Monday, July 26, 2004
GREAT CANTOR ODDS SUSSEX STAKES IN PROSPECT
At today's final 48-hour declaration stage, 11 horses were declared for Wednesday's £300,000 Cantor Odds Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, with a superb race in prospect.
The only withdrawals from the Group One race, one of Europe's top mile events, were two three-year-olds, Brunel and Kheleyf. The latter runs instead in the Group Two Betfair Cup at Goodwood tomorrow.
Heading the challenge from the older generation is Godolphin's Refuse To Bend, victorious in two Group One contests already this season - the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park. As a three-year-old, he also landed the Group One 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Refuse To Bend is the 9/4 favourite with the sponsors, Cantor Odds, who then go 5/2 Soviet Song, 11/4 Haafhd, 9/1 Antonius Pius, 12/1 Nayyir, 16/1 Le Vie Dei Colori, 20/1 Tillerman, 25/1 Norse Dancer & Passing Glance, 33/1 Hurricane Alan and 40/1 Checkit.
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor revealed today: "Refuse To Bend is in good form and he came back well from his run in the Coral-Eclipse. He's ready to run again on Wednesday."
Soviet Song chased home Refuse To Bend in the Queen Anne Stakes before becoming the first to beat Attraction, doing so in the Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month and is set to take on the Godolphin colt again.
The challenge from the three-year-olds is headed by Haafhd, the winner of the season's first classic, the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and fourth to Azamour in the Group One St James's Palace at Royal Ascot on June 15.
He will be joined by Antonius Pius, third home in the St James's Palace Stakes - a head in front of Haafhd - after an unlucky run in the French 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp, where he hit the rail in the final furlong after looking assured of victory. Antonius Pius found six furlongs too sharp in the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket last time out.
Also in the field are Nayyir, trained by Gerard Butler, who has been victorious in the seven-furlong Group Two Betfair Cup at Goodwood for the past two years over and Norse Dancer, who has run some excellent races in defeat in Group One company, including when third in last season's Cantor Odds Sussex Stakes. Le Vie Dei Colori represents the Luca Cumani stable and was the winner of the Group One Premio Vittorio di Capua at San Siro, Italy, in October while Passing Glance failed by just a head in the Group Two Celebration Mile at Goodwood last year.
Tillerman won the Celebration Mile in 2002 and was third in that same contest last year. The remaining two representatives from the older generation are Checkit from the Mick Channon yard and Hurricane Alan, winner of the Group Two Betfred Mile at Sandown earlier this season and from the stable of Richard Hannon - successful in 2003 with Reel Buddy.
Rod Fabricius, Goodwood's Managing Director, commented: "We are delighted with the quality and number of horses taking part in the Cantor Odds Sussex Stakes, the feature race of the Festival Meeting."
THE CANTOR ODDS SUSSEX STAKES
Class A, Group One, Total Prize fund £300,000. For 3yo and upwards, one mile. Weights: 3yo colts & geldings 8st 13lb; fillies 8st 10lb; 4yo+ colts & geldings 9st 7lb; fillies 9st 4lb. Entries closed May 26 (96 entries), forfeit stage July 6 (36 remained), five-day confirmation stage July 23 (13 remained), final 48-hour declaration stage (11 declared), 10.00am Monday, July 26. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, July 25. May not include some overseas form.
Number/Draw Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer/Jockey
1) (2) 034034 CHECKIT (IRE) 4-9-07 (Tim Corby) Mick Channon / Tony Culhane
2) (3) 5-31503 HURRICANE ALAN (IRE) 4-9-07 (Ian Wight) Richard Hannon / Kieren Fallon
3) (7) 1121-14 LE VIE DEI COLORI 4-9-07 (Scuderia Archi Romani) Luca Cumani / Darryll Holland
4) (11) 6102-30 NAYYIR 6-9-07 (Abdulla Al Khalifa) Gerard Butler / Michael Kinane
5) (1) 60-4304 NORSE DANCER (IRE) 4-9-07 (Jeff Smith) David Elsworth / Richard Quinn
6) (4) 12160-1 PASSING GLANCE 5-9-07 (Kingsclere Stud and M E Wates) Andrew Balding / Martin Dwyer
7) (9) 00-0011 REFUSE TO BEND (IRE) 4-9-07 (Godolphin) Saeed bin Suroor / Frankie Dettori
8) 10330-5 TILLERMAN 8-9-07 (Khalid Abdulla) Amanda Perrett / Richard Hughes
9) (5) 5-23121 SOVIET SONG (IRE) 4-9-04 (Elite Racing Club) James Fanshawe / Johnny Murtagh
10) (10) 10-4530 ANTONIUS PIUS (USA) 3-8-13 (Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier) Aidan O'Brien IRE / Jamie Spencer
11) (8) 133-114 HAAFHD 3-8-13 (Hamdan Al Maktoum) Barry Hills / Richard Hills
MAXIMUM FIELD FOR THE cantorodds.com HANDICAP
Given looking forward to seeing Protective take his chance
A maximum field of 16 is set to go to post for Wednesday's £85,000 cantorodds.com Handicap over a mile and a half at Goodwood.
James Given runs the lightly-raced Protective, who was the five-length winner of a 12-furlong maiden at Haydock in early June, before returning to the same course and distance for a Listed race on July 17, when a creditable fourth behind St Leger hopeful Frank Sonata.
The Lincolnshire-based trainer revealed today: "Protective has come out of Haydock very well indeed.
"He won his maiden on soft ground [officially good to soft] at Haydock but we have galloped him once on quick turf at home and he went very well on it. He's got quite a round action which is why we have been trying to look for softish ground, which he clearly acted on very well in both Haydock races.
"Last time he beat Red Lancer and Lord Mayor who are both rated over 100 and it was arguably a strange race with the handicapper not quite knowing what to make of it. The front three pulled well clear but I think they're all heading towards the St Leger anyway and I was very pleased with Protective's fourth.
"I wouldn't want to be running him on firm ground with the type of action that he has but I'm very interested and excited and looking forward to the cantorodds.com Handicap on Wednesday."
Despite Protective winning his maiden at 50/1, the three-year-old's victory was not a huge surprise to his handler.
"It wasn't a great surprise actually although our stable was going through a bit of a cold period - it's been a bit of a funny season for many yards this year and it's been difficult to be too confident," explained Given.
"I thought that Protective was a huge price - we're not a gambling yard and the owners aren't gamblers and hence the prices stay where they are but for anyone who had asked me, I would have said I thought that he was a very good each-way bet because he's such a big price and I felt that he was an improving horse."
Heading the field is Red Lancer, winner of the Group Three Chester Vase at Chester earlier this season, who will cross swords again with Protective.
Sir Michael Stoute, who sent out the great Pilsudski to win this race in 1995, is represented by Always First, second to the progressive Mister Monet at Hamilton last time, and Admiral, who was last seen out when taking the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot.
Middleham handler Mark Johnston has been leading trainer at Glorious Goodwood for four of the past six seasons, runs both Always Waining and Fort, who finished first and second respectively in the Diamond Rated Stakes over a mile and a half at Ascot on Saturday.
Johnston also has Etmaam, who looked a little unlucky when third to Admiral in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot.
Other interesting contenders include the Luca Cumani-trained Zeitgeist, an eye-catching fifth at Ascot last time in a handicap on July 9, David Elsworth's Stage Right, an impressive winner on his latest start in a maiden at Goodwood, and Larkwing from the Geoff Wragg stable, who was seen out when taking a maiden at Newmarket at Goodwood in good style back in May.
THE cantorodds.com HANDICAP
Class B, Heritage, Total Prize Fund £85,000. For 3yo rated 0-105, one mile, about four furlongs. Penalties: after July 17, a winner 4lb; of a Class A to C race 7lb. Entries closed July 23 (24 entries), 48-hour declaration stage, 10.00am Monday, July 26 (16 declarations + 1 reserve). Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Sunday, July 25. May not include some overseas form.
Number/Draw Form Horse Age/Wgt Owner Trainer/Jockey
1) (10) 213606 RED LANCER 3-9-07 (Fox and Cub Partnership) Richard Price/Liam Treadwell (5)
2) (9) 1-02 ALWAYS FIRST 3-8-11 (Saeed Suhail) Sir Michael Stoute/Kieren Fallon
3) 151213 ETMAAM 3-8-10 (Hamdan Al Maktoum) Mark Johnston/Richard Hills
4) (6) 331531 ALWAYS WAINING (IRE) 3-8-09 (7lb Ex) (The Always Trying Partnership) Mark Johnston/Joe Fanning
5) (14) 0(2)-3162 CUTTING CREW (USA) 3-8-08 (Carol Harris) Peter Harris/Darryll Holland
6) (7) 2-(1)4301 SETTLEMENT CRAIC (IRE) 3-8-07 (Buxted Partnership) Terry Mills/Jimmy Fortune
7) (12) 2-40214 LE TISS (IRE) 3-8-05 (P Trant) Mick Channon/Sam Hitchcott (3)
8) (13) 021-55 PRIME POWERED (IRE) 3-8-04 (Prime Power GB Ltd) Gary Moore/Ryan Moore
9) (15) 4014 PROTECTIVE 3-8-04 (Peter Onslow) James Given/Willie Supple
10) (5) 13-3032 FORT 3-8-03 (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing IX) Mark Johnston/Royston Ffench
11) (4) 01-4125 ZEITGEIST (IRE) 3-8-03 (Leonidas Marinopoulos) Luca Cumani/Tom Queally
12) (1) 64-0131 ADMIRAL (IRE) 3-8-02 (Highclere Thoroughbred Racing XI) Sir Michael Stoute/Nicky Mackay (3)
13) (16) (4)61 STAGE RIGHT 3-8-01 (Jeff Smith) David Elsworth/Martin Dwyer
14) (3) (0)0(2)-10 ODIHAM 3-8-01 (D L Brooks, J F Dean, Mrs J Scott) Hughie Morrison/John Egan
15) (2) (3)4(1)205 SWAINSON (USA) 3-8-00 (Richard Cohen) Philip Mitchell/Jimmy Quinn
16) (8) 4-231 LARKWING (IRE) 3-8-00 (Mollers Racing) Geoff Wragg/Franny Norton
RESERVE
1-00126 WATAMU (IRE) 3-8-00 R A Henley) Peter Makin/
WEATHERBYS BANK SUMMER CUP AND ROYAL BRITISH LEGION DAY AT DONCASTER
The fifth running of The Weatherbys Bank Summer Cup, a £30,000 handicap contest over the extended one mile and a quarter, is the feature race at Doncaster on Saturday (July 31) - a meeting which forms part of The Royal British Legion's D-Day 60th Anniversary fund-raising activities.
Sponsored by Weatherbys Group Ltd. which provides administrative and commercial services to the racing industry, the Summer Cup was won last year by Pinchincha.
Saturday's programme begins at 1.00 p.m. with The Little Chef E.B.F. Maiden Stakes for two-year-olds a race sponsored by Little Chef in support of The Royal British Legion, whose Standard Bearers Parade takes place on the track prior to racing at 12.10 p.m. The 150 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps T.A. Band provide the musical entertainment. There will be RBL displays, along with a bottle stall, treasure hunt and a special silent auction for racegoers, prizes for which include family packages to visit Leeds Castle, Liverpool Football Club and London Eye, along with a signed David Beckham T-Shirt and other prizes.
Members of the Yorkshire & Humberside region of Unison, the public service union, return to Doncaster for their annual raceday on Town Moor, which includes supporting three of the afternoon's races, the highlight being a £14,000 Conditions contest for sprinters which last year produced a thrilling dead-heat for first place.
New sponsors to Doncaster, Just Trays - one of Europe's leading shower tray manufacturers - support a handicap race for three-year-old fillies over the round mile.
In conjunction with The Royal British Legion, there will be a selection of gifts for youngsters while stocks last; the Mitsubishi Diamond Vision Screen, situated opposite the main stands will assist racegoers to follow all of the action on the track, while there are free shows during the afternoon in the Family Enclosure by The National Festival Circus. There's also a bouncy castle and a supervised creche facility available £1.80 per hour.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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