierra in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket next month.

Successful in a Salisbury novice event on her sole start at two, Remarquee confirmed herself a major contender for the first fillies’ Classic of the season with an impressive comeback victory in the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Stakes – better known as the Fred Darling.

And while trainer Ralph Beckett is looking forward to seeing the daughter of Kingman line up on the Rowley Mile, he also feels it would be dangerous to overlook two other fillies trained at Kimpton Down Stables who will also line up at Newmarket in a fortnight’s time.

Winning connections with Remarquee
Winning connections with Remarquee (PA)

“We’ve still got five in it (1000 Guineas). Bluestocking won’t run, she’ll go for an Oaks trial, but Juliet Sierra will go straight for the Guineas and Lezoo will go straight there as well. Lose Yourself won’t as she’s not quite ready,” Beckett told Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme.

Lezoo is set for a step up in trip after striking Group One gold over six furlongs in last season’s Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Her stablemate Juliet Sierra, previously successful in the Dick Poole at Salisbury, could finish only fifth in the Cheveley Park, but Beckett feels she is overpriced for the Guineas.

He added: “It’s a leap of faith on pedigree whether Lezoo will get a mile, but she’s a very relaxed filly, does nothing at home and she loves the Rowley Mile. It’s a shot to nothing. If she doesn’t stay, we’ll just go back sprinting.

“I never felt Juliet Sierra was a six-furlong filly – I always felt she won the Dick Poole against the curve in that sense.

“She was quite a free-running filly and we were always trying to get her to settle, which is why I didn’t step her up in trip, and I felt she got a bit lost two down in the Cheveley Park and then galloped out really well.

“I think she’s a big price for the Guineas at 50-1.”

While hopeful for his two bigger-priced runners, Remarquee has undoubtedly established herself as the trainer’s chief contender for Guineas glory, with Beckett anticipating further improvement.

He said: “I think she’ll have learnt a lot yesterday and I’ll probably put a sheepskin noseband on her next time, just to help her rider out.”



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Trial run key to Lezoo’s Classic aspirations

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Lezoo is unlikely to run in the Qipco 1000 Guineas without tuning up in a trial first, with connections keeping their options open for the star filly ahead of the new Flat season.

Somewhat unfortunate not to go through her two-year-old campaign unbeaten, Ralph Beckett’s charge won four of her five starts in 2022 and finished the year by landing the Cheveley Park Stakes in superb fashion at Newmarket in September.

Despite racing over no more than six furlongs so far, that Group One victory opened up the prospect of stepping up to a mile for a crack at the first fillies’ Classic of the season – a race for which she is as short as 12-1.

The likes of the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Newmarket, April 19) and the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Fred Darling, Newbury, April 22) are on the horizon and Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Lezoo’s owner Marc Chan, believes she needs to be tested over a longer trip before a Classic run can be considered.

He said: “If she’s ready to run in a trial, then she could run in a trial, but we wouldn’t run in the Guineas without a run.

“Her form is solid – she never ran a bad race last year and was unlucky not to be unbeaten. But we wouldn’t go and run her straight away in the Guineas without a trial and we are under three weeks away now from those races. We’ll have to see, there’s nothing wrong with her, but we’ll see.

The Cambridgeshire Meeting – Juddmonte Day – Newmarket Racecourse
Lezoo (left) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

“Plans are fairly open with her at this stage. If she wasn’t ready in time for one of those races (a trial), I would be very surprised if we went in the Guineas – we would probably just stay sprinting then, but we will see.”

Balancing the Zoustar filly’s proven quality over sprint distances with the lure of Classic glory is a tough calculation for connections ahead of the new campaign – especially considering Meditate, the horse Lezoo conquered to claim Cheveley Park honours, is currently trading as the second favourite for the mile contest.

“When you have a horse that gives you everything, you don’t really want to make her do something she’s not bred or built to do,” continued McCalmont.

“The Guineas is an open enough race – the Dermot Weld filly (Tahiyra) I think was the really top filly last year. But Lezoo beat Meditate last time and she came back and won at the Breeders’ Cup with ease, so the form is solid.

“With (1000 Guineas runner-up) Prosperous Voyage this time last year, we didn’t really think we would make the Guineas and then all of a sudden she came right. But at least with her we knew she would stay the mile. This filly is by Zoustar who seems to be best at six to seven (furlongs) and then her dam didn’t run beyond six furlongs, so the Guineas is a bit of an ask.

“There looks to be plenty of depth to the sprint division with the three-year-olds. The Commonwealth Cup is a race that is probably a more realistic target than the Guineas, but then that could end up being one of the better races at Ascot this year. It certainly wouldn’t be a weak spot anyway.”



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