Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Doncaster Preview
Sir Michael Stoute is happy with the current condition of red-hot favourite Sea Moon ahead of the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The son of Beat Hollow heads the market for the Town Moor Classic after his devastating eight-length victory in the always informative Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
Stoute provided an update on the colt at a press event in London on Monday, reporting: "He won a handicap at York off a mark of 92 and had been progressing very nicely in his preparation for the Voltigeur but he needed to, otherwise we would not have contemplated going there."
The trainer added: "He obviously liked the conditions on the Knavesmire - the ground was springy and dead - but it might be very different at Doncaster. We'd be happy if he was in the same shape as at York and the vibes are quite good."
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford confirmed Rumh had been supplemented to set the pace for second-favourite Blue Bunting, winner of the 1000 Guineas, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks, as well as for Genius Beast.
Crisford said: "Genius Beast is an interesting horse but he does need to improve six or seven pounds to get into the mix.
"Sheikh Mohammed came to watch Blue Bunting work on Saturday and he was pleased she was her usual self. She has kept her form since May despite a tough campaign and we just felt that she deserved a chance against the colts."
Blue Bunting could be allowed to further her record as a four-year-old, with Crisford adding: "For as long as she seems to enjoy racing, there is every chance she will stay in training."
Richard Hannon, trainer of Census, and John Gosden, the three-time Leger-winning trainer responsible for Masked Marvel and front-runner Buthelezi, said their respective runners were doing well at home, too.
Tuesday is likely to be a crucial day in defining likely conditions for the four-day meeting, with Doncaster's clerk of the course Jon Pullin saying: "There is a significant band of rain due for Tuesday, which could be five or six millimetres. There could be more showers on Wednesday, but Tuesday is the key. If we get that amount of rain, I expect us to see good ground."
Tom Dascombe spoke of the heart-wrenching decision taken to replace Richard Kingscote with Kieren Fallon for the ride on Brown Panther in Saturday's Ladbrokes St Leger.
Kingscote has been with Dascombe since the early days in Lambourn and has remained his first jockey after the trainer upped sticks to footballer Michael Owen's stable in Cheshire.
Kingscote has been on board for each of Brown Panther's seven starts, from a good win in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot to a luckless run in the German Derby, and in his most recent outing, when second to weekend rival Census in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury.
The Leger is the only one of the British Classics Fallon has not collected, managing two seconds from five previous attempts, but his big-race know-how was the cause of the change in plan.
Dascombe said: "It has been a very tough, hard decision to make, but I spoke to Michael at length and it was decided on this occasion to go for a more experienced jockey. It has not been an easy decision, but it is the one we have come to. Richard has done a very good job for me, we just thought on this occasion that you don't get too many chances to win a Classic."
Fallon will head to Town Moor on Saturday in good spirits after having also been confirmed to ride Red Duke in the Champagne Stakes and York Glory in the Portland Handicap.
Brown Panther, meanwhile, was one of 11 horses remaining at the five-day stage, with a surprising three left in from Aidan O'Brien, who was expected to only field Seville. O'Brien, whose most recent of three Leger wins came with Scorpion in 2005, has left in Investec Oaks runner-up Wonder Of Wonders and lightly-raced maiden winner Freedom.
O'Brien, who did not reveal any jockey bookings, said: "Seville was always the most likely one we were going to go with, but the filly (Wonder Of Wonders) ran a good race in the Yorkshire Oaks.
"We thought she wanted better ground, but we are going to wait and see as she also has the option of dropping back to a mile and a quarter at Longchamp.
"Misty For Me might go back for that race (Prix de l'Opera), so we'll have a look later in the week and see. She's only a possible. With Freedom, we were going to see how the race made up and see if there was enough pace for everyone. It looks like there will be plenty of pace so he might not go, but that's by no means certain."