Charlie Appleby expects Opera Ballo to make the most of another stint racing abroad again when bidding to get his head back in front in next month’s Woodbine Mile.
The son of Ghaiyyath, who spent part of the winter racing in Dubai, will clock up more air miles to have a crack at the $1 million Grade One contest in Canada on September 12th.
After putting up a bold show from the front when finishing third in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Godolphin-owned colt ran another impressive race in defeat to fill the same position in the Group One Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday.
And Appleby believes that the set up of the race at Woodbine should help bring out the best in Opera Ballo, who secured a breakthrough Group One win in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan in January, in his search for a second top level success.
Appleby said: “I thought Opera Ballo ran a superb race in the Sussex. He was a bit keen early doors, but he always jumps and lands in front. The make up of the race was that he was always going to be hassled on the lead. William (Buick) did the right thing in taking him back as if he had gone forward and hassled he wouldn’t even have finished in the first three.
“Therefore he took him back and it made him look like he was keener than he realistically is. William had to take him back as he was waiting for the pace angle to come across him. From there onwards I was comfortable with the run.
“At the two furlong pole, when William asked him to pick up, I thought we might just have put the race to bed.
“Now, did that first furlong just take its toll, or was it the eight pounds he had to give to the younger horses that got him beat? But at the end of the day he has put up a great performance against two very good three year olds.
“I still think we have still got a project on our hands, which is a nice project as well. We will look to go to Canada now for the Woodbine Mile. The travelling will be fine as he has been to Dubai. I do feel the style of racing will suit him out there as they will go a gallop on a flat track and a flat mile is well within his compass.”
Looking beyond his next start Appleby will then work back from a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Mile with Opera Ballo, which could potentially see him clash with his Sussex Stakes conqueror Bow Echo.
He added: “To be brutally honest when he won the Al Rashidiya back in December last year I thought he would be one for the Breeders’ Cup Mile back then.
“Going left handed around a flat track will suit him and he has got the talent for a race like that.
“It could be another clash with Bow Echo, but you know what you need out there is a lot of luck, and if you draw something like stall fourteen it doesn’t matter who you are.”
Joining Opera Ballo on the plane to Canada will be his stablemate Al Hudaiba, who finished third in the Group Two Coral Vintage Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday when attempting to follow up his victory at the same level in the Boodles Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.
He added: “I wouldn’t normally back a Superlative Stakes winner up like I did. If you win the Superlative by two or three lengths you are a good horse, and when you win it by a nose you know the level you are at.
“I’m going to take him to Canada as well for the Summer Stakes over a mile.
“I think it will suit him over there as he has got enough experience to go over there. He will have a bit of a break now, but that will be his job.”
A first outing at Group One level in either the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday or the Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville later in the month have not totally been ruled out by Appleby for Inner City Blues.
However, the Classic-winning handler admits he is working back from the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in October with the son of Blue Point who maintained his unbeaten record in last month’s Group Two Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes on the July Course.
He added: “I’m not sure about what we do with Inner City Blues yet. He is in the Phoenix Stakes, but I just wonder if he needs a bit of a break in between runs.
“He is a breeze-up horse that has had two quickish runs. He is a horse that I’m very much working back from the Middle Park with as that is the race you want to win with a two year old sprinter.
“I will keep an eye on the Prix Morny as well. He is very much going through the day-to-day process and if I think he looks good, and the race looks right, then I will go for it, but he is very much a Middle Park horse and that is his target.”
While plans remain fluid for Inner City Blues a step up to a mile beckons for Quest For Stars, who backed up his surprise debut success over seven furlongs at Doncaster under a penalty over the same trip at Sandown Park on Wednesday.
Following that win the son of Sea The Stars will now be aimed at the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury on August 12th.
Appleby added: “Quest For Stars has been a bit of a surprise package. I think we will step him up to a mile for the Stonehenge Stakes.
“Connor (Planas) has ridden him twice now and each time he has said when they come to him he just wants to go again. I looked at him on Thursday morning and it looked like he hadn’t had a race the day before.”
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