RED ROCKS AMONG 23 IN ROSE OF LANCASTER - MICHAEL JARVIS CONSIDERING GROUP THREE FOR HINTERLAND
Improving three-year-old Red Rocks could bid to register his first victory in Pattern company in the £75,000 Group Three Petros Rose Of Lancaster Stakes (2.45pm) over an extended 10 furlongs at Haydock on Saturday, August 12.
The Brian Meehan-trained colt, who began this season with two clear-cut victories over 10 furlongs, has finished runner-up on his last two starts over a mile and half, going down by a neck to Papal Bull in the Group Two King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 23, and then chasing home Rail Link in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on July 14.
Jamie McCalmont, racing manager to owner Paul Reddam, said: “He is a possible runner at this moment in the Petros Rose Of Lancaster Stakes and the decision to run is entirely up to Brian Meehan. He’s come out of his French race absolutely fine and is in good order.
“The winner won fair and square last time but we had to make the running which wasn’t ideal. We would like there to be plenty of pace in his next race so that could decide where we go with him.
“He seems to like quick ground and is proven on soft ground so he’s a versatile horse. We’re aiming towards the St Leger and we think he has the stamina, but you just don’t know at this stage.
“On the form he’s shown, if he runs at Haydock on Saturday then he’s got to have a very good chance.”
Another who could line up for the Group Three prize is the Michael Jarvis-trained Hinterland, ninth last time out from an unfavourable draw in the seven-furlong totesport International Stakes behind Dabbers Ridge at Ascot on July 29.
The four-year-old has previously shown progressive form this season, winning handicaps at Epsom over a mile and half a furlong and Sandown over a mile. He was also fourth to Cesare in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot on June 21.
Jarvis said today: “Hinterland has a few options at present and the Petros Rose Of Lancaster would be a new distance for him, but he would have a chance of getting the trip on pedigree.
“He was drawn on the wrong side last time and the seven furlongs was a bit sharp for him, but he seems in good form, although he never shows you that much.
“He’s having a good year and I think he’s probably still improving.
“Notability (also entered in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes) wants cut in the ground and could go instead for the one mile handicap on the same card (£25,000 Malcolm Prescott 60th Birthday Handicap).
“We’d also love to run Ofaraby at Haydock (in the £80,000 totesport.com Handicap over an extended 10 furlongs) but he won’t appear if firm appears in the ground description.”
Other interesting contenders for the Petros Rose of Lancaster Stakes include last year’s winner Notable Guest from the Sir Michael Stoute yard, who could be joined by his improving stable companion, Tam Lin. Godolphin has three to choose from at this stage with Ashaawes, Perfectperformance and Windsor Knot all engaged while Mark Johnston could run Road To Love, who would be stepping up to Pattern company after recent impressive front-running performances in handicaps at Ascot and Goodwood. Haydock Park specialist Luca Cumani has entered Vol de Nuit, third in Group One company in Italy last time out.
The 40-strong entry for the £80,000 totesport.com Handicap (3.20pm) includes last year’s victor Courageous Duke, recent John Smith’s Cup hero Fairmile, the Alan Swinbank-trained Formal Decree, successful at Newmarket’s July Meeting, plus Spectait, trained by Sir Mark Prescott and recently victorious in the valuable totesport Mile at Glorious Goodwood.
GROUND
Kirkland Tellwright, Clerk of the Course, reported this morning: “We had good rain last week, very light rain at the weekend and light showers are forecast for Thursday night and Friday morning.
“We are currently good to firm, good in places, and we are watering to maintain that ground. The extent to which we water will depend on what rain we get.”
GROUP THREE PETROS ROSE OF LANCASTER STAKES AND totesport HANDICAP FEATURE AT HAYDOCK PARK’S PREMIER AUGUST MEETING
Top quality racing continues at Haydock Park this week with three days of action taking place at the North-West racecourse from Thursday, August 10, through to Saturday, August 12 inclusive.
Thursday, August 10 sees a seven-race afternoon programme starting at 2.10pm and running through to 5.10pm.
On Friday, August 11, it is Lambrini Ladies’ Evening, with the first race off at 6.00pm.
The best racing takes place on Saturday, August 12, when the six contests include the £75,000 Group Three Petros Rose of Lancaster Stakes (2.45pm) and the £80,000 totesport Handicap (3.10pm), both run over Haydock Park’s extended 10 furlongs. Entries were made on Monday, August 7, with the Petros Rose Of Lancaster Stakes receiving 22 entries, including three from Ireland, while the totesport Handicap looks set for a maximum field of 17 after attracting a five-day entry of 40.
This media pack contains a history of both of these prestigious contests as well as a full roll of honour for each race.
For further information, please contact Haydock Park on 01942 725963, or visit www.haydock-park.co.uk
HISTORY OF THE PETROS ROSE OF LANCASTER STAKES
The Group Three £75,000 Petros Rose of Lancaster Stakes, run over a mile and two and a half furlongs at Haydock Park, has grown into a highly informative contest during its short history, with eight of the winners going on to success at the highest level.
Open to three-year-olds and upwards, it is restricted to horses that have not scored at Group One level, excluding two-year-old races.
First run as a Listed event in 1986, the race was originally known as the Summer Trophy. The late Dick Hern and the now-retired Willie Carson teamed up as trainer and jockey for the first two wins with Wassl Touch and Free Fact.
Geoff Wragg’s filly Braiswick was the first winner of the contest when it was renamed the Rose of Lancaster Stakes and upgraded to Group Three status in 1989. After her Haydock Park success, the daughter of King Of Spain went on to victory in the Group Two Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket and the Grade One EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, Canada.
Defensive Play was the neck winner from Alphabel in 1990 before being sent across the Atlantic to America, where he was victorious in one of the USA’s most prestigious turf races, the Grade One Man O’War Stakes at Belmont Park.
The 1993 hero was Knifebox, who scored easily by five lengths from Colway Rock. After winning at Haydock Park, the John Gosden-trained colt progressed to land the Group Two Prix Dollar at Longchamp, France, and the Group One Premio Roma at Capannelle, Italy.
Urgent Request, the 1994 hero, was superbly placed by his trainer Reg Akehurst and won the Rose of Lancaster Stakes after progressing from handicap company. Later in the season, he was second in the valuable Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin before being transferred to the yard of Rodney Rash in the USA, where he landed the 1995 Grade One Santa Anita Handicap.
Fahal, fourth to Lammtarra in the Epsom Derby, was triumphant in 1995 while Godolphin struck in 1996 with Tamayaz, who subsequently landed the Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba.
Peter Chapple-Hyam sent out the consistent Romanov to success in 1997. The Robert Sangster-owned colt had earlier finished third to Benny The Dip in the Vodafone Derby and ended the season by finishing third in the Group One Canadian International at Woodbine.
Mutamam, successful in 1998, went on to further triumphs over the next three seasons with four Group Three victories, one Group Two victory - the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket - and one Group One victory - the Canadian International at Woodbine.
The tough campaigner Greek Dance gained a deserved win in 1999 en route to glory in the Group One Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich. In all, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt, a full-brother to the top-class filly Islington, was placed in six Group One races in Britain, Ireland, Germany, France and Hong Kong.
Trainer Marcus Tregoning enjoyed back-to-back wins with Ekraar in 2000 and Nayef in 2001. Ekraar ran well in top-class company throughout his career, which ended with a deserved Group One success in the Gran Premio Del Jockey at San Siro, Italy, in October 2003.
Nayef came into the Petros Rose Of Lancaster Stakes with a slightly tarnished reputation. After a most promising juvenile career, he had disappointed on his initial three starts as a three-year-old and gained his first victory of 2001 at Haydock Park. After his Rose of Lancaster Stakes success, Nayef progressed strongly and recorded Group One victories in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, the Dubai Sheema Classic at Dubai, the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York.
In 2003 the David Loder-trained Sabre D’Argent defeat Far Lane by half a length while in 2004 Mark Johnston’s Mister Monet was the successful horse and went on to score in the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville.
Last year’s contest saw the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Notable Guest prevail by three lengths from David Junior. Notable Guest may not have proved to be among the best but the runner-up most certainly was. David Junior subsequently collected the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, the Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba and the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown - all Group One events.
PETROS ROSE OF LANCASTER STAKES - ROLL OF HONOUR
£75,000 Total Prize Fund, Group Three, one mile, two furlongs and about 120 yards
Haydock Park, Saturday, August 12, 2006
(Run as the Summer Trophy (Listed Race), 1986-1988)
YEAR HORSE AG/WT OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY SP RAN
2005 NOTABLE GUEST 4-9-03 Khalid Abdulla Sir Michael Stoute Richard Hughes 5/1 5
2004 MISTER MONET 3-8-07 Syndicate 2002 Mark Johnston Joe Fanning EvensF 6
2003 SABRE D’ARGENT 3-8-07 Sheikh Mohammed David Loder Eddie Ahern 5/1 5
2002 Abandoned due to waterlogging
2001 NAYEF 3-8-07 Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning Richard Hills 5/4F 5
2000 EKRAAR 3-8-07 Hamdan Al Maktoum Marcus Tregoning Richard Hills 7/4F 9
1999 GREEK DANCE 4-9-03 Lord Weinstock Sir Michael Stoute Gary Stevens 2/1 5
1998 MUTAMAM 3-8-07 Hamdan Al Maktoum Alec Stewart Michael Roberts 8/11F 6
1997 ROMANOV 3-8-07 Robert Sangster Peter Chapple-Hyam David Harrison 5/2F 7
1996 TAMAYAZ 4-9-03 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor Gary Carter 11/2 8
1995 FAHAL 3-8-07 Hamdan Al Maktoum David Morley Richard Hills 3/1 9
1994 URGENT REQUEST 4-9-03 S Aitken Reg Akehurst Richard Quinn 8/1 12
1993 KNIFEBOX 5-9-07 Sheikh Mohammed John Gosden Michael Roberts 11/10F 3
1992 HALF A TICK 4-9-03 C J Wates Paul Cole Chris Rutter 8/1 8
1991 LORD OF TUSMORE 4-9-03 Wafic Said Barry Hills Alan Munro 10/1 5
1990 DEFENSIVE PLAY 3-8-12 Khalid Abdulla Guy Harwood Pat Eddery 7/2F 7
1989 BRAISWICK 3-8-04 White Lodge Stud Geoff Wragg Gary Carter 7/1 5
1988 GALITZIN 3-9-00 Curtis Elliot Clive Brittain Steve Cauthen 4/1 7
1987 FREE FACT 3-8-09 Lord Rotherwick Dick Hern Willie Carson 2/1 3
1986 WASSL TOUCH 3-8-09 Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum Dick Hern Willie Carson 6/1 6
HISTORY OF THE totesport HANDICAP
The £80,000 totesport Handicap was first scheduled to be run in 2002 but unfortunately fell victim to the unseasonably wet weather, so the inaugural running of this extended 10-furlong event did not take place until a year later.
Leporello was successful in 2003, coming with a strong run from an unpromising position to win by a length from Silence Is Golden. After his Haydock Park victory, the Danehill colt, trained by Peter Harris, progressed to win two Group Three contests - the Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor and the Select Stakes at Goodwood.
There was a 50/1 shock in 2004 when Dunaskin, trained by the now-retired Don Eddy, came home a length clear of Coat Of Honour under David Kinsella. It proved to be no fluke, as Dunaskin landed another competitive handicap at the York Ebor meeting on his next start.
Last year’s contest went to the Jeremy Noseda-trained Courageous Duke, who prevailed by three-quarters of a length from Eccentric.
totesport HANDICAP ROLL OF HONOUR
£80,000 Total Prize Fund, Heritage Handicap, one mile, two furlongs and about 120 yards
Haydock Park, Saturday, August 12, 2006
YEAR HORSE AG/WT OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY SP RAN
2005 COURAGEOUS DUKE 6-9-00 Lucayan Stud Jeremy Noseda Kieren Fallon 7/2F
2004 DUNASKIN 4-8-06 Mrs I Battla Don Eddy David Kinsella 50/1 20
2003 LEPORELLO 3-8-07 Karyl Harris Peter Harris Richard Quinn 13/8F 13
2002 Abandoned due to waterlogging
FIRST AUGUST MEETING
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY AUGUST 4, 5 & 6 2005
ORDER OF RUNNING
AUGUST MEETING
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 10th, 11th & 12th AUGUST 2006
ORDER OF RUNNING
First Day - Thursday, August 10
2.10pm racinguk.tv Maiden Auction Stakes 6f £5,000
2.40pm See More On Racing UK Handicap Stakes 6f £5,000
3.10pm Join The Racing UK Club Maiden Claiming Stakes 1m £3,500
3.40pm Subscribe To Racing UK On 08700 506957 Handicap Stakes 1m £17,500
4.10pm St Helens Handicap Stakes 1m 4f £10,000
4.40pm Racing UK TV Maiden Stakes 1m 2f 120yds £5,000
5.10pm Racing UK On Sky 432 Handicap Stakes 1m 2f 120yds £5,000
Second Day - Friday, August 11 (evening)
6.00pm The MTB Group Handicap Stakes 1m abt 6f £5,000
