FULL HOUSE ON TARGET FOR INVESCO PERPETUAL GOODWOOD STAKES
DRUMFIRE HANDED GREEN LIGHT FOR totesport MILE
Full House, who enjoyed the finest moment of his career when capturing the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, is set to reappear in the £50,000 Invesco Perpetual Goodwood Stakes, run over two miles, five furlongs on Wednesday, August 1, the second day of Glorious Goodwood 2007.
The versatile eight-year-old, who held off the late thrust of Juniper Girl - who went one better next time in the Northumberland Plate - to score by half a length at the Royal Meeting, has a course success to his name at Goodwood, having recorded an impressive four-length victory in the De Novo Stakes over two miles on May 24.
Trainer Paul Webber revealed today: “The plan for Full House is to go to Goodwood for the Invesco Perpetual Goodwood Stakes. He’ll probably get a speculative entry in the ABN AMRO Goodwood Cup [the following day] also, in case Geordieland frightens everybody away!
“We were thrilled with him at Royal Ascot. I thought I had spoiled his chances there, as he went up 8lb for his Goodwood success, but he was in fantastic form going into the race, and won really well.
“The going is very important to Full House - we have been waiting for some proper Summer ground, and that is why he has not run since Royal Ascot.
“He is in very good form now and I cannot wait to run him. I’m looking forward to getting him back on the track.”
Mark Johnston always sends a strong team to Glorious Goodwood and the master of Kingsley House Stables is set to be represented by lightly-raced three-year-old Drumfire in the £150,000 totesport Mile, run on Friday, August 3.
Having taken the prize twice in the past 10 years with subsequent Group One winner Fly To The Stars (1997) and Riberac (2001), Johnston certainly knows the type of horse required for the very valuable handicap.
Drumfire showed high class form as a juvenile last term, taking the Group Three Solario Stakes at Sandown before finishing unplaced behind this year’s Epsom Derby hero Authorized in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Newbury.
The son of Danehill Dancer made a fine reappearance at Newmarket on July 12, chasing home Traffic Guard in a mile conditions event, and is rated a 16/1 with the sponsors for the totesport Mile, for which he has been allotted 8st 10lb.
“Drumfire is heading for the totesport Mile. He had an injury to a hind fetlock joint, which is why he was off the track for so long, but he is fine now,” revealed Johnston today.
“I was very happy with his Newmarket effort and there was certainly no disgrace in coming second there. He has come out of the race in good form and I would hope that he has come on for the run.
“He was a very, very good two-year-old and would have been a Guineas runner had he not had the injury. I rate him very highly and we have waited for this race. He will probably step back up to Group class immediately after the totesport Mile, although we have no specific targets in mind.”
Glorious Goodwood lasts for five days starting on Tuesday, July 31 and ending on Saturday, August 4.
Admission to both the Gordon and Lennox Enclosures will be available on each day of the meeting.
TAKE A BOW AIMING TO UPSTAGE RIVALS IN SKYBET YORK STAKES
Take A Bow, who gained a long overdue first Pattern race success in the Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on May 31, will make his next start in the £100,000 Group Two Skybet York Stakes (3.15pm), run over an extended 10 furlongs at York on Saturday, July 28.
The ultra-game six-year-old, placed in the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket in 2004 and 2006 and only twice out of the first four in 24 career starts, prevailed in a thrilling three-way photo from Mighty and Mashaahed on his latest outing and is now out to make his mark in Group Two company in Saturday’s very valuable prize.
Trainer Patrick Chamings revealed today: “Take A Bow is going to run in the Skybet York Stakes on Saturday. He’s in very good order and has been super this year.
“He ran the race of his life in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes last time and we were absolutely thrilled. I think he took a bit of time to recover from an injury, which counted against him last season, although he still ran some very good races.
“There haven’t been any ideal races for him to run in since Sandown, so that’s why he hasn’t been out. Very soft ground would be a concern at the weekend. He has run well on testing ground before, although he doesn’t really enjoy it.”
With the recent inclement weather causing havoc to a number of yards, training racehorses has proved a real challenge, and Chamings is certainly one handler hoping to see the back of the heavy downpours that have hit the country over the past few weeks.
“The conditions here are unbelievable at the moment and life is not easy. There is two foot of water at the bottom of the gallops and it’s a nightmare, although a lot of other trainers around these parts are in the same boat.
“As long as we can get to the races, Take A Bow will take his chance in the Skybet York Stakes. He’s in great form and we’re looking for him to give a really good account. I’m hoping Jim Crowley will be able to take the ride although that has not been confirmed.”
The Skybet York Stakes has attracted a superb 25-strong entry, and includes the Aidan O’Brien-trained Eagle Mountain, runner-up to Authorized in the Epsom Derby on June 2, Pressing, a Group Three winner in Italy now trained by Michael Jarvis and fifth to Manduro in the Group One Prince of Wales’s Stakes on his British debut, plus Royal Ascot Listed winners Zaham and Championship Point, successful in the Hampton Court Stakes and Wolferton Handicap respectively.
Godolphin has six horses to choose from, among them Group Two winner Echo Of Light, fourth in the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot on July 14 on his latest start, last year’s Cambridgeshire hero Formal Decree and Winged Cupid, who made a successful return after 20 months on the sidelines in a mile Listed event at Windsor on June 30.
Skybet Day at York on Saturday, July 28, also features the £50,000 Skybet Dash (3.50pm), a tremendously competitive sprint handicap run over six furlongs, and the £35,000 skybet.com Silver Cup Stakes (2.40pm), a 14-furlong Listed handicap transferred from York’s fixture on July 14, among a cracking eight-race card.
Opening prices from Sky Bet on the Skybet Dash:
Fullandby 9/1
El Bosque 9/1
Gift Horse 12/1
Green Park 12/1
River Falcon 12/1
Fantasy Believer 14/1
Ingleby Arch 14/1
Turnkey 14/1
Wyatt Earp 14/1
Blue Echo 16/1
One Putra 16/1
Philarmonic 16/1
Presto Shinko 16/1
Prospect Court 16/1
Skhilling Spirit 16/1
Stonecrabstommorrow 16/1
Captain Hurricane 16/1
Zomerlust 16/1
Game Lad 20/1
Joseph Henry 20/1
Lipocco 20/1
Misu Bond 20/1
Sea Salt 20/1
Senor Benny 20/1
Tony James 20/1
Trafalgar Bay 20/1
Excusez Moi 20/1
Bahamian Pirate 25/1
King's Caprice 25/1
Quito 25/1
Royal Challenge 25/1
The Kiddykid 25/1
Varadouro 25/1
Damika 25/1
Desert Commander 25/1
Fayr Jag 33/1
Free Roses 33/1
Heywood 33/1
High Curragh 33/1
Bo McGinty 33/1
Invincible Force 40/1
Abwaab 50/1
Danum Dancer 50/1
Each Way terms: 1/4 of odds for 1st 4 places
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