Churchill, Barney Roy Rematch Set for York
Field also includes Ulysses, who defeated Barney Roy in Coral Eclipse Stakes.
York’s premier meeting gets off to a slam-bang start Aug. 23 with an opening day that features a rematch between star 3-year-olds Barney Roy and Churchill in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1).
A classic winner in England and Ireland, Churchill saw his seven-race winning streak snapped at Royal Ascot, as he could muster only a fourth-place finish in the St. James’s Palace Stakes (G1) where Barney Roy scored his breakthrough top-level victory.
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier’s Churchill, a Galileo colt out of the Storm Cat mare Meow, has not raced since Royal Ascot. Trainer Aidan O’Brien hopes the four-time group 1 winner will have a bit more to give in his rematch in the north.
Barney Roy, an Excelebration colt out of the Galileo mare Alina, is trained by Richard Hannon for Godolphin. He had won two of three starts coming into the Royal Ascot event but the joy of that victory was somewhat blunted when Barney Roy came up a nose short to 4-year-old Ulysses in the Coral Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown just three weeks later in his first try against older rivals.
“I think York will suit Barney Roy because it is flat and the course will give him plenty of time to get going with his long stride,” Hannon said. “I’d love it if he was the type to go and win by four lengths but he’s not that sort of colt. He always makes it look like he’s struggling but the quicker they go, the quicker he goes. He keeps finding and is probably the best horse I’ve trained.”
Ulysses is back for another bite of the apple in the Juddmonte, too. He followed up the Coral Eclipse triumph with a second-place finish behind current Longines World’s Best Racehorse ratings top-ranked 3-year-old filly Enable in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot July 29. Ulysses is a 4-year-old son of Galileo from the Kingmambo mare Light Shift. Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, he races in the Flaxman Stables colors.
Also in the seven-horse field for the 1 5/16-mile Juddmonte are Churchill’s stablemate, Cliffs Of Moher, Shutter Speed, Decorated Knight and My Dream Boat. The going is forecast as good to firm for the first day of the meeting. The Juddmonte is part of the British Champions Series.
fonte : RacingPost
Barney Roy heads Godolphin trio on Day One of York’s Ebor Festival
Godolphin has three runners on Wedesday, the first day of the Ebor Festival at York, UK, headed by Barney Roy (Richard Hannon/James Doyle) in the G1 Juddmonte International over an extended 10 furlongs.
Barney Roy was last seen out when the excellent nose runner-up to Ulysses in the G1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on July 8, when attempting 10 furlongs for the first time.
The three-year-old colt had previously been campaigned at shorter distances, decisively winning the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot on June 20 by a length and finishing the length runner-up to Churchill in G1 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6.
He began 2017 with a two-length victory in the G3 Greenham Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury on April 22.
Trainer Richard Hannon commented: “I think York will suit Barney Roy because it is flat and the course will give him plenty of time to get going with his long stride.
“I’d love it if he was the type to go and win by four lengths but he’s not that sort of colt. He always makes it look like he’s struggling but the quicker they go, the quicker he goes.
“He keeps finding and is probably the best horse I’ve trained.”
James Doyle added: “Barney Roy ran a fantastic race in the Eclipse but my worry beforehand – him being an inexperienced horse on that track – was probably about right.
“Sandown is a very tough track, especially against older horses. York will be much more to his liking and you will see a better performance there from him.”
Ulysses and Churchill feature among Barney Roy’s six opponents in the Juddmonte International, along with G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Decorated Knight and Derby runner-up Cliffs Of Moher.
Atty Persse (Roger Charlton/James Doyle) lines up in the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes over just short of a mile and a half.
The three-year-old’s most recent start saw him fade to ninth in the G3 Bahrain Trophy over 13 furlongs at Newmarket on July 13.
Prior to that, he posted an impressive three-length success in the King George V Handicap over a mile and a half at Royal Ascot on June 22 and began his 2017 campaign with victory in a mile handicap at Sandown Park on April 28.
Trainer Roger Charlton said: “I am happy with Atty Persse’s work and he is looking extremely well.
“I would think he needs to find three or four lengths on the principals in the race to be in with a chance, but he goes to York in good form.
“I think the course and the ground will suit him. Nothing came to light after his run at Newmarket last time – we just have to put a line through it.”
The eight runners for the Great Voltigeur Stakes include G1 Irish Derby second Cracksman and G1 Grand Prix de Paris third Venice Beach.
Penglai Pavilion (Charlie Appleby/James Doyle) runs in a handicap over an extended two miles on the same card.
The seven-year-old is making his first British start of 2017, having last run when the staying-on seventh, beaten eight lengths, in the G1 Sydney Cup over two miles at Randwick, Australia, on April 22.
fonte : Godolphin
#York: Da mercoledì inizia l’#Ebor Meeting, 7 al via nelle Juddmonte International Stakes. Ecco le anticipazioni..
Siamo a lunedì ma è già tempo di parlare di Ebor Meeting di York in programma dal 23 Agosto fino al 26, con 4 giorni di grande spessore tecnico. Stamattina sono stati dichiarati i partenti della prima giornata, quella del 23, che corrisponde alla giornata delle Juddmonte International Stakes G1 con contorno di Acomb Stakes G3 per i 2 anni sui 7 furlongs e Great Voltigeur Stakes G2 per i 3 anni in odore di St Leger sul miglio e mezzo.
Partiamo dalla corsa principale della giornata sui 2080 metri di York, dove sono stati dichiarati 7 partecipanti con conferme come da anticipazione. Ci sarà un altro scontro al vertice tra i 3 anni Barney Roy (Excelebration) e Churchill (Galileo), con il primo favorito rispetto al campione di O’Brien che lo ha battuto, in qualche modo, nelle 2000 Ghinee. Barney Roy ritroverà sulla sua strada anche l’anziano Ulysses (Galileo) che sui 2000 torna ad avere una forte candidatura dopo il piazzamento nelle King George, tornando eventualmente sullo standard di Sandown. Gli altri sono Cliffs Of Moher (Galileo), quarto di Ulysses e Barney Roy nelle Eclipse Stakes G1 di Sandown, poi Decorated Knight (Galileo) con Andrea Atzeni a 10/1 e stessa quota per Shutter Speed (Dansili), ritirata domenica nel Jean Romanet G1 per prendere parte al summit di York, dove ha già vinto su stesso tracciato e distanza, con Frankie Dettori in sella. Per lei l’ultima prestazione è il quarto posto nel Prix de Diane G1 di Chantilly. Outsiderone a 40/1 sarà My Dream Boat (Lord Shanakill).
Nelle Great Voltigeur G2 invece si rivede Cracksman (Frankel), terzo ad Epsom e secondo nel Derby al Curragh, che non avrà contro Capri (Galileo), il suo avversario, non dichiarato partente. Gli altri sono Mirage Dancer (Frankel) per Juddmonte, Sir Michael Stoute ed Andrea Atzeni, poi Venice Beach (Galileo) terzo nel Paris G1, poi ancora Count Octave (Frankel) per il Qatar, Khalidi (High Chaparral), Atty Perse (Frankel), ed altri 2 valletti Coolmore come Douglas Mcarthur (Galileo) e Spanish Steps (Galileo). Si tratta di un bel test in ottica St Leger di Doncaster. Nelle Molecomb G3 interesse in Dee Ex Bee (Farhh), vincitore in maniera impressionante a Goodwood al debutto ed atteso alla conferma contro 10 rivali.
Giovedì 24 sarà il giorno delle Darley Yorkshire Oaks G1 sul miglio e mezzo con duello tra Enable (Nathaniel), impressionante vincitrice del trittico Oaks inglesi, irlandesi e King George G1, che avrà contro Nezwaah (Dubawi) di un team in forma come quello di Obaid e Varian, ed Atzeni a bordo. Ma non solo, sono in totale in 9 al via ed altre vincitrici di Gruppo in Queen’s Trust (Dansili), Turret Rocks (Fastnet Rock), Coronet (Dubawi) a 16/1, etc.
Venerdì 25 è il giorno delle Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes G1 sui 1000 metri con il solito mucchione di velocisti ma punta in Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) che qualche giorno fa ha rifinito la condizione con Frankie Dettori lavorando in maniera notevole. Contro di lei il progressivo Battaash (Dark Angel) che a Goodwood ha fatto le buche per terra. In pista anche Marsha (Acclamation), Profitable (Invincible Spirit) et al.
Il 26 è il giorno della corsa che da il nome al meeting: Il Betfred Ebor Handicap sul miglio e 6 furlongs, con 87 cavalli ancora rimasti iscritti.
