Thursday, 9 June 2011
Godolphin Plan For Royal Ascot
French golden boy Mickael Barzalona has picked up the plum spare on Delegator in next Saturday's Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Barzalona was brought into wider attention following his cool victory on Pour Moi in Saturday's Investec Derby, but he has been increasingly called upon by Godolphin this season.
Godolphin's number one rider Frankie Dettori misses the last two days of the meeting through suspension, and the teenager takes over on the Duke Of York Stakes winner, runner-up to Sea The Stars in the 2000 Guineas two years ago.
"Mickael Barzalona will ride Delegator in the Golden Jubilee as Frankie is suspended," said the team's racing manager Simon Crisford on www.godolphin.com.
"We were delighted with Delegator's victory at York last month and he should have improved for the outing.
"Mickael will also ride one of our Hardwicke Stakes runners on the same day, with Johnny Murtagh on another of them.
"We have Calvados Blues, Campanologist, Cavalryman and Passion For Gold in the race at the moment and will decide the participants closer to the day."
Rewilding is probably Godolphin's other major hope at the meeting, although he will have the formidable obstacle of So You Think in his path in Wednesday's Prince of Wales's Stakes.
Crisford went on: "All the Royal Ascot horses seem to be doing well and we are looking forward to next week. Rewilding is back in action after his pleasing Dubai Sheema Classic win at Meydan on Dubai World Cup night in March and Frankie has the mount again.
"Our Gold Cup contenders Holberg and Opinion Poll have come on from their first runs of the year and approach the race in good shape, but obviously both are going into unknown territory as far as the two-and-a-half-mile trip is concerned."