Tag Archive for: Wathnan Racing

One Look snapped up by Wathnan Racing

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One Look, who returned to winning ways last time out for Paddy Twomey, is the latest acquisition to the ever-expanding Wathnan Racing team.

Having won the Goffs Million on her only outing at two, connections harboured Classic dreams in 2024 but she came up short in her trial in May.

She ended the last campaign in good form and began this season with a win in Group Three company at the Curragh – and while she found quick ground against her in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, the step up in trip suited her in the Group Three Meadow Court Stakes most recently.

With a variety of options coming up such as the Matron and Blandford Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival, Wathnan are looking forward to the future, and her second career as a broodmare.

Richard Brown, Wathnan’s Racing adviser, said: “One Look is a fine racemare, with plenty of options from a mile to 10 furlongs before she retires to stud.

“She’s been very well campaigned and is enjoying a tremendous season. We’re thrilled to have her.”

James Doyle misses York mounts due to illness

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James Doyle is facing a short spell on the sidelines after being diagnosed with a viral infection.

Wathnan Racing’s retained jockey did not ride at York on Thursday after feeling unwell and will now miss the final two days of the Ebor Festival, with his return to action expected next week.

Doyle said: “I felt unwell during racing on Wednesday, underwent tests on Thursday and have been diagnosed with a viral infection. I have been prescribed antibiotics and have been advised to rest for a few days.

“It’s hugely disappointing to be missing important rides, but I wish the team well and look forward to being back in action shortly.”

Doyle’s rides over the next two days included Night Raider in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes, with Danny Tudhope now taking the reins, while Robert Havlin will step in to partner French Master in the Sky Bet Ebor on Saturday.

Make Me King crowned Pomfret hero

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The globetrotting Make Me King made the most of having his sights lowered in the Sky Bet Pomfret Stakes at Pontefract.

Formerly trained by Andre Fabre before being snapped up by Wathnan Racing and joining Hamad Al Jehani, the five-year-old has since been campaigned in Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and France, with his sole previous success in Britain coming on the all-weather at Newcastle.

Having finished a close third in a Group Three at Chantilly last time out, Make Me King was a 7-2 shot for this Listed assignment and after tracking the pacesetting pair of Prague and Point Lynas into the straight, he finished off strongly under Danny Tudhope to score by a length and a quarter.

“We got a nice position early, they didn’t go as quick as I thought they would and I gave my fellow a chance to travel smoothly and when I picked him up he showed a nice turn of foot,” Tudhope told Racing TV.

“I think I was in the right position at the right time and he got the job done. It was a great performance.”

Cicero’s Gift made late gains in second, with Checkandchallenge coming from even further back to finish third after blowing the start.

Last year’s winner Point Lynas, a 15-8 favourite to go back-to-back after an excellent second in Ascot’s Summer Mile a fortnight ago, weakened quickly to finish a disappointing last of six.

Setback signals the end of Scenic’s racing career

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Ed Walker’s high-class filly Scenic has been retired after suffering a setback, her owners Wathnan Racing have announced.

The daughter of Lope De Vega had made a fine start to her five-year-old campaign, with a Group Three triumph in York’s Bronte Cup prompting the Wathnan team to purchase her from previous owner David Ward.

She made a promising debut for her new connections when pushing red-hot favourite Estrange all the way in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock and was being readied for the Lillie Langtry Stakes at next week’s Qatar Goodwood Festival, but her racing career has come to an abrupt end.

Wathnan Racing’s adviser, Richard Brown, said: “Scenic put up a career-best performance last time out and it wasn’t unreasonable to hope for some even greater days ahead, but it’s not to be.

“She will spend some time recuperating before joining the Wathnan broodmare band. She’s one of the best fillies in an exceptional Classic family of broodmares, so the dream now is of big successes with her progeny.”

Deauville repeat firmly on the radar for Lazzat

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Royal Ascot sprint star Lazzat is pencilled in to make his next start on home turf, as the Prix Maurice de Gheest beckons again.

The gelded four-year-old, who is trained in France by Jerome Reynier and owned by Wathnan Racing, was an excellent winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on his first start for new connections.

His next port of call is likely to be the Deauville feature, a Group One he won by an impressive three lengths last season.

“We were delighted with him at Ascot, that was a very serious performance,” said Richard Brown, racing manager to Wathnan.

“He probably had a hard enough race, they always do at that level, so we said we’d give him a bit of a chance to give him a bit of a wind down and then wind him back up again.

“His next run will be in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Jerome’s delighted with him, he came out of the race very well.

“We could have brought him back quicker if we’d wanted to, but we just thought we’d give him the chance now to be a fresh horse going into the autumn.

“We want to look after him, he’s a multiple Group One winner and he’s clearly a very high-class animal.

“We’ll race him with his long-term future in mind and hope he can be around for the next few years.”

Temperature rising for Humidity at Goodwood

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Humidity will bid to crank up the heat on his rivals once again on his next start, as the impressive Royal Ascot winner forms part of what will be a stellar Wathnan Racing team for the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

A winner in the colours of Cheveley Park Stud at Newbury on debut, Andrew Balding’s son of Ulysses dazzled on his first start for his new owners with his Chesham success and will now take the next step up the juvenile ladder for the Group Two Coral Vintage Stakes on the Sussex Downs.

“He’s a lovely colt and I loved the way his ears were flicking about in front,” said Wathnan’s racing adviser Richard Brown.

“I thought James Doyle gave him a brilliant ride as it’s hard to make all on a two-year-old and win from the front, but he got every fraction right and there was still plenty in the tank as he was flicking his ears all the way along and in particularly in the last furlong.

“We were delighted and he’s a colt with a good future. He’s come out of it well and with Goodwood being an important meeting for Wathnan as it’s supported by Qatar he will head to the Vintage Stakes.”

Joining Humidity for the owners at the meeting is fellow Ascot scorer French Master who is set for a step up in class for one of the meeting’s highlights, the Group One Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.

John and Thady Gosden’s Copper Horse Stakes winner thrived in first-time blinkers in Berkshire and will now return to a track he has already tasted success at this term – claiming a race that was once won by Wathnan original Courage Mon Ami – on his penultimate start.

French Master stormed home at Ascot
French Master stormed home at Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“I saw French Master at John and Thady’s a couple of days ago and he looked to have come out of Ascot in great nick,” continued Brown.

“He’d raced on and off the bridle on his previous start at Goodwood and it was actually Rab (Robert Havlin) who suggested to put some headgear on and I think it just helped him focus during the race. I don’t think he needs the help at the finish as he’s a very genuine horse, it’s just during the race he needed it.

“You had to be impressed with the performance and he’s going to have to step forward again to go from a handicap to a Group One but it was a top performance and we’re going to pitch him in the Goodwood Cup and see where we are at.”

James Doyle ‘pretty pleased’ with imposing Royal Ascot hand

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Twelve months on from his excellent four-timer at Royal Ascot, the excitement is mounting for James Doyle ahead of the latest instalment of the summer highlight.

Having ridden for some of the biggest names in the sport throughout his glittering career in the saddle, the Wathnan Racing number one is no stranger to the pressure the Flat season’s premier meeting brings.

And after excelling in his first season donning the old gold and peacock blue silks of the Wathnan operation who cherish Royal Ascot success above all else, Doyle is relishing this year’s action at the Berkshire track with some talented youngsters and high-class acquisitions to look forward to.

Leovanni (right) landed the Queen Mary Stakes 12 months ago
Leovanni (right) landed the Queen Mary Stakes 12 months ago (David Davies/PA)

“We look like we’ve got a nice team and there has been a few welcome additions,” said Doyle.

“Last year was great and I wouldn’t say there is more pressure this year, as there is always great pressure to perform and get winners at Royal Ascot and every year it is huge pressure.

“We’ve had a couple of two-year-olds step up to the plate and obviously Zelaina won nicely at Nottingham and there’s Postmodern for Hamad (Al Jehani) and Underwriter for Archie (Watson), so we’ve a decent group of youngsters.

“We’re all well aware how difficult it is to win at Royal Ascot, everyone knows how tough it can be, but we’re looking forward to it, quietly hopeful and would be pretty pleased with the team we have going there.”

Shareholder won last year's Norfolk Stakes
Shareholder won last year’s Norfolk Stakes (John Walton/PA)

Last year’s Ascot quadruple for the 37-year-old took his Royal meeting tally to 22, with Karl Burke proving the right man to have on side in the juvenile contests in 2024.

The Spigot Lodge handler gave Doyle the leg-up on both Shareholder (Norfolk Stakes) and Leovanni (Queen Mary Stakes) and the duo could be poised to repeat the dose with the aforementioned Zelaina, who is the shortest-priced of all the owner’s candidates in Berkshire.

The daughter of Mehmas has already followed in the footsteps of Leovanni by winning the same Nottingham maiden in impressive fashion and if Doyle’s smile upon returning to the Colwick Park paddock was not a big enough clue, Zelaina’s Queen Mary odds of 7-4 suggest the filly – whose name has Greek origins and means the moon or brightness – could shine for Doyle on the grandest stage.

Doyle said: “Leovanni won the exact same race before going on to win the Queen Mary and I think this filly clocked a marginally quicker time on what I felt was slower ground than what Leovanni won on at Nottingham, so that has to give you a bit of confidence.

“She’s quite hot so we have a bit of work to do with her in the prelims just to keep the lid on her but if she can turn up there nice and relaxed, you would be hopeful she could run a big race. It’s always difficult to compare yours to what you might be up against but I don’t think I would be swapping this filly, that’s for sure.”

Fallen Angel, seen here in her previous colours, is a big Ascot hope for Doyle
Fallen Angel, seen here in her previous colours, is a big Ascot hope for Doyle (John Walton/PA)

Away from the juveniles, Doyle has plenty of big names to enjoy, with the likes of last year’s Jersey Stakes winner Haatem back for more in the Wolferton Stakes and Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel a short price for Duke of Cambridge glory.

However, it could be the French contingent which provides Doyle with a couple of aces in his pack, as the rider is eagerly anticipating the chance to partner Map Of Stars (Francis-Henri Graffard, Prince of Wales’s Stakes) and new Wathnan recruit Lazzat (Jerome Reynier, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes) in their respective Ascot assignments.

“Lazzat is a hell of an addition to the squad and we’re lucky to get our hands on him,” said Doyle.

“He looks pretty good doesn’t he? He hasn’t done much wrong in his career and was just touched off in Australia and then bolted up in his prep run for Ascot.

“Then Map Of Stars, he is a horse I really like and I know his wins in the first two runs of the season weren’t particularly strong races, but his last run in the Ganay he was unfortunate not to beat Sosie and he is obviously a very good horse who has since come out and won the Prix d’Ispahan.

“That was a nice form boost for him and I think Map Of Stars is a really exciting horse, who I think will keep progressing and whose best days are still to come.”

Wathnan snap up James McDonald for Royal Ascot rides

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Wathnan Racing have swooped to secure the services of top international jockey James McDonald for Royal Ascot.

The Emir of Qatar’s racing operation enjoyed a four-timer at the Royal meeting 12 months ago and with a swelling team once again this year and multiple entries in many races, the New Zealand-born pilot will prove a more than able deputy to James Doyle for the leading owners.

Wathnan’s racing adviser Richard Brown said: “We’re going to have a good-sized team with multiple entries in certain races.

“William Buick helps us when he can but obviously his availability is limited and when talking to the team, we decided we needed to have somebody in position who might be able to help us.

Jockey James McDonald has plenty of Royal Ascot experience
Jockey James McDonald has plenty of Royal Ascot experience (Nigel French/PA)

“A lot of the top guys here have got their own commitments and we heard with interest that James McDonald is coming over to ride Carl Spackler, so we reached out to him and he’s going to be here Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before flying home for a wedding at the weekend.”

A good friend of Wathnan number one Doyle, ‘J-Mac’ has enjoyed notable recent success on the world stage aboard Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior, while he has a stellar record at Royal Ascot enjoying a treble in 2022 which included Group One glory aboard Australian ace Nature Strip.

“I would imagine James will ride five or six for us over the first three days,” continued Brown.

James McDonald celebrates winning aboard Nature Strip
James McDonald celebrates winning aboard Nature Strip (David Davies/PA)

“He has a great record at Ascot and he’s great mates with James Doyle, which is an important dynamic to it. They will be able to run through the horses together that James Doyle knows so well and ‘Doyler’ has got a few hard decisions to make.

“But James is such a team player and is very pro the idea and I’m sure he’ll be helping the other James with the form of the races and the horses he’ll be on.

“We didn’t want to leave anything to chance and it’s very hard to get the top guys booked with them having their own commitments, so to have James McDonald riding for us where we have multiple entries and William Buick can’t (ride) makes an awful lot of sense.”