12/05/08
QUALITY FIELD FOR TATTERSALLS MUSIDORA
The Tattersalls Musidora Stakes, run on Wednesday 14th May the first day of York’s racing season, has eight very promising fillies at the final declaration stage, including four of the top five fancies for the Vodafone Oaks.
The John Gosden trained Dar Re Mi (owned by Lord Lloyd-Webber) and Aidan O’Brien once raced maiden Moonstone who compete for favouritism at the head of the Oaks betting are both runners. Also included in the line up is the unbeaten Cape Amber and another Irish challenger in the Jim Bolger trained Lush Lashes the winner of last years Goffs Fillies Million at the Curragh.
The Duke of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes also on the first day of York’s three day Dante Meeting has received a bumper entry of eighteen runners including last years Group 1 Golden Jubilee winner Soldier’s Tale who is to be partnered by Frankie Dettori.
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10/05/08
TWICE OVER HEADS TO YORK FOR TOTESPORT.COM DANTE STAKES
Henry Cecil’s Vodafone Derby favourite Twice Over heads a list of 13 entered for the Totesport.com Dante Stakes at York on Thursday.
The Khalid Abdullah-owned colt added to his unbeaten record with a victory in the Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket and bypassed the 2,000 Guineas to attempt the Totesport.com Dante and Vodafone Derby double. The double has been completed in three of the last four years by North Light, Motivator and Authorized
Aidan O'Brien has four possibles, Frozen Fire, Plan, Poet and the springer in the Derby market, Kingdom Of Naples.
Godolphin also have four entries but the two most likely representatives are Young Pretenders and McCartney.
Sir Michael Stoute has two possibles while John Gosden's Centennial, an impressive winner of the Sandown Classic Trial, and the locally trained West With The Wind complete the line-up.
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09/05/08
ANY DREAM WILL DO AS LORD AND LADY LORD WEBBER'S FILLY HEADS FOR YORK
The Tattersalls Musidora Stakes, run on Wednesday 14th May, the first day of York’s racing season, has received an entry of fifteen very promising fillies at the five day stage, including four of the top five fancies for the Vodafone Oaks.
The John Gosden trained Dar Re Mi and Aidan O’Brien once raced maiden Moonstone who compete for favouritism at the head of the Oaks betting are both anticipated runners. Also included in the line up is the unbeaten Cape Amber who is a possible runner and a four handed entry from the Irish team of Jim Bolger
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09/05/08
LARGE ENTRY FOR THE DUKE OF YORK HEARTHSTEAD HOMES
There was a bumper entry of twenty five horses at the five day stage for the latest renewal of the Duke of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes run at York on Wednesday May 14
th.
The field includes some familiar names to regular racegoers and of the more notable ones are Soldier’s Tale, Sir Gerry and Haatef.
Soldiers Tale and Haatef both won major races last year at Ascot (Soldier’s Tale the Group 1 Golden Jubilee and Haatef the Group 2 Diadem Stakes). Sir Gerry is known for winning last years Gimcrack Stakes at the York Ebor Meeting.
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29/04/08
GOSDEN CLASSIC HOPEFULS SET TO TARGET MAY TRIALS
John Gosden is all set to send his Oaks and Derby hopefuls for the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes on the 14th May and the Totestport Dante Stakes on the 15th May.
Dar Re Mi, a very easy winner of a Sandown maiden last Friday, was promoted to second favourite in some bookmaker’s ante-post list for the Juddmonte Oaks at Epsom in June. The beautifully bred filly owned by Lady Lord Webber is likely to have her classic credentials fully tested in the Tattersalls Musidora on the first day of York’s 2008 season.
Gosden is also likely to send Saturday’s Sandown Classic Trial winner Centennial up north to York for a clash with Derby favourite Twice Over. With a likely strong challenge from the Ballydoyle team the race is almost certainly likely to throw up some major clues for the Epsom Derby.
Three of the last four winners have won the Totsporte Dante and gone on to win the Vodafone Derby including last year’s winner Authorized.
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29/04/08
ANNA PAVLOVA SET TO REAPPEAR IN THE EMIRATES AIRLINE YORKSHIRE CUP
The locally trained and popular 5-year-old mare Anna Pavlova is likely to reappear in the Emirates Yorkshire Cup on Friday 16th May.
The Richard Fahey trained mare was sent to Paris for the Group 1Prix Ganay last Sunday, however with the ground drying out appreciably, it was felt prudent to withdraw her before the race. She is now likely to make the much shorter journey from Malton to York for her initial assignment.
The mare’s finest moment came last year at Longchamp on Arc weekend when she won the Group 2 Prix Royallieu. She also finished third in last years Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup at York behind Septimus who she is likely to compete with again in May.
Fahey is also likely to send the highly progressing sprinter Utmost Respect to York on Wednesday 14th May for the Group 2 Duke of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes. The lightly raced gelding who won last years Totesport.com Silver Cup at Ayr and started this season by landing a conditions race at Thirsk will try to add to his growing reputation by adding a group race to his list of successes.
Both Anna Pavlova and Utmost Respect have a liking for some cut in the ground so no doubt Fahey will be keeping a close eye on the weather reports over the next few weeks.
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21/04/08
CAPE AMBER TARGETING MUSIDORA STAKES
The Peter Chapple-Hyam trained Cape Amber is reported likely to miss the 1,000 Guineas in favour of running in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York on Wednesday 14th May, the opening day of the 2008 York season.
The Newmarket maiden winner and favourite in most bookmakers’ lists for the Oaks in June has been shaping up as more of a stayer than a miler on the gallops and is likely to run over the intermediate distance of the Musidora.
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21/04/08
ROYAL AND REGAL TO ATTEMPT FOLLOW UP IN YORKSHIRE CUP
The winner of the Group 3 Dubai Tennis Championships Stakes (John Porter Stakes) at Newbury on Saturday is being targeted for a follow up in the Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup on the Knavesmire on Friday 16th May.
The ex-Andre Fabre trained 4-year-old, who has been sent by owner Peter Savill to trainer Michael Jarvis due to the likelihood of stronger run races in Britain, is likely to go up a grade for the Group 2 contest.
The Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup is already shaping up to be one of the races of the meeting with many of the horses who finished behind Royal and Regal (including previous Yorkshire Cup winner Sergeant Cecil) on Saturday likely to reoppose.
These horses will also likely have to face the Aidan O’Brien trained Septimus winner of both the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup(at York in August 2007) and GNER Doncaster Cup who is reportedly targeting the Yorkshire Emirates Cup for his reappearance.
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18/04/08
TWICE OVER HEADS TO YORK
The Totesport.com Dante Stakes has been confirmed as the next target for the Derby favourite, Twice Over. The Henry Cecil trained colt was successful in the Craven Stakes and now heads to York before a likely tilt as the Classics later in the Summer.
A statement from Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, said: "After consulting with Henry Cecil, Prince Khalid has decided that the colt will miss the Stan James 2,000 Guineas and run instead in the Totesport.com Dante Stakes at York with a view to going to the Vodafone Derby.
"If after the Dante it was thought that the colt would not stay a mile and a half, then the Prix du Jockey Club would become an option."
The York contest has produced the subsequent Epsom winner in three of the last four seasons, as North Light, Motivator and Authorized have done the York-Epsom double.
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Newmarket Craven Stakes winner Twice Over may decline the usual route of the winner of the race (direct to the 2,000 Guineas) and instead try to emulate one of Henry Cecil’s great horses Reference Point in attempting to complete the Totesport Dante and Epsom Derby double.
Cecil was quoted after the Craven Stakes has favouring sending, the unbeaten and second favourite for the Derby, Twice Over to York on Thursday 15th May for the leading classic trial rather then Newmarket on Guineas Saturday.
Plans are fluid at the moment however and the decision of his next appearance will be finalised over the next few weeks between the connections of the horse.
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18/04/08
TOP JAPANESE FILLY MAY BE HEADING TO YORK
Multiple Japanese Grade 1 winner Daiwa Scarlet is reported to be heading to Europe this summer with all the Group 1 middle distance championships on her possible agenda including the Juddmonte International at York on Tuesday 19th August.