Racing (Horse) : General Horse Racing Thread

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Johnston readies Ascot team

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Wed

Mark Johnston is favouring a crack at the Tercentenary Stakes over the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot for Windhoek.

The previously unbeaten colt finished only fifth in the Dante at York behind subsequent Derby runner-up Libertarian, with the Middleham handler believing his charge was beaten for a lack of stamina.

"The Dante has worked out a very good race now but the reason we didn't run him at Epsom was because it looked like he didn't get home in the Dante," Johnston told At The Races.

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Telescope team look beyond Ascot

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Wed

Greatwood is set to be Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's representative at Royal Ascot with Sir Michael Stoute deciding to hold Telescope back for later in the season.

Neither of the colts took part in last weekend's Investec Derby as Telescope, who has not appeared since September, had required treatment for grazed legs and was unimpressive in a pre-Epsom workout at Lingfield.

Stoute ruled him out of the Derby with a sore shin, while the Luca Cumani-trained Greatwood was disappointing when only seventh to Derby runner-up Libertarian in the Dante Stakes at York

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Theory going for Gold

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Wed

Number Theory will head for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot after his fine effort in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown last week.

John Holt's stable star progressed rapidly through the handicapping ranks last season, winning three in a row including the valuable Old Newton Cup at Haydock.

His improvement has not stopped there, either, as even though he was only second to French raider Gloomy Sunday on his latest Group Three start, the handicapper raised him 10lb, effectively ruling out running in handicaps again.

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Godolphin no nearer to Farhh plan

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Thu

Godolphin insist no Royal Ascot target has been decided upon for Farhh despite further support for Animal Kingdom in the market for the Queen Anne Stakes.

Lockinge winner Farhh is entered in both the Queen Anne on the first day of the meeting and the Prince Of Wales's Stakes 24 hours later, but the further shortening of the American raider is not due to any moves by the Godolphin camp.

Animal Kingdom is now just 6-4 with Ladbrokes from 11-4 at the start of the week and Graham Motion's chestnut seems to have settled in well at David Lanigan's stable, having arrived in Lambourn after his victory in the Dubai World Cup.

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Mince set to bypass Royal date.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Thu

Roger Charlton has virtually ruled Mince out of Royal Ascot after her moderate display at Windsor on Monday night.

The Beckhampton trainer won four consecutive races with the filly last summer and she looked set to make a top sprinter, but was well beaten in the Duke Of York Stakes and then only third in a Listed event at the Thameside track.

"When horses don't run as expected we tend to look for excuses and there are normally plenty to choose from. At present I am unable to explain why Mince has failed to reproduce her form from last year," Charlton told his website.

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Nolan hit with 10-day ban

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Thu

David Nolan was banned for 10 days by the Ripon stewards after being found guilty of dropping his hands.

He was aboard 7-2 joint-favourite Petrol in the Eura Audit UK Selling Handicap and seemed to have the race at his mercy a furlong out

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Cityscape to swerve Ascot

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Thu

Cityscape will miss the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot after suffering a setback in the Lockinge Stakes.

The Roger Charlton-trained seven-year-old struggled in the quick conditions when tailed off in the Newbury Group One over a mile last month.

"Cityscape sadly will not be running in the Queen Anne Stakes as he was slightly jarred up after the Lockinge and we will wait a little longer with him," the Beckhampton trainer told www.rogercharlton.com.

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Fanshawe leaves it late with Blues

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Thu

James Fanshawe is likely to make a late call on whether Deacon Blues will be ready in time for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The six-year-old has been off the course since winning the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at the Berkshire track the season before last. He is back in full work but the Royal meeting may just come too soon for the 2011 Wokingham hero, who requires some cut in the ground.

"He's been galloping, but whether we get to Ascot I'm not sure at the moment. It will be fairly close to the date before we make a final decision on him," Fanshawe said.

"It's just a case of if he's ready to go. We've still got 14 days and he's one that needs cut in the ground."

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Dettori secures comeback winner.


http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Fri

Frankie Dettori rode his first winner since returning from a six-month drugs ban when Asian Trader struck at Sandown on Thursday evening.

The Italian-born rider made his comeback at Epsom last Friday, but had been out of fortune in 11 previous rides in England and in France. That unwanted statistic was finally stricken from the record when Asian Trader pounced in the Lammas Lane Handicap over five furlongs

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Loco on Jury service

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Fri

Chris Wall fears seven furlongs may be too sharp for his stable veteran Premio Loco in the Timeform Jury Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.

The nine-year-old has not run over so short a distance since winning at Doncaster in September 2011 and has since been campaigned between a mile and a mile and a quarter, but Wall is keen to get him back to the track after a legitimate excuse emerged for a below-par display at Newmarket in April.

"We were a bit disappointed with the way he ran at Newmarket, then he developed an abscess in his foot not long afterwards and I think that was the cause of him not running quite so well," said Wall.

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BHA confirms Butler charges.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Fri

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St Nick waits for King George.

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Fri

Three-time Coronation Cup hero St Nicholas Abbey will bypass Royal Ascot and instead be targeted at the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the same track in July.

The hugely talented six-year-old clinched the sixth Group One prize of his career with another superb performance on Epsom Derby day last weekend, after which connections mentioned Royal Ascot's Hardwicke Stakes as a possible next port of call.

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Ascot boost for Godolphin

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...=&sub=&day=Sat

Godolphin's team for Royal Ascot received a boost at Newmarket as juveniles from Sheikh Mohammed's outfit filled the first two places in a hot-looking fillies' maiden.

Newcomer Wedding Ring edged out her more experienced stablemate Ihtimal by a neck for an 8-1 success and trainer Saeed bin Suroor confirmed both fillies will now be prepared for the Royal meeting, with the Group Three Albany Stakes and Chesham Stakes sure to come under consideration.

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Mimosa lands Saval Beg on return

http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Sat

Pale Mimosa made a successful seasonal debut when landing a hard-fought success in the Seamus & Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown and is on standby as a possible Ascot Gold Cup 'substitute'.

The Dermot Weld-trained filly, owned like Rite Of Passage by Dr Ronan Lambe, had not run since October but she knuckled down really well to outpoint Missunited in the final furlong after the Aidan O'Brien-trained El Salvador made sure it was a stiff stamina test by setting a strong pace

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Farhh misses Royal meeting.


http://www.attheraces.info/article.a...e&sub=&day=Sat

Lockinge Stakes winner Farhh will miss Royal Ascot after suffering a training setback.

The five-year-old was placed five times in Group One company last season, but finally gained victory at the highest level when running out an easy winner at Newbury last month.

He was entered in the Queen Anne Stakes and Prince Of Wales's Stakes, but will not line up in either event after pulling up lame following a routine spin in Newmarket on Saturday

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