Royal Ascot Review of 2011 Meeting

Royal Ascot Review by Tregoning

Golden Jubilee Stakes history

Coronation Stakes History at Royal Ascot

Ascot Gold Cup History

History of Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot

Kings Stand Stakes History

Is Racing in Dubai the ideal place to get horses ready for the UK Flat season

Sweet Lightning's victory in the Lincoln has once again shown the benefits of horses being in warmer climates during the harsher UK winter. The Michael Dods trained horse has been participating in the Dubai Inrternational Racing Carnival and despite finishing second in one race has arrived home in tip top condition.

It is not surprising the horse is racing fit as it was participating in a full race programme of high quality racing. Michael Dods reported the horse was going to go on a break and the owner Andrew Tinkler persuaded him not too. He was also at pains to say how well the horse travelled back and his wellbeing was confirmed in his performance.

It is interesting though that he was ahead of the tradtional handicappers who had run on the all weather or had been trained to perform first time out in this ultra competitive handicap. Sweet Lightning is a good horse and it is no surprise he won looking at his form. Did he benefit from the comparatively favourable weather in Dubai or was it the high level of racing he participated in that gave him the edge? It will be interesting to see how other Dubai campaigned horses run first time out in the early season. The Dandy Nicholls sprinters who have performed admirably without rewarding the trainer should in theory start with a similar edge.

Life for a horse in Dubai is certainly that of a VIP. The whole operation is set up for their wellbeing and their lives are made like eden for a horse. Over the years the merits of a warm summer have been debated and this victory certainly reopens the debate. Certainly the Godolphin horses of the past seemed to have been no harm and they look to have a promising team this time wild with Rewilding and Khawlah two who have excelled in Dubai. Sky Surfers is another to look forward to.

The Godolphin Mile

Fourteen runners go to post in the Godolphin Mile sponsored by Etisalat. As the name suggests this is a Group 2 contest over a Mile or 1600m and it has attracted a very high class entry with representatives from six nations.

Mufarrh is the representative of Champion UAE trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe and this four year old has progressed so far this season to become a genuine contender tonight. Having only made his debut at the Carnival in February the son of Marju was far from disgraced in his last run behind leading Dubai World Cup fancy Twice Over last time and is sure to go close.

We have only seen Conveyance once in the UAE following his move from the US to Satish Seemar’s Zabeel Stables and he showed he was in great form chasing home Bankable over 1200m. In the US he showed the trip should be no problem winning a Group 3 over this distance so this four year old is certainly one for the short list.

Premio Loco is having his first run in the UAE and is trained in Newmarket in the UK by Chris Wall. He is the second highest rated horse in the race and will be bidding to give his trainer his first win in the UAE.  Another trainer bidding for his first winner in the UAE is Mauricio Delcher, the Spanish trainer, with As De Trebol who was placed third in both his Carnival starts chasing home Barbecue Eddie and Mendip. In the Mendip race Zafeen Speed was second and this improving son of Zafeen will certainly give Musabah Al Muhairi a good chance of hitting the target.

Mike de Kock is represented by Imbongi who was third to another of the Godolphin Mile runners in Skysurfers on his previous run.  Skysurfers is wearing the first colours of Godolphin and represents Saedd Bin Suroor. He was devastating on his only run this year and always runs well fresh so he is the one to beat in this contest. Godolphin also are represented by Rileyskeepingfaith who is trained by Mahmoud Al Zarooni. He showed his wellbeing and position as a contender for this race when seeing off Fareer over course and distance at the last Carnival Meeting in the Group 2 Zabeel Mile.

The highest rated horse in the race is Red Clubs  who is trained in Lambourn, UK by Barry Hills. He was last seen winning a Group 2 at Newmarket over 1400m in October. He is a talented performer and having been a close third in a Group 1 at Ascot behind Poets Voice will be another of the front runners.

There are two interesting runners from the USA are Make Music For Me and I Want Revenge. They both have decent form and it will be interesting to see how they get on against the horses we know more about. Crowded House is the third USA representative and he will have to improve a bit on his Carnival form to figure in the frame.

Hearts of Fire and Le Drakkar were both behind Wigmore Hall in the Jebel Hatta and are sure to make a good impression. These two complete the field and have shown themselves to be in good form.

Having looked at the race it is immensely difficult to predict the result. I have gone with Skysurfers to win as he will be running after a break which suits him. I thought Conveyence ran a promising trial for this so will plump for him in second and feel that Red Clubs could run a big race to finish third.

Rochdale Bids to thwart de Kock duo

Saturday sees the last of the Spring Meetings at Meydan and we are to be treated to a fiercely competitive card. The Spring Meetings are a great way to spend an evening and they have a lovely relaxed feel after the hype and excitement of the Dubai International Racing Carnival. Zabeel Feed Mill sponsor all the races on the card.

The feature race on the card is the sixth race the AED 110,000 Dubai Millennium Stakes and we are treated here to a race of Carnival Standard. Mike de Kock has two runners in Frosty Secret and Solid Choice and they are the two top weights and sure to make a good impression. Frosty Secret has become a real favourite of racing fans in the UAE having run here seventeen times but Solid Choice is the choice of stable jockey Kevin Shea and he looks in better form at present. Rochdale was in super form earlier in the season and Ali Rashid Al Raihe’s charge is expected to make a bold bid to thwart the de Kock pair after several encouraging runs at the Carnival.

Qamar looks to be the one to beat in the fifth race, the Spindrift, after an excellent effort last week at Jebel Ali where he was a close second behind Sailorman although Kaiss and Il Grand Maurizzio will certainly give him something to worry about from higher up the handicap.

In the last race Lando Junior has had his campaign planned out meticulously by Stephane Chevalier and he looks the horse to beat now back at Meydan which was the scene of his last victory. Tinaar is an interesting runner for Bahrainian trainer Fawzi Nass and should really appreciate the step down in grade from the Group Races he has been running in of late.

The evening opens with a particularly open Maiden and regular runner Dahes is sure to be in the shake up but I fully expect Fieriness to strike as he has been second in his last two starts and really looked to have got the hang of things when chasing home Penthouse Reader on his last start.

The in form Doug Watson yard has four runners in the second race and Mark to Market could be the best of his four, but I expect Strecker  and Wadi Warrior to be the main challenges to the Watson quartet.

Dan Chillingworth  has been very consistent all season but has yet to win a race and the third race could be the race where he breaks that duck. Serhaal has good form and looks to be the main danger in this handicap puzzle. If you ignore his last run at Sharjah he has been running well in maidens and looks to be a horse than can certainly win again soon.

Paschendale will be bidding for a hat trick in the fourth race but Trust N Dustan must be coming down to a weight where he will win a race soon and that will be his first UAE success having fallen some 20lbs in the ratings over the last two years.

Ninety Five Horses are declared to run on Saturday night of which forty two come from the three yards of Ali Rashid Al Raihe (13), Doug Watson (17) and Satish Seemar (12).  These yards will certainly be hoping for a big night. It looks like a great evening’s entertainment and just a reminder the first race is at 6.15pm. See you there.

Godolphin Masterplan Ensures Victory

With two rounds of the Dubai International Racing Carnival to go Saeed Bin Suroor closed the gap on Mike de Kock to be Leading Trainer to two last Thursday with a glorious treble. The highlight was undoubtedly the victory of Khawlah in the UAE Oaks sponsored by Al Tayer motors. This was a perfectly prepared filly making her UAE debut under a Godolphin masterclass in tactics undertaken by Ted Durcan and Frankie Dettori. Durcan on the pacemaker Abtasammah made the race a searching pace and set it up for Dettori on the three year old daughter of Cape Cross who the trainer felt: “would definitely get the trip comfortably”.

Had we seen the 2011 Epsom Oaks winner? Well I think so and interestingly bin Surour certainly had this in mind as he said: “you will next see her in the Musidora at York”. Traditionally a stepping stone for Epsom we will see her test her Oaks credentials in the UK there.  Exciting times and a great feather in the cap for Meydan and the Dubai International Racing Carnival to become such a part of the world racing season its races can be used as springboards for big races round the world as well as hosting the big races. The Carnivals position in the world racing Calendar is now vital.

"Mike de Kock is running one of his Dubai World Cup hopefuls tonight and  Musir will take on Twice Over in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge where amongst others he will face the dual Champions Stakes winner from the United Kingdom in Twice Over for Henry Cecil, and the exciting new recruit to the UAE in Richard's Kid, trained by Satish Seemar, amongst others in a very competitive field. Mendip who won the first Round will also be a hrd nut to crack with bin Surour saying: "he is a much improved performer now he has learned to settle."

International Stables is now bristling with even more talent than was previously there as many of the stars for Dubai World Cup night are starting to arrive. A morning on the gallops is now like a who’s who of world racing and definitely worth a trip and setting the alarm clock for.

A special mention from last weeks Carnival and congratulations must go to crack apprentice jockey Harry Bentley. He has had a terrific first season in the UAE and deserved this win. He rode Navajo Chief for Alan Jarvis and showed great style, strength and determination to get the horse home despite being headed more than once in the straight. This is a young jockey going places and he should get some great rides when he returns home to the UK for the summer there.

Super Thursday is definitely the jewel in the crown of the carnival and I cannot wait to see this years’ edition tonight. After the racing there is a concert and it will be interesting to see the talents of Tinchy Stryder, Sander van Doorn and Eddie Halliwell perform a one-hour set each. Tinchy Stryder is best known for his hit “Number 1” and he is known to be a real crowd pleaser. It is a bit of a departure from previous artists such as Sting who performed last year and these performers will help showcase racing to a new younger audience. So if you are coming to the concert can I please encourage you to come and enjoy the racing first. It is top class and will be very exciting and if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.

Racing enthusiasts who have purchased tickets to watch the Super Thursday races will be able to upgrade their tickets for access to the concert area for an additional AED 100.

It was great to see some more stars at the Carnival last week with football leading the way. Tottenham Hotspur Manager Harry Redknapp. Redknapp had arrived early to enjoy a few days before his team enjoyed a mid season break out here. With no fixture for ten days he felt: “Dubai is the perfect place for my players to train and recuperate”. His team followed him out, including the injured players, and returned to get ready to face Wolves on Saturday followed by the second leg of their Champions League tie against Inter Milan. Carlton Palmer was also present.

Football and racing are often closely tied. Michael Owen, the Manchester United & England goalscorer, has a racing stables and racehorses in the care of Tom Dascombe. This week when speaking of his travel dreams he said: “I’ve been lucky enough to attend the Dubai World Cup race - I would love to go again.” Lets hope they find a horse for the 2012 Dubai International Racing Carnival and he could attend the meeting as an owner.

It never ceases to amaze me the level of interest in racing round Dubai. I had a taxi driver named Morad the other day who knew the formbook inside out and does not miss a meeting if he can avoid it. He told me “Curlin was the best horse I had ever seen”. As for this years’ Dubai World Cup he is undecided until after tonights racing but veering towards a tick for Bold Silvano on his Pick 7 entry.

Celebrity Matings hoping for Big Offspring Ratings

In the US the former Horse of the Year Zenyatta has been covered but Bernardini. He was the winner of the 2006 exlipse award. According to Zenyatta's website, the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic winner was driven from Lane's End Farm where she is in the paddocks to Bernardini at his nearby Darley residence. According to Zenyatta’s website: "It was 'textbook, Zenyatta was unbelievably professional -- especially for a maiden mare. It was all nice and easy and went perfectly." Zenyatta's website which is written by Dottie Ingordo Shirreffs, the racing manager for Zenyatta's owners Ann and Jerry Moss and the wife of Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs  continued “Zenyatta likely will undergo an ultrasound exam 14 days post-breeding to determine whether she is pregnant.”

 

It seems to be the perfect times for the celebrities of the US bloodstock world to be breeding and 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra was covered by US Horse of the Year and Dubai World Cup Winner Curlin at Lane's End Farm. "We have been anticipating this introduction for some time now," owner Jess Jackson said. "Imagine what possibilities those two super horses might produce."

Exciting times indeed for breeders in the United States

2011 Dubai World Cup Stars put Credentials on the line on Super Thursday

We will learn a lot more about who will win the Dubai World Cup this “Super Thursday”. There has been little doubt the best horse at the Carnival we have seen so far is Bold Silvano, however this week he will meet some genuine competition in the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 in Twice Over and possibly Richard’s Kid.

Obviously if Cape Blanco takes part in the race he is likely to be a big threat too. His Irish Champion Stakes victory was to be seen to be believed. Mike de Kock holds a big hand with Bold Silvano and Musir and other possibilities including Golden Sword.

The big hopes from the UK include Twice Over, who is trained by Henry Cecil. Cecil has adopted a different approach this year for the 2010 World Cup tenth and has sent him out early for a prep race on Super Thursday. All very exciting stuff. Ed Dunlop is yet to announce which race the globetrotting filly Snow Fairy goes for but it will be a surprise if she is not in the field. Michael Bell is to be represented by Wigmore Hall who will run on Super Thursday too. Gitano Hernando will be representing the Marco Botti yard and he will need to come on for the run in the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 to be a serious threat this year.

Ali Rashid Al Raihe the Champion UAE trainer and with seven Carnival Wins already will be represented by Al Shemali who won the 2010 Dubai Duty Free but he will need a career best to figure. Satish Seemar has the interesting Richard’s Kid ready for a UAE debut run on Super Thursday and it will be a watching brief to see where he is but this highly rated colt could easily play a part in the World Cup finish.

The Japanese will have a strong hand with the multiple Group 1 winning mare Buena Vista and Victoire Pisa both having done nothing wrong in their prep races.

That leaves the Americans and Godolphin. Godolphin look to have Poets Voice, Mendip and Mastery as their likely entries and their representatives are bound to make an impact on the race. The boys in blue are always on the premises in this race.

The Americans are likely to have at least Gio Ponti, Giant Oak and Morning Line it looks to be a vintage field.
We will learn a lot on Super Thursday but at the moment I will be siding with Henry Cecil and Twice Over.

He has lot of class and the trainer has a huge desire to add the World Cup to his list of his world major wins.

UAE RACING PROVES ITS STRENGTH

Last Thursday the second Carnival meeting was held and as every race goes by the excitement of horses performances increases. The most exciting thing for Dubai Racing Fans is the strength of the local trainers. The true nature of the Dubai International Racing Carnival has been borne out by the fact that 42.5% of the runners being trained outside the UAE win 40% of the races.  This close correlation is fascinating as the International horses are winning proportionately all the races they enter as they had no runners in the Purebred Arabian Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1. This shows the strength of racing in the UAE is in great health now with UAE trainers Saeed Bin Suroor, Mahmoud Al Zarooni and Ali Rashid Al Raihe all having more than one winner apiece at this year’s Carnival already.

Last week the biggest cheer of the night was for the locally trained Happy Dubai, ridden by Ahmad Ajtebi in the colours of Mr Ahmed Al Falasi, winning the Bab Al Shams Al Hadeerah Trophy. Local winners are popular and the crowd really celebrate. This winner came as no surprise to the locals as the horse was prepared by Ali Rashid Al Raihe. Al Raihe is an approachable warm man and really enjoys himself - when racing at Jebel Ali he can be regularly seen joining in with huge enthusiasm with the traditional Emirati dancers. However do not be fooled by this genial exterior as the reigning UAE Champion Trainer is a perfectionist and an innovative trainer. He leaves no stone unturned to ensure his horses are ready to perform with the best chance of winning. Before racing at the second Carnival meeting Al Raihe and his excellent assistant Gelarni Siddiqui could be seen educating two unraced three year olds in the paddock. By giving them a taste of things to come, he was making sure that their first run would not hold any surprises. These, as yet, unnamed horses will run later in the season and the paddock will hold no fears for them. The horses started a bit fresh and excited but soon settled and this is just an example of how professional Al Raihe and his team are in their constant pursuit of winners.

A few international trainers were disappointed to have their horses balloted out last week. Freddie Head was one and he said “races surely must be split at the Carnival to make sure all horses get a run”. However for those horses on the edge of a Carnival Rating I can highly recommend trainers consider running at the other UAE courses. Sharjah,  Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi all hold meetings during the Carnival season with excellent prizemoney, and a win there could help secure a run at the next Carnival Meeting. These courses all have good sound surfaces and top class competitive racing.

In the Bab Al Shams Cape Verdi (G2) we saw a fascinating race with the Frankie Dettori ridden Godolphin representative Aspectoflove seeing off a useful field. However the race was not to everyones liking and it left Deem’s trainer, Jerry Barton, frustrated by the slow early pace. “Our Mare really needs a strongly run race to be seen at her best” he reported. All is not lost and we will see her again running in the Ballanchine before a tilt at the Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night. It is likely that she will reoppose the game winner of this race there as the winning trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said of Aspectoflove "She's a much improved filly this year and she did it well under the circumstances. The plan is to bring her back for the Balanchine and take it from there."

I have marvelled at the skill of the Pick 7 players throughout the season. Finding it often hard enough to tick the right box for winners I am fascinated how the racing fans regularly register high numbers of winners or even perfect sheets in their pursuit of a bumper win. The knowledge of the UAE racegoer is indeed high. I have had a look at the first two meetings to see if there are any real trends emerging to help Pick 7 players moving forward. There are several trends emerging.

The first obvious points are to never ignore the Godolphin or Mike de Kock camps. Despite multiple runners they regularly win having won 10 of the 15 races so far (over 50%). However they have run multiple entries in many races and in four of the eight races these heavyweight teams have won they have had more than one runner and the horse in second or third string colours have won.

Only two horses have won from being in Gate 5 in the stalls or lower which dispels the myth of wide draws being in the graveyard. Over half of the winners at this years’ carnival have been drawn in stall 9 or wider. Only three horses have won on their last appearance and the average time since their last run is one hundred and fifty-five days so a long break is nothing to worry about when considering form.

While visiting the Middle East there is plenty to see and do. Ralph Beckett, for example, has gone to explore Muscat with his wife, and there is much to see and do in Dubai, but closer to home one place I can highly recommend a visit to is the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. You can either enjoy an affordable Emirati Lunch or Breakfast at their headquarters in Bastakaya (Old Bur Dubai) or a tour around the Jumeirah Mosque giving you the opportunity to find out more about the history and traditions of the Country and ask any questions you may have. Visit www.cultures.ae for more information or call 04 3536666.

The “Carnival Race to the Dubai World Cup” Ten to Follow competition gets more and more competitive but the leader at present in none other than Al Adiyat’s Jason Ford, who also can be seen as a pundit on the Dubai Racing Channel. His list has set the early pace but if you feel that you can still beat him why not enter our competition. Its free and you can choose any horses you want and to enter please visit www.harrytregoning.com. Obviously when entering late you should take the view that all new entries start with a score of 0 so it is best to look for horses we have not yet seen or horses that look likely to improve on their last runs. I feel Bankable could be one to improve in his next run as he finished so strongly last time having encountered traffic problems.

Jebel Ali Mile Preview

My race of the week is the AED 500,000 Listed Jebel Ali Mile.  The Third Race on Friday is one of the season highlights at Jebel Ali the Mile has had many great winners over the years.

Last years’ Winner Jet Express comes back to defend his title. Although last year he arrived on a role for this race, having won the Jebel Ali Prep prior to victory here , this season he has not got his head in front yet. Gelarni Siddiqui, assistant trainer to Ali Rashid Al Raihe said “He is in great form and we are expecting a big run”. Jet Express is one of the most popular horses with the UAE and a repeat of last year’s win would spark rapturous celebrations from the crowd.

Otaared, who won the 2011 Jebel Ali Mile Prep, has to be well fancied to follow up on that performance. He comes in to the race in great form having been placed either first or second in his last four races and will definitely be on the premises.  Trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam said of his previous run: “I was really pleased with that as he caught the pacemaker and he will come back with every chance in the mile”, and he added: “He is a very talented horse and one we have always really liked.”

Musabah Al Muhairi’s three runners are all big dangers. Snaafy looks to be the class horse in the race.  Snaafy is ratef 115 some 8 pounds ahead of the next highest rated horse in Otaared, and as they are racing off level weights it should mean he should find all these rivals inferior but will the ratings tell the real tale.

It is encouraging to see that Carnival horses are very much part of this race and the fact Mike de Kock is running Wonder Lawn shows the race is seen to be out of the top drawer. When Wonder Lawn was fourth to Rock N Roll Ransom at the first Carnival meeting Kevin Shea said after: “if we had not had the traffic problems we would have been much closer”. As the son of Fort Wood was last turning in to the straight he did well to finish fourth. If he is handier ridden I see Wonder Lawn as a serious contender.

There are many other contenders in the race and it is always useful looking to see who the stable jockey rides when a trainer has multiple runners in a race. Richard Mullen choosing Escape Route for his employer Satish Seemar should be a good tip in itself.

For my Pick 6 I am going to select the number fourteen and go for Wonder Lawn who looked like a horse on the upgrade last time and if he can race more handily he is sure to be involved in the finish.