Tag Archive for: Teej A

Ascot not the aim for Woodcote scorer Teej A

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Connections of Teej A are content to skip Royal Ascot with their Epsom champion, harbouring other big-race ambitions later in the season.

Trained by Karl Burke, the daughter of Mehmas followed up her impressive Chester success in game fashion in the Woodcote Stakes, keeping on to score by a length and a quarter over Ralph Beckett’s Megalithic.

However, she will not attempt to follow in the footsteps of owners Nick Bradley Racing’s previous Woodcote winner Oscula and will bypass the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot ahead of alternative targets both home and abroad.

Newmarket’s Empress Stakes and the Prix du Bois at Deauville are both options for Teej A to dip her toe into deeper waters, while her team are aiming for the progressive youngster to be competing in races such as the Cheveley Park Stakes on the Rowley Mile later in the season.

“At the moment I would like to go to the Prix du Bois, while Karl is eying the Empress and we’re going to discuss it soon,” explained Nick Bradley.

“I’m not going to take too many horses to Ascot and it is very hard to win there. Do I think she’s very good? Yes. Do I think she’s good enough to win at Ascot? Well, you genuinely know when you are going to win at Ascot, I have found in the past, and I haven’t got that feeling.

Teej A on course to Epsom victory
Teej A on course to Epsom victory (Adam Davy/PA)

“Don’t get me wrong, I think she could go there and run a very big race, but I just think we’ll go somewhere else with a bit more confidence.

“I would much rather aim for a race like the Cheveley Park later in the season where it’s a Group One with around eight runners, whereas at Ascot there will be lots of runners. I think we will do the opposite to what everyone else does.”

Teej A answers the call in Woodcote Stakes

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Teej A came out on top to take the Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes as the Derby meeting got under way at Epsom.

The filly, trained by Karl Burke and ridden by Clifford Lee, was one of four in the race for owners Nick Bradley Racing and started at 7-2 on the back of victory at Chester.

Always travelling well over the six furlongs, she looked in control throughout and crossed the line a length and a quarter ahead of Megalithic, with Tanager behind in third place.

Burke said: “The great thing about her is since Chester she has grown up behind, I really noticed it in the paddock and she has another few inches to grow I think, so there is a bit of scope there for the future.

“I don’t know about Ascot, she could go there – she has the ability to go there – but I think especially after what I’ve just said about her having a bit of growing to do, why rush her back when she has had a couple of quick races.

“She could go for a nice Group race in France and try to get that black type. This race used to be a black-type race and isn’t now and I would be looking at races like the Cheveley Park later in the year and giving her a chance to really fulfil her potential.”

He added: “This was the plan to come here after Chester. I thought Clifford kicked on 100 yards quicker than he needed to and I thought she would get collared by Ralph’s horse in the last furlong, but to be fair to her she stuck to her guns and did it well. I was delighted with her and she was tough in the last 100 yards.”

Of Megalithic, Ralph Beckett said: “He ran a lovely race, but the draw kind of killed us.

“He’s a nice little horse, but the winner got the run of it. I’m not making excuses, the winner won well, but given how the first two furlongs went for our horse I thought he ran really well, he just couldn’t reel the winner in.

“I hope he’s a stakes horse and based on that I think he is. We’ll try to find a maiden for him now, he won’t go to Ascot, we’ll take a longer-term view.

“He’ll probably stay over six furlongs, but he is out of a Galileo mare so he probably will stay seven and might be one for one of those seven-furlong races in high summer.”