Monday, June 22, 2009
DE KOCK AIMING FOR GROUP THREE GLORY AT NEWMARKET WITH IMBONGI
Fresh from seeing his Darley July Cup contender J J The Jet Plane finish fourth in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday, South African trainer Mike de Kock is eyeing another British prize with Imbongi, who is one of 18 entries for the £65,000 Group Three John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes (3.25pm) at Newmarket’s July Course on Saturday, June 27.
The five-year-old is set to make his European debut in the seven-furlong contest following a string of fine efforts in Hong Kong and Dubai earlier in the year, including a staying-on sixth last time out in the Group One Champions Mile at Sha Tin on April 26.
He had previously been fourth in two Group Two races at Nad Al Sheba and was narrowly denied on his seasonal debut at the same course in a valuable seven-furlong handicap, when he just failed to collar Hatta Fort.
In his native South Africa last year, Imbongi proved himself to be one of the leading milers of his generation, landing Grade Two contests at Turffontein in March and Greyville in April before returning to the latter course a month later to defeat five previous Grade One winners in the Grade Two Drill Hall Stakes.
De Kock revealed today: “Imbongi is an intended runner in the John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes as things stand. He worked on the Rowley Mile with Diana’s Choice two weeks ago and he took it well. I think that seven furlongs to a mile is his best trip and the forecast ground should be an advantage for him.
“We had some poor ventilation in Dubai and some of the horses bled out there but he still showed a decent level of form, including when he finished in front of Vodka in a Group Two in March.
“It wasn’t a bad performance in Hong Kong either, when he ran from quite far back. Alexandros was a neck behind him on that occasion and he went on to be second in the Lockinge Stakes, so we have some collateral form to work with.
“Some of the top milers around ran in that race and he was too far out of his ground, but he still ran on well in the closing stages. We will hopefully start him off at Newmarket and then take his season from there.”
The South African challenger looks set to face some tough opposition in the John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes including Racer Forever, who got the better of King Of Dixie in a thrilling finish to last year’s race. Subsequent Group One winner Court Masterpiece was also narrowly denied in 2005 and the nine-year-old, now in the care of John Quinn after a spell at stud, could return to Newmarket following a fine third in a York conditions race on his first start for more than two years.
Ancien Regime may make his Godolphin debut following a progressive three-year-old campaign for Michael Jarvis that included victory in the Coral.co.uk Sprint on the Rowley Mile and a close sixth in the Group One Sprint Cup at Doncaster in September, while Huntdown, third in last year’s Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes, could also make his first appearance for Saeed bin Suroor, having previously been trained by John Gosden.
Other notable entries include Winker Watson, who enjoyed Group Two success on the July Course in the TNT July Stakes in 2007, last season’s Group One Stan James sponsored 1000 Guineas fifth Dream Eater, as well as Laa Rayb and Balthazaar’s Gift, who were third and fourth respectively in the Group Two Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes on the Rowley Mile in October.
Saturday’s seven-race card also includes the £40,000 Listed totesport.com Fred Archer Stakes (2.50pm), run over a mile and a half. A high-quality entry of 13 includes recent Goodwood Listed scorer Mad Rush, who was sixth in last year’s Melbourne Cup, last season’s Oaks fourth Clowance, and the Godolphin trio of Age Of Reason, Covert Ambition and Friston Forest, a dual Listed winner in France.
ENGLAND TO HOST FOUR BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACES
WINNERS OF ASCOT’S QUEEN ELIZABETH II, FILLIES’ MILE AND ROYAL LODGE AND NEWMARKET’S EMIRATES AIRLINE CHAMPION STAKES TO EARN AUTOMATIC BERTHS INTO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT SANTA ANITA PARK
NEW YORK -- (June 22, 2009) — As a part of its increased global expansion, the Breeders’ Cup announced today that the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by Sony (G1), Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile (G1) and Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Ascot on Sept. 26, and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (G1) at Newmarket on Oct. 17, have been selected to the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Challenge series. The winners of all four British races will earn automatic starting berths into the $25.5 million Breeders' Cup World Championships at the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, Nov. 6, 7.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, with its “Win and You’re In” provision, is an international series of 62 stakes races, whose winners earn qualifying positions into a corresponding race at the World Championships, following the payment applicable entry fees on Oct. 26. This year, Breeders’ Cup has increased the international Challenge races from four to 12 events, and they will be held at the world’s premier racetracks in Australia (Moonee Valley), Ireland (The Curragh, Leopardstown and Dundalk), France (Deauville and Longchamp) and Hong Kong (Sha Tin), in addition to Ascot and Newmarket. The 2009 Breeders' Cup Challenge races will begin in the U.S. on July 4 with qualifying events from Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey: the United Nations (gr. I) on turf, and the Salvator Mile (gr. III).
The Queen Elizabeth II is an automatic qualifier for the $2 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf. The Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile is an automatic qualifier for the $1 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at one mile for 2-year-old fillies; the Juddmonte Royal Lodge is a qualifier for the $1 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for 2-year-old colts and geldings at one mile and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket is a qualifier for the $3 million (US) Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf at 1 ½ miles.
DATE TRACK BREDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACE BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RACE
Sept. 26 Ascot Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by Sony $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile
Sept. 26 Ascot Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf
Sept. 26 Ascot Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf
Oct. 17 Newmarket Emirates Airline Champion Stakes $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf
All four Breeders Cup Challenge races in England will also receive an additional $50,000 (US) from the Breeders’ Cup in Owners’ Premiums. A Breeders’ Cup nominated horse that finishes in one of the three top positions will earn a portion of the Premium. These races are among 11 international Challenge stakes that will be enhanced with $50,000 in Owners’ Premiums for horses nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program.
“We are excited to return the Breeders’ Cup Challenge races to Ascot and welcome Newmaket and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes to the Breeders’ Cup Challenge,” said Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Greg Avioli. “We are always striving to make the Breeders’ Cup more inclusive to our international horsemen and fans. British racing has been a long and valued partner to the success of the Breeders’ Cup, and the selection of the Ascot and Newmarket races for the series strengthens the link of the world’s greatest races and racehorses to the Breeders’ Cup.”
“We’re delighted to be involved in ‘Win and You’re In’ for the second time and pleased that the portfolio of linked races has been extended to include the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes in October, said Charles Barnett, Chief Executive of Ascot Racecourse. “The QEII is consistently rated amongst the top mile races in the world and is Europe’s undisputed mile championship, highlighted by Raven’s Pass’s defeat of Henrythenavigator in 2008. We look forward to working with Breeders’ Cup to promote the Santa Anita championships to the connections of all three of our included races.”
Newmarket Racecourses Managing Director Stephen Wallis said: "The Emirates Airline Champion Stakes is the most important all-aged race staged at the end of the British Flat season. In Emirates Airline, it shares a sponsor with the Breeders' Cup Turf, and we are delighted that through the Challenge series a mechanism has been created which will hopefully result in a horse winning both races."
The international Breeders’ Cup Challenge debuted in Europe last year at the Ascot Festival with the Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Lodge and the Fillles’ Mile. H.R.H. Princess Haya and Darley Stable’s Raven’s Pass defeated Mrs. John Magnier’s Henrythenavigator in the Queen Elizabeth II to qualify for a starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. However, Raven’s Pass was instead entered in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, which he won by 1 ¾ lengths over Henrythenavigator.
In 2000, Champion Stakes winner Kalanisi (IRE) won the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs for HH the Aga Khan.
Since its inception in 1984, 35 horses from Europe have won Breeders’ Cup races. Last year, an unprecedented five Breeders’ Cup winners came from overseas.
The 2009 international Breeders’ Cup Challenge began in April with the Champions Mile (G1) in Hong Kong, won by Sight Winner, who earned a starting berth into the $2 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Mile. The first European challenge race of 2009 will be the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) at The Curragh in Ireland on June 27 for an automatic berth in the $2 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Among the other new international Challenge races this year are the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at Leopardstown (Sept. 9) for a starting position in the $3 million (US) Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf; the Moyglare Stud (G1) at The Curragh on Aug. 30 for a starting position in the $1 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; the Diamond Stakes (G3) at Dundalk on Oct. 2 for a starting position in the $500,000 (US) Breeders’ Cup Marathon; and three automatic qualifiers for the $1 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint: the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville (G1) on Aug. 9, the Cleanevent Manikato Stakes (G1) at Moonee Valley in Australia on Sept. 25 and the Qatar Prix de L’Abbaye at Longchamp (G1) on Oct. 4.
The North American racetracks participating in the series are as follows: Belmont Park in New York, Del Mar near San Diego, Calder Race Course in Miami, Arlington Park in Chicago, Emerald Downs in Seattle; Delaware Park, Monmouth Park and Philadelphia Park in the Middle Atlantic; Turfway Park and Keeneland in Kentucky; Santa Anita Park; and Woodbine in Toronto.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, which began in 2007 with 25 races at six U.S. racetracks and Sha Tin in Hong Kong, was increased to 57 races at 12 tracks last year. The 2008 series for the first time included races in Canada from Woodbine and in Great Britain at Ascot Racecourse. In 2008, 34 of the 57 Challenge race winners completed in the Breeders’ Cup. Five of them won races at the Championships, led by Raven’s Pass. The other winners were Zenyatta, who won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic on Championship Friday; Forever Together, Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf; Stardom Bound, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and Maram, Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
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