Check out what the connections are saying ahead of Saturday’s big-race action at Sandown and Haydock.
Live In The Dream bids to put his Haydock mishap behind him and return to his blitzing best in the Coral Charge at Sandown.
Speed out of the stalls is the trump card of last season’s shock Nunthorpe winner, but Adam West’s stable star was down on his nose as the gates opened in the Achilles Stakes which left him with a mountain to climb, while also racing into a strong headwind. Having been gone through his paces at West’s Epsom base since, connections are hopeful they can now draw a line through Haydock as they continue to tighten the screw ahead of a return to York for his Nunthorpe defence next month.
West said: “We’ve jumped him out of the stalls since he fell on his nose last time and he didn’t have any hesitations over that, which I was grateful for, and we are excited to put Haydock and the Achilles behind us and get back to the positive feeling of the Temple Stakes run. The really strong headwind wouldn’t have helped him anyway in the Achilles and I’m not sure we would have beaten some of the six-furlong horses there with it being so testing into the wind as it was.
“I think a lot more mature people than me have said you can’t fight the things you can’t change, so that’s kind of what we had to swallow, but no one wants to see their early-speed sprinter fall on their nose coming out of the stalls.
“This is still not D-Day and the end goal is still the Nunthorpe. The Achilles didn’t really change anything (in terms of plans), but it does sort of feel like it with the emotions that came with the run there. We’re almost starting again and we will see where we end up.”
Live In The Dream has appeared twice over the course and distance, winning in handicap company before finishing second to Mitbaahy at Listed level.Since then he has become one of the best speedsters in Britain over the minimum distance and 5lb clear of his nearest rival on ratings here, his team are confident he has the class and ability to deal with a wide draw.
West continued: “He’s drawn nine of 10 and I think Jack Channon’s improving horse has been given the best draw in four. However, that is not really a bother when we have the style of running that we do.”
The aforementioned Jack Channon horse is Desperate Hero who makes the move into Pattern company having won two on the bounce in handicaps.
Ed Walker’s Markova was second to Czech speedball Ponntos in France before not being disgraced in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, while a place ahead of him at the Royal meeting was Henry Candy’s Twilight Calls who is now tried in first-time cheekpieces. He will be ridden once again by Ryan Moore, who is hoping that new headgear will help him exit the stalls in a timely manner having been sluggish at the start of his races of late.
Moore told Betfair: “What I said about him before Royal Ascot stands, and that is he is in with an excellent chance if he can get out of the stalls even adequately well. The starts are costing him dearly at the moment – hopefully the first-time cheekpieces could help him there – but he has still run very good races at Newmarket and Ascot this season, and a stiff five furlongs on decent ground really should suit him.”
Defending champion Equality finished last at Ascot, but is a winner this season and has to be respected on his return to Esher, with Clive Cox’s Unbreak My Heart another to shape nicely here recently.
Just eight days after securing her first Group-race win, Sir Mark Prescott’s Tiffany attempts to take another step up the ladder in the Bet365 Lancashire Oaks.
Homebred by the Elite Racing Club, the daughter of Farhh began 2023 finishing seventh in a Wolverhampton maiden – but by September she was a Listed winner in Germany. This season began with another successful raid on Germany and she took her form to a new level at Newcastle last Friday evening when winning the Group Three Hoppings Stakes from Karl Burke’s three-year-old Darnation, who had won the German 1000 Guineas. The Lancashire Oaks represents another rise in grade, but she is clearly a filly on great terms with herself.
Prescott said: “It’s a risk running her back so soon, but it is a Group Two and for fillies’ only and there’s a long gap before another suitable race. I had it in mind to give her a mid-season break anyway. If it comes off I’ll look a very clever and skilful trainer and if not why was I running her so soon, so the trainer error element is at risk here.
“The owners Elite Racing understand very well the capital value of a filly like this. If she was a colt there’s a good chance we wouldn’t be running with his record on the line, but with a filly it’s different.
“I’m pleased to be running, I think it’s the right race and if she’s in the same form that she was eight days ago she’s got every chance. Will she stay a mile and a half? I would think so, but I’m not certain.
“I think it’s the right thing to do, but I realise I’m a hostage to fortune. The owners have been very patient early in her career and are reaping the benefits and when you do that you can afford to be a bit braver, it’s the quid pro quo.”
Oisin Murphy was in line to ride Dancing Gemini in the Eclipse, but instead he will be on Merseyside to partner John and Thady Gosden’s Queen Of The Pride. Owned by Murphy’s retainer, Qatar Racing, the Roaring Lion filly has Haydock experience on her side having won the Lester Piggott Stakes when last seen.
“She won over course and distance last time in a Group Three and now moves on to a Group Two there,” said Thady Gosden. “She has been lightly raced up to this point and you would expect her to improve again. She’s by Roaring Lion out of a St Leger winner (Simple Verse) so she’s bred to have plenty of class and she has demonstrated that she has so far.”
Ralph Beckett trained Simple Verse and he has two representatives in this in Lady Boba, beaten just a short head by Queen Of The Pride last time out, and Forest Fairy, seventh in the Oaks, the first defeat of her career.
“They are both in good form and I think the ground and track should suit – I’m looking forward to it,” said Beckett. “Lady Boba just got going a bit late last time, she was slightly trapped in behind horses two down and then finished strongly. Let’s hope she repeats the dose on Saturday. Let’s hope it works out better than Epsom for Forest Fairy, she got a bit tight in behind and it wasn’t ideal.”
Soprano hit all the right notes for Billy Loughnane at Royal Ascot and the duo are out for another starring role on Saturday. Loughnane lit up Royal Ascot with his exploits in the saddle and having won the Coventry on 80-1 outsider Rashabar on day one, doubled his tally at the sport’s showcase meeting when expertly guiding Soprano home in the ultra-competitive Sandringham Stakes.
It was a victory which meant a great deal, as it came for trainer George Boughey and owners Highclere Thoroughbreds, who have both been great supporters of the 18-year-old Loughnane. Now he hopes to excel in the plate once again as the duo search for Listed honours on the Coral-Eclipse undercard in Esher.
Loughnane said: “It’s a chance for another big day and Soprano has been drawn wide again unfortunately, so we will have to see how she jumps from the gate. She’s been a great filly for me this year and hopefully she can continue her recent run of form. She’s a filly who stays the mile really well and she had good two-year-old form over seven furlongs. She had just been a bit free in her work, so we were dropping her back in trip, but she relaxed great at Ascot and hit the line well and we will probably be looking to do something similar.
“It was a massive day at Ascot, great for George, the team and everyone at Highclere as well. Highclere have been very good to me this year and have given me my first ever Listed winner and a Royal Ascot winner, so hopefully we can keep the ball rolling.”
Rated only 5lb inferior to Soprano is Clove Hitch, who takes a significant rise in class following an impressive eight-length romp when opening her account at Newbury.
Trained by Andrew Balding, she is one of two in the race for owners Juddmonte and prior to opening her account, the daughter of Siyouni had shaped nicely behind both Cat Ninja and William Haggas’ Dante scorer Economics.
“There’s not many horses get rated 102 after winning a maiden (novice) and she’s a nice filly,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon. “She ran a great race behind Cat Ninja at Windsor the time before and she was placed behind Economics on her first run back, so she’s run some good races and she’s a promising filly. We’re looking forward to seeing her on the track again.”
Juddmonte will also be represented by Ralph Beckett’s Indelible, who served a reminder of her potential in her Doncaster return and was fourth behind Soprano when sent off at 5/1 for the Sandringham at Ascot.
Also doubly represented are the training team of John and Thady Gosden, who rely on Height Of Fashion Stakes runner-up Regal Jubilee and Spiritual, who filled the same position at York when last seen in the Listed Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stakes.
“It’s a stiff mile at Sandown and Regal Jubilee is a filly with a good turn of foot. She obviously ran a nice race last time out at Goodwood to finish second,” said Thady Gosden. “Spiritual has been in good form since York and the track at Sandown, a stiff mile will suit her well also. She’s a filly who has improved with every run.”
There is an Irish raider in the form of Joseph O’Brien’s Unreasonable, who has performed with credit at a useful level in her two starts this term.
O’Brien said: “She has already got herself a bit of black type and we’re going over there hoping to win a stakes race. Ideally, she wouldn’t want any rain, but she goes over in good form and it would be great if she could sneak another bit of black type.”
Agnes Keyser Fillies’ Stakes runner-up Bolsena drops back to a mile for Kevin Ryan, with the Haggas-trained Tiaraqueen and Jack Channon’s Gray’s Inn completing the line-up.
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