Equinties - road to Epsom

Gm Equinauts

Derby trials, French Guineas and ambitious big race entries justified…last weekend offered a lot of clues for the remainder of the season and we’ve digested it all for you below.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

THE AGA CAN!

The Aga Khan operation enjoyed a hugely exciting afternoon yesterday as their homebred filly ROUHIYA (by LOPE DE VEGA) won the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and a son of their stallion ZARAK, METROPOLITAN, won the Poulains (the 2000 Guineas).

ROUHIYA could only manage third on her seasonal return last month behind ROCK’N SWING who could only manage 7th yesterday. The Aga Khan filly clearly improved a bundle from that run as well as the spring ground which she got yesterday.

After the race the owner Princess Zahra Aga Khan commented, “Francis-Henri Graffard's gut feeling last year was that she was a Poule filly and only this week, we asked ourselves the question, should we run in the Poule d'Essai on Sunday or head to the Prix des Lilas at Chantilly on Saturday?” Princess Zahra Aga Khan admitted after the race. “We reasoned in terms of the future and in terms of the filly as a breeding prospect, so we opted for the Poule d'Essai. For a breeder to produce a filly like her is extraordinary. It's the reward of decades of work.”

Brian Meehan had to settle for second place with ISAAC SHELBY last year in the French 2000 Guineas and again yesterday he endured the same fate. His SHOWCASING filly KATHMANDU ran a gallant race making most of the running and just got nipped in the last 10 strides to be second. The trainer said after the race, “It's tough, but she has run such an incredible race”. “All credit to the team at home and here with her, the owners Ed Babbington and Sam Sangster let me put her in the Guineas in the Spring and she's a wonderful filly and I thought Sean [Levey] gave her an outstanding ride. It's heart-breaking and it's about the seventh Classic-placed horse I've had now–it's becoming annoying.”

“She's run beautifully, she's a stunning filly and there's so much to love about her, we're going to have a great time with her for sure,” he added. “She definitely gets a mile, but she may have been on the limit of her stamina here today–and Sean felt that–so we will see. Maybe the [G3] Jersey Stakes at Ascot, but we will see.”

VESPERTILIO (By NIGHT OF THUNDER) for the Willie McCreery stable was third. We may see her next at Royal Ascot in the Coronation Stakes.

RALPHS GIRLS

FOREST FAIRY and YOU GOT TO ME both won their Oaks trials and both are from the same stable. Ralph Beckett has a plethora of nice Classic hopes, more fillies than colts, granted as that tends to be the Ralph trend but we think MACDUFF is overpriced for the Derby at 40/1, by SEA THE STARS and from the family of KINGMAN and OASIS DREAM.

Back to the girls. YOU GOT TO ME was a 62k foal but improved plenty to make 200k as a yearling. She’s improved again as a ripened 3yo and being by NATHANIEL, the sire of classic winners ENABLE and DESERT CROWN she’ll have her supporters at Epsom. Lingfield isn’t normally the best location to find the classic winner but ANAPURNA did it in 2019.

TREASURE for Beckett’s stable finished 4th on Saturday and will be one for the tracker, not sure she is Oaks quality but we could see her in the Ribblesdale at Ascot, she is owned by King Charles and Queen Camilla.

FOREST FAIRY was mentioned in last weeks article, along with the 3rd in the Cheshire Oaks SEAWARD. Another two for Beckett to hustle themselves into the Oaks starting stalls. The latter in particular caught the eye as she just ran out of fuel in the last furlong, but will come one for the run.

EYES ON ASCOT

In racing, when trainers give big entries to horses who have yet to establish themselves at that level, one does wonder what the trainer is seeing at home compared to what that horse is showing on the track.

Sometimes, those early entries go on to be a waste of money, but you have to be in it to win it and that’s certainly the philosophy Charlie Fellowes adopted with his new recruit THE WIZARD OF EYE who gave his 5yo by GALILEO GOLD an entry for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot before his run, and subsequent win, in Saturday’s Victoria Cup.

And fair play to Charlie for the ballsy move of not only entering for the Group 1 over six furlongs but also for running him fto in the Victoria Cup.

Having been with Stan Moore last season, he ran in races like the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes over a mile and even won over that trip at Kempton in a Listed race, so to bring him back to seven at Ascot and adopt the tactics of dropping right out to rely on his late speed took some brave tactics. But, it worked, and all the talk from Charlie that he had been showing him plenty of speed at home came to fruition as he stormed home late under a peach of a ride from Tom Marquand (one of the rides of the season so far!) to beat RAMAZAN.

He is now 50/1 to back up this success at the Royal meeting next month over a furlong shorter, but he is certainly not a ‘no-hoper’… that said, we’d love to see him in a big handicap instead!

ALL ANGELES COVERED

Aidan O’Brien had won the Group 3 Leopardstown Derby Trial 15 times ahead of this weekend, though LOS ANGELES made it 16 on Sunday under the guidance of Wayne Lordan.

Ahead of this weekend, he had some fair bits of form. The Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud that he won last season has produced ILLINOIS (Lingfield Derby runner-up) and BRACKEN’S LAUGH (Dee Stakes runner-up).

After the win, he was pushed into 8/1 for the Derby, something that is probably on the skinny side considering they all finished in a heap and the stablemate he beat had average form.

On the success, jockey Lordan said: "He's a lovely horse, very laid-back, so he needed to get out today. He races behind the bridle and is going to make a great step forward from today. Stepping up in trip, he's going to improve again as well.

"He's the same at home, he only does what he has to do. It's nice that he won, but I do think he will make a nice step forward from it. He will improve a huge amount for the run and for a step up in trip. His temperament will be a big asset at Epsom, he's a gent."

EYECATCHERS OF THE WEEKEND

AZTEC EMPIRE – FRIDAY 15.50 CHESTER

Although initially, the big eye-catcher from the race looked to be ZANNDABAD, plenty of credit should be given to AZTEC EMPIRE who finished fourth but led for most of the race. As they rounded the bend, it looked as if he was taking off again, but he faded in the final 100 yards as horses like ZOFFEE and ZANNDABAD (who had raced in the midfield or worse) went past him. Andrew Balding stated in the lead-up to the race that his prep had been interrupted, so it’s likely that he’ll come on for this and could be better nto.

KING OF THE PLAINS – SATURDAY 13.30 ASCOT

On his first start for James Horton (and of the season), KING OF THE PLAINS put in an admiral performance in the Ascot opener on Saturday.

He raced out the back for much of the contest and came wide around the bend, but he stayed on through the line and he’ll come on for the run.

CERULEAN BOY - SATURDAY 14.10 HAYDOCK

Over at Haydock on Saturday, although it was only a Class 4 handicap, CERULEAN BOY shaped like a horse with plenty of potential.

The three-year-old had a decent season last year (he gave weight away with INDIVIDUALISM - the half-brother to SUBJECTIVIST - and beat him by nearly a length) and has started this season with promise. He’s had two races so far, though this most recent one was smart as he made up plenty of ground from the back and ran through the line.

KEEPERS HEART - SUNDAY 15.35 LEOPARDSTOWN

Ran in the Derby trial yesterday and travelled oh so well, arguably the best, but clipped heels and got unbalanced and then was short of room when trying to go for the win. Winner at 2yo, he’s clearly wintered well and should bag a Group race this year.

RISK ON

We’ve had word for a few runners later this week, it could be huge. Keep reading.

Today we only like one:

17.35 MASTER BUILDER

Best debut out of those who have ran and pedigree suits todays conditions. If he comes on for the last run, he’ll be tough to beat today. 7/4 a good bet. Bigger prices coming this week!