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#1
04-16-2008, 05:30 PM
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Royal Ascot 2008
early enough I know but a few interesting things coming from Nick Smith and the Ascot team over the last few days..
from racingpost ASCOT yesterday announced that this year's royal meeting will start off in spectacular fashion with three Group 1 events. The only change to the running order at this year's meeting will result in the Queen Anne Stakes, the King's Stand Stakes, which has been returned to top-flight status this season, and the St James's Palace Stakes opening the meeting on Tuesday, June 17. The Coventry Stakes, which has opened the meeting since 2003, will be run as the fourth race on the card. Ascot chief executive Charles Barnett said: "With the promotion of the King's Stand Stakes we felt that we had the opportunity to begin with a bang and make a statement that this card is among the best staged anywhere in Britain all season, if not the best." In another first for Royal Ascot, the leading jockey at the meeting will wear a leader's armband, akin to the yellow jersey in cycling, with the armband changing every time there is a new name at the top of the London Clubs International Charity Trophy table. Jimmy Fortune, last year's top rider at Royal Ascot, will wear the armband during a presentation of the jockeys to the crowd, another event taking place for the first time on the opening day in 2008, before the arrival of the royal procession. Professional Jockeys' Association chief executive Josh Apiafi said: "Royal Ascot means so much to all the jockeys taking part, and this more public profile of the leading rider competition will be very popular in the weighing room. "It makes perfect sense to introduce the sportsmen who are about to compete for some of the most coveted prizes in racing to the huge crowd that assembles around the Ascot parade ring before the arrival of the royal party." Ascot will be hoping that the initiative is more successful than the attempt to establish the same concept at Glorious Goodwood last summer, where they struggled to keep the jockeys, notably leading rider Ryan Moore, interested in the spirit of the idea. Goodwood managing director Rod Fabricius said: "We basically ran into practical problems, but we were surprised at how it became a struggle to get the jockeys to wear the armband. We thought it would be a valuable boost to the concept of leading rider and we intend to do the same this year." William Hill have priced up the market for which trainer and jockey will have the most Group 1 wins this Flat season, making the Ballydoyle team of Aidan O'Brien and Johnny Murtagh favourites for their respective contests. Most Group 1 winners - jockeys William Hill: 4-5 Johnny Murtagh, 15-8 Frankie Dettori, 9 Ryan Moore, 11 Jamie Spencer, 20 Jimmy Fortune, 25 Kevin Manning, 33 Richard Hughes, Richard Hills, Kerrin McEvoy. Most Group 1 winners - trainers William Hill: 4-7 Aidan O'Brien, 9-4 Saeed Bin Suroor, 10 Sir Michael Stoute, 16 Peter Chapple-Hyam, 25 Henry Cecil, John Gosden, Jeremy Noseda, 33 James Fanshawe, Barry Hills, Mark Johnston.
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  #Grand 
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#2
04-16-2008, 05:31 PM
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Plus the international contingent taking shape...
from racingpost again.. ASCOT is looking to the Far East in its bid to attract global superstars to its summer highlights – but Britain's international-racing flagbearer, faces an uphill struggle to attract the ‘Hong Kong Bomb', world champion sprinter Sacred Kingdom. On the other hand, top-class Japanese performer Daiwa Scarlet, among the best fillies in the world, could figure among the Royal Ascot entries next week, with her and several Grade 1-winning compatriots eyeing the King George. There could even be an American presence. Although Australian sprinters have become a welcome regular addition to the Royal Ascot mix, the only confirmed attendee this year is old favourite Takeover Target. There remain, however, a number of others who could yet make the trip, while New Zealand horse of the year Seachange is already stationed in Newmarket for a British-based campaign. As well as representatives of Mike De Kock's Newmarket-based string – among them Sun Classique and Archipenko, who are set to be entered for the Prince of Wales's Stakes and the Queen Anne respectively – the Sean Tarry-trained sprinter National Colour is being aimed at the sprints. Nick Smith, Ascot head of public relations, outlined the current state of play with regard to Ascot‘s prime target Sacred Kingdom, ante-post favourite for the Golden Jubilee with Coral. “I think Sacred Kingdom will be nominated for the Golden Jubilee but I have to say it is odds-against,” he admitted. “It isn't for want of trying and we are in regular contact with trainer Ricky Yiu, but I would say there's maybe a 30 per cent chance of them coming as their focus is domestic. “They have a domestic focus in Hong Kong and there is a lot of pressure for their horses to run in their best races, so they pick other targets very, very sparingly,” he added. “They want him at the top of his game for Hong Kong in December, so there is work to be done – but we haven't given up, and next year I would be confident hewill run.” Smith is also looking towards Japan, and Daiwa Scarlet in particular. A multiple Grade 1 winner at home, she missed an intended trip to Dubai owing to a minor eye injury but returned to the track recently with a victory over a host of top Japanese middle-distance horses. “Perhaps more realistically, she is the number one target,” said Smith. “She is a serious racehorse and her owners are keen to race her abroad. She could run in the Prince of Wales's Stakes and the King George – or maybe the Juddmonte International and the Arc. But there's no doubt they would like to bring her to Europe at some stage.” Ascot's drive to make the King George a truly international race is likely to produce several Japanese entries, among them dual-Classic winner Meisho Samson and Matsurida Gogh, who in December won the season-ending Arima Kinen, reputedly the world's biggest betting-turnover race. US trainer Ken McPeek, who trained former King George runner-up Hard Buck, is again targeting the race with Drilling For Oil, who could run first at Royal Ascot in the Gold Cup or the Hardwicke. Alongside Drilling For Oil other Ascot possibles from the States include his stablemate My Baby Baby (Ribblesdale) while Anglophile owner Ken Ramsey iskeen to send over Cannonball, third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. He could run in the Golden Jubilee, while turf sprinter Smart Enough remains a possible for the King's Stand. Cannonball's two-year-old stablemate No Speed Limit could accompany him with the Queen Mary in mind. Smith added: “It's true that, other than the South Africans, Takeover Target and Seachange are the only confirmed runners, but two or three years ago we would have been overjoyed to get just those horses so it shows how far we've come. We have moved well beyond the novelty value. We are aiming for the best in the world.” Royal Ascot plans from outside Europe INTENDED RUNNERS Australia: Takeover Target South Africa: Archipenko, National Colour, Sun Classique New Zealand: Seachange POSSIBLES Australia: Casino Prince, Cefalu, Magnus, Miss Andretti, Universal Ruler Japan: Daiwa Scarlet Hong Kong: Absolute Champion, Floral Pegasus, Sacred Kingdom USA: Cannonball, Drilling For Oil, My Baby Baby, No Speed Limit, Smart Enough, KING GEORGE POSSIBLES Japan: Daiwa Scarlet, Matsurida Gogh, Meisho Samson, Roc De Cambes USA: Drilling For Oil
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#Grand
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#3
04-16-2008, 05:58 PM
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Pity greg isnt taking apache cat over
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#5
04-16-2008, 06:36 PM
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Quote:
I believe so. Oh and Sacred Kingdom is no longer going..... staying in HK to get ready for the (music, please.....) Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races. At least that's what I've heard.
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#6
04-16-2008, 06:37 PM
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After the damage done to his stallion prospects after last years debarcle i dont think they can afford to take him anywhere !!!!!!!
Mind you the only way once your at the bottom is up so maybe 
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