FEGENTRI SERIES COMES TO GOODWOOD
LEADING JUMP JOCKEYS IN FLAT-RACE ACTION
Mark Johnston, leading trainer at Goodwood's Festival Meeting in August, is hoping to launch a two-pronged assault on the Group Three Select Racing UK On 432 Stakes (3.45pm) as he seeks to maintain his impressive record at the West Sussex course on Sunday, September 10.
The Middleham trainer has three of the 22 entries for the 10-furlong feature in the shapes of the consistent four-year-old Crosspeace, the progressive three-year-old Road To Love and the unbeaten one-time Classic hope, Nakheel, who is yet to race this term.
Johnston revealed today: "Crosspeace is a very likely runner but there's a good chance I'll run two, with Road To Love the most probable."
Road To Love and Crosspeace both enjoyed success over the course and distance at the Festival Meeting in August. The former landed the ladbrokes.com Handicap by five lengths, while Crosspeace captured the Sportsman Newspaper Handicap on August 1, and, three days later, added the Listed Coutts Glorious Stakes over a mile and a half.
Crosspeace ran a fine race in the Group Three totesport.com September Stakes at Kempton on September 2, finishing a length and a quarter runner-up to Kandidate, who set a new course record for the mile and a half on the Polytrack surface.
Johnston commented: "Crosspeace ran a good race at Kempton. I thought there was a slow early pace and he probably should have gone on, but the time was fast, so I don't know what to think about that.
"We'll be looking for fast ground with Road To Love but there would be no ground proviso with Crosspeace. The horses are in good form."
The Johnston team could face stiff opposition in the form of the likely favourite, the Roger Charlton-trained Blue Monday, who is reported on target for the race after finishing third to Notnowcato in the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes at York on August 22. The five-year-old previously filled the same position behind David Junior in the Group One Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown in July.
Ralph Beckett is looking to the skies before deciding whether to run his lightly-raced seven-year-old Tau Ceti, who returned from a summer break to finish a promising three lengths fourth behind Tam Lin in the Group Three Winter Hill Stakes over 10 furlongs at Windsor two weeks ago.
Beckett reported today: "His participation is ground dependent. We would want a good bit more rain for him because he needs it good or softer.
"I was delighted with his run at Windsor last time. He was the only one to come from off the pace so it was very pleasing."
Tau Ceti, winner of the Group Three Prix du Prince d'Orange at Longchamp in September, 2002, raced only once last term, winning the Listed James Seymour Stakes over 10 furlongs at Newmarket.
The trainer explained: "I didn't get him until June last year, and, as a result, he wasn't ready until October. He had raced twice in the spring and I gave him a break through the summer because we have been waiting for the right ground."
The field for the Goodwood Group Three contest on Sunday could also include the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Pictavia, who ran third in the 2005 Vodafone Oaks and is a dual Listed winner this term, having beaten the Group Three-placed Summer's Eve - who may reoppose - at Salisbury on August 16. Pictavia could be joined by stablemate Into The Dark.
Other possible runners include Sir Michael Stoute's progressive three-year-old Stage Gift, the Barry Hills-trained Mashaahed, Group Three winner Mango Mischief, and the Group One-placed Rocamadour.
The Select Racing UK On 432 Stakes boasts an illustrious roll of honour and was won last year by David Junior, who went on to take the Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes on his next start and has since added two more victories at the highest level, in the Dubai Duty Free and Coral-Eclipse Stakes.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Singspiel won the Select Racing UK On 432 Stakes 10 years ago and went on to capture that season's Group One Japan Cup, while Nayef was victorious in 2001 before notching four career Group One successes, and the following year, Moon Ballad took the prize ahead of securing the 2003 Dubai World Cup.
The seven-race card on Sunday, September 10, day two of Goodwood's Community and Countryside Meeting, also features the ever popular Ucello II And Ubu III Trophy Handicap (2.10pm) over two miles, which is restricted to jockeys holding a National Hunt licence.
The unique race, which is supported by the Marquesa de Moratella and honours her two great Grand Steeplechase de Paris victors, was won last year by Leighton Aspell, who was registering his second success in the contest aboard Sir Monty, having taken the prize with Cedar Master in 2002.
Aspell, Jim Crowley, Sam Thomas, Sean Curran and Chris Honour are among the riders who are set to compete for the prize, which has been won in the past by leading jockeys such as Paul Carberry, Richard Johnson, Robert Thornton and Richard Hughes.
The Fegentri World Cup Of Nations Stakes (4.20pm) sees 12 of the world's leading amateur riders compete for the prestigious Richmond Brissac Trophy.
The nine-furlong race is the latest in the international Fegentri series and features France's Annie-Sophie Pacault, who is aiming to beat her 2005 record of 29 wins in a season, having posted 24 already this year, alongside teammate Francois Cauthier.
Representing Germany are that nation's champion amateur of 2004, Michael Figge, and Lydia Lammers, while Italy's six-time National Hunt woman amateur champion, Cecilia Gratta, is joined by compatriot Devis Grilli.
Noel Meade's amateur, Jason McKeown, represents Team Europe along with physiotherapist Claudia Erni, who has 20 Flat wins under Rules to her credit, while the USA is represented by Timber PA Hunt Cup and Virginia Gold Cup-winning rider Diane Gillam, and Jonathan Thomas.
The Great Britain pairing consists of Marie King, runner-up in the European women amateur title in Austria and Slovakia this year, and 2004/2005 all-weather champion amateur, Scott Dobson, who is attached to the Mark Johnston yard.
Team Europe currently leads the World Cup Of Nations standings with 13 points, followed by France on 10 points, Italy, Great Britain and Germany on six points, and USA with 2 points.
The Goodwood contest is the fourth leg in the six-race team series, which culminates in the USA, with events at Laurel Park and Great Meadow on October 19 and October 21 respectively.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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