Equinties - spending spree

Author

BGP Capital
June 06, 2024

Equinties

Gm Equinauts

We’ll try and commentate as much as we can on Royal Ascot while the yards of Newmarket, Lambourn and Middleham get their ducks in a row.

But Royal Ascot isn’t just a British affair.

There will be certain Yanks who will have Royal Ascot scribbled in big bold writing in their calendars, none more so than one Wesley Ward.

Ward is always a dominant force in the 2yo ranks with his electric juveniles. The Queen Mary is especially focused in on for Ward, who has won it 3 times in the last 10 years and has finished second twice. Interestingly another American bred won the race last year in CRIMSON ADVOCATE.

So who has Wesley got this year?

ULTIMA GRACE looks a likely contender for the Queen Mary. She’s a chestnut filly by AMERICAN PHAROAH and her dam is by SCAT DADDY. Currently 12/1 for the Queen Mary.

SATURDAY FLIRT was bred by Wesley, a bay filly by MENDELSSOHN who is by SCATT DADDY. She is being aimed at the Queen Mary or possibly the Norfolk. Currently 10/1 for the Queen Mary.

BURNING PINE, is a filly by NYQUIST who incidentally sired last years Queen Mary winner. However this filly is eyeing up the Albany Stakes - which looks red hot with FAIRY GODMOTHER and MOUNTAIN BREEZE heading that market.

Bring it on Ward.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

PRICELESS PRINCE

A quick scan through the early entries for the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes would excite any racing fan.

PASSENGER, WHITE BIRCH, AUGUSTE RODIN, INSPIRAL, ALFLALIA, HORIZON DORE, ZARIR, BLUE ROSE CEN, and ROYAL RHYME are all entered, and while a few horses could dodge the contest, this race is still worth looking forward to.

Although both of the fillies – INSPIRAL and BLUE ROSE CEN – could go elsewhere, one horse who is on the fence is WHITE BIRCH, the current 2/1 second-favourite.

The 4yo by ULYSSES has improved markedly since the turn of the new year as he’s clocked RPRs of 113, 117, and 125, most recently when beating AUGUSTE RODIN by three lengths in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.

That performance was strong and has allowed connections to think of Royal Ascot, though a trip to France is also being considered.

Trainer George Murphy said: "He's entered in all of the big races throughout the summer and we'll have a proper chat next week with the owners about whether we go to Ascot for the Prince of Wales's or maybe head to the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

"More than likely, his next step will be one of those races. We'll make a plan with the owners and see how he is closer to the time, but he looks great at the moment."

SPENDING SPREE

Well, yesterday was a bit annoying. As soon as we pressed send on the newsletter, we saw the news about Wathnan Racing buying more horses for Royal Ascot.

Oh well, let’s mention it here anyway.

The big one to kick things off with is the purchase of HAATEM, Richard Hannon’s English and Irish Guineas-placed three-year-old by PHOENIX OF SPAIN.

It’s probably a good time for Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah to get rid of HAATEM as he has that Guineas form to his name and he already has 12 races under his belt; of course, he can continue to race at this top level going forward, but there’s only a certain amount of time that he can continue this high-level of performing for.

Saying that, he is off to Royal Ascot, and while he is entered for the St James’s Palace Stakes, the presence of ROSALLION and NOTABLE SPEECH means he may drop down a furlong to the Jersey Stakes. He’ll also carry no Group 1 penalty in the Group 3 contest as he’s yet to win one yet.

As for the other purchases, the one that hits home for us is the acquisition of TORITO as he was our (and a few people’s) eye-catcher from the Newmarket Guineas weekend.

He is Wolferton Stakes-bound and it will be his second dive into pattern company having finished third to WAIPIRO in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at the royal meeting last year.

AUSSIE BACK TO EUROPE

A trainer swap that would have passed by most people is the one of KITTY ROSE, a three-year-old by INVINCIBLE ARMY who has some solid form in the book.

Having been trained by Natalia Lupini for her first four starts on the track, she beat CONTENT (who finished fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf) in a Listed race at Leopardstown last season before finishing second in the Group 3 Priory Belle Stakes in April.

She was behind A LILAC ROLLA on that day who was then second to FALLEN ANGEL in the Irish 1000 Guineas on her next start.

Since that run behind A LILAC ROLLA, Australian owners have picked her up and she is now trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. However, her first run since the connections change is set to be in the UK at Royal Ascot.

Kent Jnr said: “We could have easily put her in the Irish or English Guineas, but we had the mindset that we really wanted to win a race at Ascot, that was the goal, so we’ll go there.

“It’s great to get a rider of Oisin [Murphy]’s calibre as the Sandringham is often a race where you need a good ride and a bit of luck to go your way.”

RISK ON

No bets yesterday. Today we look across the water at a potential Group horse in the making.

17.30 KEEPER’S HEART

Impressed with seasonal debut when he ran well but didn’t get the gap. Form franked in the Derby. Listed company should certainly be within his grasp, then on to Group company. 15/8 a rare Irish bet for us.