Friday, September 25, 2009
THREE BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACES AT ASCOT TOMORROW
MEEHAN HOPING JAZZ CAN BOOK PLACE AT SANTA ANITA IN JUDDMONTE ROYAL LODGE STAKES
A glittering card at Ascot tomorrow (Saturday) includes no less than three Breeders’ Cup Challenge races for which the winners will receive a guaranteed place at the World Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita on November 6 and 7.
The winner of the feature Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes will gain an automatic position in the $2 million (US) TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile, with likely favourite Rip Van Winkle being aimed at Santa Anita, although the $5 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Classic is currently his favoured target. Godolphin’s Delegator, another leading contender, has already been nominated as a possible for the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile.
The winner of Saturday’s Group One Meon Valley Stud Fillies’ Mile at Ascot receives a place in the $1 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf, while the Group Two Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes winner automatically qualifies for the $1 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, an option trainer Brian Meehan is keen to take up with Timely Jazz.
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is an international series of 63 races whose winners earn qualifying positions into a corresponding race at the World Championships, following the payment of applicable entry fees on October 26.
There are 11 Challenge races held in Europe this year, with three still to take place after Ascot’s September 26 fixture - the Group Three Diamond Stakes at Dundalk on October 2 (winner earns a place in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon), Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp on October 4 (winner receives a place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint) and the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on October 17, for which the victor is guaranteed a place in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf.
For the full schedule of the Breeders' Cup Challenge races, please visit http://www.breederscup.com/content.aspx?id=40070
Timely Jazz goes to Ascot on the back of a close fourth behind fellow Juddmonte Royal Lodge contender Vale Of York in a seven-furlong Listed contest at Goodwood on September 8. The Noverre colt had previously landed a Polytrack maiden by five lengths at Wolverhampton on August 17 and was a half-length second to leading Classic prospect Elusive Pimpernel at Newmarket’s July Festival.
He is owned by US-based Joe Allbritton, who is no stranger to big race success in his homeland, having seen his Lazy Lane Farm colours carried to victory in the 1991 Preakness and Belmont Stakes by Hansel.
Meehan reported: “Timely Jazz is grand and he’s in great form at the moment. He won his maiden nicely at Wolverhampton and has come out of his run at Goodwood in good order. He goes into the Royal Lodge Stakes with a real chance and he should run very well on Saturday.
“We will of course have to consider Santa Anita if he wins at Ascot - you always have to be tempted by the Breeders’ Cup. He’s a grand horse and I think he could be a very good colt.”
Meehan will also be represented at Ascot by his 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Red Rocks, who runs in Sunday’s Group Three Grosvenor Casinos Cumberland Lodge Stakes.
The six-year-old is set to bid for a fourth consecutive appearance in the $3 million (US) Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf, having been also third to English Channel at Monmouth Park in 2008 and 10th behind Conduit at Santa Anita last year, when in the care of Mark Hennig.
He returned to Meehan’s famous Manton stable following a pair of lacklustre efforts at Gulfstream Park and Nad Al Sheba, but his handler is hopeful that the Paul Reddam-owned son of Galileo can return to the sort of form that saw him defeat Curlin in last year’s Grade One Man O’War Stakes.
Meehan revealed: “We rested Red Rocks up and have just been getting him ready to get back to a racecourse.
“I would be reasonably confident that we can get him back to his best. He’s one of those horses who has always been full of class and he has been working well at home.
“We will see how he goes on his racecourse return before deciding where to go with him but the Breeders’ Cup Turf is certainly an option for him at the moment.”
Red Rocks also holds an entry in the final European race of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge, the Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket on October 17, when he could be joined by stable companions City Leader and another Paul Reddam-owned horse, Crowded House. The winner of the 10-furlong contest automatically qualifies for the $3 million (US) Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf.
City Leader, a half-brother to 1996 Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Lit De Justice, chased home subsequent Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass in the Group Three Solario Stakes at Sandown in September, 2007, before going on to land the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes later the same month. The four-year-old Fasliyev colt made a pleasing seasonal return at Newbury on September 18, coming home fourth in the Group Three Arc Trial.
Three-year-old Crowded House was runner-up to Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Donativum in a lucrative sales race at Newmarket last October and was crowned champion juvenile following a stunning three and a half-length success in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster at the end of the same month.
On his latest appearance, the son of Rainbow Quest was sixth behind Sea The Stars in the Group One Investec Derby at Epsom on June 6.
Meehan added: “We will play it by ear with City Leader and Crowded House. I thought that City Leader ran very well on his first start for nearly a year and we will keep our plans fluid for Crowded House - we want to give him plenty of time.
“The Breeders’ Cup is a long way off for both of them at the moment but we will see nearer the time.”
O’BRIEN MAKING SANTA ANITA PLANS
Runaway Group One Sussex Stakes winner Rip Van Winkle looks set to start a warm favourite for Saturday’s Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot and trainer Aidan O’Brien is considering running the Galileo colt in the $5 million (US) Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“It’s all up in the air but obviously Rip Van Winkle will be looking at the Classic if he goes OK on Saturday and is alright afterwards, and Mastercraftsman will also be in the mix for that race as well,” O’Brien told the At The Races television channel.
“For the Juvenile, a horse called Viscount Nelson that ran in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster is a possible, while we might look at the Breeders’ Cup Marathon with Septimus if everything is well with him. Then we have the likes of Roman Express, with whom we might look at one of the fillies’ races. We think and hope we’ll have a few to take out to Santa Anita.”
About Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup administers the Breeders' Cup World Championships; Thoroughbred racing's year-end Championships consisting of 14 races and $25.5 million in purses, which makes it the richest event in sports. At last year's Breeders' Cup, more than $100 million in winning wagers were returned to fans at betting locations around the globe. The Breeders' Cup also administers the Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifying series, and the Breeders' Cup Stakes Program. Breeders' Cup has offices in Lexington, Kentucky, and in New York City. Breeders' Cup press releases appear on the Breeders' Cup Web site, www.breederscup.com. You may follow the Breeders' Cup on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BreedersCup
WILLIAMS SETS SIGHTS ON RICHEST-EVER bet365 CHARLIE HALL CHASE AT WETHERBY
A lucrative prize fund of £100,000 makes this year's renewal of the Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase the richest race that Wetherby Racecourse has ever staged in its distinguished 118-year history.
The three miles, one furlong chase, sponsored by bet365 since 2003, takes place on Saturday, October 31, and is the centrepiece of the two-day bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting that commences on Friday, October 30.
Evan Williams has a trio of his stable stars lined up as potential contenders for the £100,000 race - worth £10,000 more than last season. State Of Play was victorious on that occasion for the Welsh trainer, who is also considering this year's prize for exciting Christie's Foxhunter Chase victor Cappa Bleu and Deep Purple, successful in the Grade Two Future Champions Novices' Chase at Ayr in April.
Williams revealed today: "There is definitely every chance that Cappa Bleu will be aimed at the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase. State Of Play is another that could go there and Deep Purple will also be kept in mind for the race - he was very progressive last year as a novice.
"We have always liked going to Wetherby. It is great that they have put that £100,000 on - that's brilliant.
"The bet365 Charlie Hall Chase is a very prestigious race and a race that we got a great deal of satisfaction from winning last year.
"We were runner-up the year before and to us it is a fantastic race with a great history. I would be very happy to try and do that, win it again.
"It would be amazing to repeat last year and it is definitely our intention that we will be keeping our eye on the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.
"The race is close to our hearts and carries so much prestige. All three horses will certainly be kept in mind for the race"
In winning the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase, State Of Play joined a long list of outstanding winners that includes such stars as the great One Man (1996 & 1997), See More Business (1999 & 2000), Grey Abbey (2004) and Our Vic (2006).
Wetherby's Chief Executive & Clerk of the Course Jonjo Sanderson said: "It is has long been an ambition of ours to increase the value of the race to £100,000 and it is fantastic to be now be able to stage the first £100,000 contest in Wetherby's long and distinguished history.
"bet365 is a staunch supporter of racing at Wetherby and we are both thrilled to be able to increase the prize money fund of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.
"This move emphasizes the racecourse's standing as one of the country's most important jump racing venues as well as the importance of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase as an early season target for high-class staying chasers.
"The race is always eagerly anticipated and we are looking forward to another cracking renewal that will no doubt live up to its billing as the highlight of two action-packed days at the bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting."
John Coates, Chief Executive of bet365, commented: "We are proud of our association with the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase and we are delighted that this year the race will be the richest ever staged at Wetherby, with a total prize fund of £100,000.
"As always, we are looking forward to the two-day meeting and, in particular, another fantastic renewal of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase."
Prior to the bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting, Wetherby stages its first fixture of the 2009 season, supporting International Spinal Research, on Wednesday, October 14.
Tickets for are available by calling the course on 01937 582035 or online at www.wetherbyracing.co.uk
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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