Racing
Michael Duffy
BY the time you sit down to read this week’s column, the first day of the Royal Ascot meeting will be done and dusted and if Dandy Man, Cockney Rebel and Gorgeous George have all obliged, then Final Furlong followers will have some ammunition to go to war with for the rest of the week.
It promises to be a week of top class action and Wednesday’s card opens with the Group 3 Jersey Stakes. This should be between Guineas sixth and seventh, Major Cadeaux and US Ranger with preference for the former, who looked like he just didn’t stay in the guineas and seven furlong should be his trip.
The Prince of Wales’ Stakes is hugely competitive with all seven of the runners in with a shout. Notnowcato and Dylan Thomas renew rivalries while Manduro makes the trip from France for Andre Fabre but Sir Percy could finally have conditions to suit if the ground stays fast. He hasn’t become a bad horse overnight and he should be an each way price after two recent lacklustre performances.
It’s a big week for Westport jockey Ted Durcan whose had some nice rides and he looks to have a big chance in the Royal Hunt Cup for Luca Cumani on Pride of Nation, provided he can overcome the high draw.
Peter Chapple Hymn is enjoying a great season so far and Polar Circle looks to have a great chance in the Queen Mary Stakes,
On Thursday, there’s no doubting the highlight. Yeats is threatening to rewrite the records books for stayers. Aidan O’Brien appears to have two strategies with his top two year-olds - one plan is to run them as much as possible to give them experience, the other is run them only once and let them develop over the winter months.
The second strategy is one he adopts regularly with his middle-distance performers and it seems to have prolonged the career of the aforementioned Yeats.
He appeared just once as a two year-old, winning a back-end Curragh maiden in a common canter. After that race O’Brien indicated that he would take a similar route to the stable’s Derby-winning Galileo. “He’s a proper horse, has been all along,” O’Brien said afterwards. However, unfortunately for the son of Sadler’s Wells, things didn’t work out accordingly.
O’Brien favours the Ballysax and then the Derrinstown Stud as a run in for his Derby hopefuls and in his three year-old season that’s exactly where Yeats appeared. He duly won both and was the spring favourite for the Derby until picking up an injury in the run-in to the race and missing out on the rest of the season.
His much-awaited return came the following summer and there was a certain poetic justice to his first victory as a four year-old. It came at Epsom in the Coronation Cup, the same ground covered in the Derby. He cruised home under a perfectly-judged front-running ride from Kieren Fallon, confirming that his talent hadn’t been diminished by injury.
Better was to come last year over longer distances. Most striking was his four-length jaunt to victory in the Ascot Gold Cup last year. After the race his victory must’ve looked obvious, but beforehand there were serious doubts about him staying the two and a half mile distance. He effortlessly dropped back to two-miles to land the Goodwood Cup and sealed a rare double as well as comparisons to some of the great stayers of the past 50 years.
Subsequent defeats in the Irish St Leger (to the decent Kastoria on rain-softened ground at the Curragh) and then at Melbourne can be excused. He missed the break at Flemington Park where the muddling pace also played against him.
The top stayer in these isles looked as good as ever with two smooth wins at Navan and Leopardstown. Sergeant Cecil looks a danger because he maintains a progressive profile but as long as the rain doesn’t come down in buckets at Ascot this week, Yeats is banker material. All my Loving should go close in the Ribblesdale and Mick Channon’s Man of Vision looks well in in the last race of the day the King George V Stakes.
On Friday, Ted Durcan feels Salford Mill is his best chance of the week in the King Edward VII Stakes if the rain stays away and the Coronation Stakes sees a fascinating renewal between Finsceal Beo and Darjina. The latter may be that bit fresher as Jim Bolger’s filly has had a long season so preference is for the French challenger. Pat Eddery could also enjoy his first Royal Ascot winner as a trainer with Secret Tune in the Queen’s Vase.
Saturday’s highlight sees the sprinters back in action and the Aussie’s look to have the upperhand here. Bentley Biscuit is the selection to give a memorable Ascot victory to top Sydney trainer, Gai Waterhouse.
The earlier Hardwicke Stakes can go to Formal Decree for Godolphin, who reportedly was in sparkling form on the gallops recently and the last big handicap, the Wokingham may go to Out After Dark, whose local connections have been looking forward to this race for quiet some time. Enjoy what should be a great week of entertainment.
Selections for Ascot
Wednesday
2.30 - Major Cadeaux
3.45 - Sir Percy
4.20 - Pride of Nation
4.55 - Polar Circle (nap)
Thursday
2.30 - All My Loving
3.45 - Yeats (nap)
5.30 - Man of Vision
Friday
3.05 - Salford Mill
3.45 - Darjina (nap)
4.55 - Secret Tune
Tuesday
3.05 - Formal Decree (nap)
3.45 - Bentley Biscuit
4.25 - Out After Dark
