Tag Archive for: Staya

Staya firmly on course for Lowther test

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George Scott is relishing unleashing his star juvenile Staya in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York after going close at Ascot last time.

The Dragon Stakes scorer found only Hugo Palmer’s Fitzella too strong in her first try at six furlongs in the Princess Margaret Stakes, but her Newmarket handler is confident the youngster is “near the top of the class”, with the Knavesmire Group Two the obvious next step.

“We were very pleased with Staya. She ran another great race, took another step forward and is going to head to the Lowther – all roads lead to York,” said Scott.

“It’s a slightly easier six furlongs and hopefully we can get away cleaner from the gate this time and it will certainly be a race we are looking forward to with her.

“You feel like you would be overcomplicating things by going elsewhere and she’s near the top of the class in her division and let’s see how she gets on, it should be the prefect track for her.”

While Staya is fully on course for a trip to the Ebor Festival, Scott is keen to see rain on the forecast before deciding if Bay City Roller will return to Yorkshire to take up his engagement in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes.

He was slowly away when contesting the York Stakes on his most recent outing, something which ultimately put paid to any chance of victory in a red-hot event.

However, Scott is unperturbed as he stresses ground conditions could ultimately determine the son of New Bay’s next move.

“If you look at the bare result you could be disappointed, but he got left six lengths in the gate and you can’t do that in any race,” continued Scott.

“He got himself tangled up and jumped out awkwardly and got detached, but at the end of the day he’s finished almost upsides the other three-year-olds.

“So obviously you would be disappointed with the finishing result, but I think the horse is certainly much better than that.

“If it was to rain at York he would run (in the Great Voltigeur) and he won’t run again until we get the right conditions. It was a bit of a blot on his scorecard, but nothing to worry about.”

Scott confident Staya can go the distance at Ascot

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Staya takes the “natural next step” in returning to Ascot for the Sodexo Live! Princess Margaret Stakes.

An impressive winner at Yarmouth on debut, George Scott’s talented daughter of Havana Grey was not beaten far when fifth in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot before returning to winning ways when obliging favourite-backers in Sandown’s Listed Dragon Stakes earlier this month.

She now steps up to six furlongs as she returns to Group company and Scott said: “I thought this was the natural next step for her, back up in grade and she proved she enjoyed the track at Royal Ascot when she was a bit green and just rolled around a bit under pressure.

“She’s given us every indication she’s a filly who wants to go an extra furlong, she’s a filly who loves to drop her head early and relax rather than be an out-and-out speedball.

“She’s got a great attitude and the stallion really seems to breed that into his progeny. She’s quite unique as she’s quite bolshy and strong-minded, but at the same time really willing in her work and she’s definitely got a little bit of swag about her.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how she acquits herself and she’s been training beautifully since the Dragon, but it’s really up to her now.”

Ahead of Staya at Royal Ascot was Charlie Clover’s Flowerhead, who outran huge odds of 100-1 to finish first of those on her side of the track and second to Aidan O’Brien’s True Love.

She is another stepping up in trip on her return to the Berkshire track, with connections hopeful she can excel at her new distance.

“If her Queen Mary form is anything to go on, if she gets the trip, I expect her to be competitive,” said Clover.

“It’s obviously her first run at six furlongs, but the Queen Mary suggested it would suit and the jockey was very keen to try it as well. We’ve since tried her at home over that trip and the data was very promising.

“Course form plays a factor and she ran very well there, so it definitely helped persuade us towards this race and to go back to Ascot.”

Jack Channon’s Sukanya and James Tate’s Daneh Of Dandy both take their chance at a higher level after winning well on debut, with the latter trying to follow in the footsteps of 2019 winner Under The Stars by following up a minor success at Ripon in this Group Three event.

“It looks a shot in the dark at this stage, although we have done this before and like our last winner of this, Under The Stars, she won a novice at Ripon,” explained Tate.

“Yes, it’s a big ask and she is very much unproven. We hadn’t really revved her up at all before her first start and usually when they win first time out but are as green as she was, they can take a real step forward and that is the hope despite it being an unknown.”

Midnight Tango finished second in Newmarket’s Empress Stakes last month, with Richard Hughes’ Bella Lyra and David Loughnane’s Amberia not far away in third and fourth on the July course and also representing that smart piece of Listed form.

Hugo Palmer’s Albany Stakes fourth Fitzella will bid to go a few places better over the same course and distance after winner Venetian Sun advertised the form in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes, while Eddie and Patrick Harty’s Irish raider Arugam Bay rounds off the field of 10, with Dance To The Music a non-runner.

Staya swoops late for Dragon Stakes prize

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George Scott’s Staya built on the promise of her Royal Ascot performance by coming from last to first to land the 50 Years Together Coral Dragon Stakes at Sandown.

A winner on her Yarmouth debut, the Havana Grey filly was then beaten less than two lengths into fifth place in the Queen Mary Stakes and was a 5-4 favourite for this Listed event on the strength of that form.

Given plenty of time to find her feet by Callum Shepherd, she was delivered with her challenge widest of all inside the last of five furlongs and knuckled down when needed to get the better of a brief tussle with Military Code by a head.

Scott said: “I’m really pleased with her and I thought Callum negated the draw (stall two) well and kept her out of trouble.

“I think you can probably upgrade her performance as she had to take back and back and back and come with one staying run.

“She hit the line very well and booked herself a step back up in grade and will maybe go another furlong next time as well.”

Trainer George Scott has some major targets for Staya
Trainer George Scott has some major targets for Staya (David Davies/PA)

Having seen his exciting juvenile filly pick up some winning black type, the Newmarket handler has big-race plans for the rest of the campaign.

“To be honest I was never going to go five furlongs again after Ascot, but with her being a precocious, strong two-year-old filly I wanted to bank that stakes race with her,” he added.

“We’ll go for the Princess Margaret at Ascot next and in a dream world you’d be thinking Princess Margaret, the Lowther at York and then the Cheveley Park at Newmarket. That’s really what I’ve got in my mind for her, but obviously a lot can change along the line.

“She’ll be kept busy as she’s a very durable filly with a good mind, typical of the stallion, so she’ll have a busy campaign if she keeps giving us the right signs.”

Staya ready to fire in Dragon Stakes task

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Staya makes a quick return in Friday’s 50 Years Together Coral Dragon Stakes at Sandown after her promising run in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.

Beaten only one and three-quarter lengths in fifth place behind True Love, Staya had previously been a comfortable winner on her Yarmouth debut and George Scott’s talented two-year-old now drops back to Listed company for a race the Newmarket handler won with Rocket Rodney in 2022.

Scott said: “She ran great. We were really happy with her.

“She was a little bit green under pressure. I think she’s probably come on for the run.

“It was either come here to Sandown or go to the July meeting and I’d really like to make her a stakes winner, then I’d be thinking about working back from the Lowther (at York) or something.

“I think this is a more sensible option for her. I do think she’s going to be a fun two-year-old filly. I really like her.”

Charlie Appleby’s Military Code is back to the distance he won at in his first two starts after failing to make his mark when upped to six furlongs for the Coventry Stakes, while Karl Burke’s Love Olivia is seeking a revival having been well held at the Royal meeting.

Rogue Supremacy is one of two in the race for David O’Meara alongside Solana Rose and was another fancied to play a leading role at Ascot.

However, in contrast to Military Code and Love Olivia, the son of St Mark’s Basilica had valid excuses when finishing down the field in the Windsor Castle.

Tony Elliott, founder of owners The Rogues Gallery, said: “We were very disappointed at Ascot and Daniel Tudhope (jockey) came in and apologised for getting it wrong, which is allowed to happen from time to time.

“He said he followed the wrong horses who he thought would go forward and they didn’t, so it was jockey error to a point and hopefully we can get it right this time with less horses in the field. Unfortunately Daniel couldn’t ride, so we have Hector Crouch on who is riding really well for us lately.

“The horse is very well and we’re expecting him to go close. We feel he has improved again at home and it’s hard to know with these St Mark’s Basilicas as at the moment we’re the best one. It’s always an experiment with a horse by a first-season stallion, but we’re hoping for big things at Sandown.”

Richard Hannon’s Lebron Power impressed on debut at Windsor and is upped in class for just his second start, while Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s Blue Orbit is another heading to the race on the back of a victory. Rod Millman’s course runner-up Killavia completes the line-up.

Isle Of Jura targeting September Stakes reappearance

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Isle Of Jura is on course to make his long-awaited comeback in the September Stakes at Kempton.

The son of New Approach has been off the track for more than a year following his impressive win in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last season.

The five-year-old is back in work but Scott will not rush a racecourse return as he prepares Isle Of Jura for a campaign in the Middle East.

Scott said: “Isle Of Jura is great. I’m really, really happy with him. He’s had a few weeks cantering now.

“We’re tentatively aiming for the September Stakes at Kempton as a prep run for a Middle Eastern campaign which can start in Bahrain for the Bahrain International.

“It’s a little way away at the moment, but we’re pleased with the way he’s coming along and we’re thinking of Kempton for his return.”

My Cloud pencilled in for step up in Summer Mile

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My Cloud could step into Group company back at Ascot after his impressive Royal Hunt Cup triumph.

Trained by Roger Varian for KHK Racing, the Blue Point colt took the one-mile handicap by three-quarters of a length having won another contest over the same course and distance in April.

He has clearly taken a liking to the track at Ascot, and may now move out of handicap company in a third start at the Berkshire track – this time at Group Two level.

“We were very happy with his performance, it was an obvious target for him from back in the spring and we were very pleased that Roger and his team were able to execute the plan,” said Chris Wall, racing manager for Shaikh Khalid’s operation.

“We had the right horse at the right weight and the right draw, everything went according to plan.

“He’s a talented horse, we haven’t settled on a target as such but we’d like to test the water in stakes company.

“The first opportunity to do that would be in the Summer Mile at Ascot, where he’s now won two nice races.

“It would be on the round course, not the straight course, but nevertheless I think Ascot suits him well and we’ll map out the rest of his season from there.”

The KHK team also enjoyed another Royal Ascot winner, with Adrestia taking the five-furlong Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes in good style under Oisin Murphy.

She too could be due to set to graduate to more exalted company for trainers Simon and Ed Crisford.

“She won very nicely and was another horse we had Ascot in mind for from a long way back,” said Wall.

“She’s another one where you’re asking ‘do we stay in handicap company for another race or do we move her up to stakes company?’.

“She is probably a stakes filly, it’s just a case of finding the right opportunity to do it.

“We need to have a conversation, Simon, Ed, Shaikh Khalid and myself. We don’t have a firm plan for her at the moment, but we’ll work something out in the coming days.”

Staya brought home some money from the meeting, too, finishing fifth in the Group Two Queen Mary for trainer George Scott to leave connections pondering a step up in trip.

“She ran a nice race, we were very happy with that,” said Wall.

“On that day there was a strong bias towards horses drawn on the stand side and unfortunately we were drawn low on the far side.

“I don’t suppose that cost her a win, I think the O’Brien filly (True Love) won very nicely, but it probably cost her a place because we were only beaten a nose and a short head for third.

“We came away thinking she might stay six furlongs and so if everything is OK, we’ll be thinking of running her in the Duchess of Cambridge at the July meeting.

“If that comes a bit quick then something like the Princess Margaret might be on the agenda, or even the Prix Robert Papin out in France.”