Our columnist looks back on a dramatic Coral-Eclipse and head to Super Saturday this weekend.
Could you see Ombudsman reversing Coral-Eclipse form with Delacroix at some point?
Well, it may not have been pretty, and it was certainly dramatic but blooming heck it was entertaining. The best laid plans of mice and men often goes awry to (mis)quote a famous poem, but that’s what happened to Ryan Moore on board Delacroix. Despite that he dramatically got up to mug Ombudsman for an unlikely victory. Ombudsman was sent off favourite thanks to his win at Royal Ascot and his lofty official rating, but he lost little in defeat and a match up in the future will be box office.
Don’t forget they are both likely to face Ombudsman’s stablemate Field Of Gold in the future and that would be some horserace. The Juddmonte International at York is the likely spot for that humdinger for which Sky Bet make Field Of Gold their favourite with Ombudsman and Delacroix fighting for second favouritism in next month’s Group One. I’m not going to put my neck on the block by naming the winner in any future rematches, but I feel it’s a close enough fight for the result to go either way. Two magnificent racehorses and it will be a real thrill wherever they rock up in the future.
What did you make of Sunday's Prix Jean Prat as the locals dominated at Deauville?
That was another superb race with Woodshauna narrowly coming out on top for Francis-Henri Graffard, Christophe Soumillon, and new owners Resolute Bloodstock. This horse went through the sales ring at the recent Goffs London Sales on the Monday of Royal Ascot week and John Stewart paid £625,000 for this colt, which looks decent trade for this relatively new owner to the sport.
Stewart has plenty of main character energy and brings some sparkle to racing. Runner-up Maranoa Charlie was also sporting new silks having been purchased by Bond Thoroughbreds since his last run and they were understandably thrilled with his second placed finish. The Lion In Winter was happier over this shorter trip to take his first steps towards racing redemption and a return to a mile looks on the cards. Champion two-year-old Shadow Of Light faded in the closing stages and Cosmic Year, who was sent off favourite, ran too badly to be true having travelled well into the race. It’s possible we can blame the softest ground he’s raced on to date but that wasn’t his true running.
Is there a two-year-old you're excited about seeing at Newmarket this week?
This was an extremely easy question to answer and without any doubt the two-year-old I’m most looking forward to seeing is Italy who is entered in Saturday’s Superlative Stakes. Aidan O’Brien’s son of Wootton Bassett showed enormous potential in winning at Leopardstown on debut back in May despite the official margin only being three-quarters-of-a-length.
It’s been a while since he made that debut so it’s exciting to see him back out again now. The second that day has subsequently finished runner-up in the Chesham at Royal Ascot which gives the form a solid look. Italy will have come on leaps and bounds for that debut and trainer connections will hope he can take the step up in class in his stride.
And what about a handicapper to follow at the July Festival?
Well, I thought Dancing In Paris ran well in the Northumberland Plate, he went close in finishing second. He has a nice handicap in him, but off a 4lbs higher mark it may not come in Friday’s 1m6f handicap but he’s one to keep on side for now. His rating keeps creeping up, but he’s not done with yet.
What's the early fancy for the Group 1 July Cup, and is there another horse we should keep tabs on for Super Saturday?
Aidan O’Brien has a good record with three-yeae-olds in this and therefore Whistlejacket comes into calculations after his' better than on the face of it' sixth placed finish in the Commonwealth Cup last time out. He won the July Stakes at this fixture last year and at this stage he is on my shortlist.
I’m off to Ascot on Saturday for Sky Sports Racing where the Summer Mile is the feature. There’s a decent entry for this Group Two including recent Wolferton hero Haatem, last year’s winner of this race Quddwah, Buckingham Palace Handicap victor Never So Brave, who steps back up into Group company for the first time since last year’s Jersey Stakes, and Royal Hunt Cup winner My Cloud who dips his toe into this water for the first time, amongst others. It promises to be a brilliant race and I’m looking forward to seeing who comes out on top.
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