York Racecourse

Father Time and Glass Harmonium among strong Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes entry

29th June 2009

ROYAL Ascot heroes Father Time and Glass Harmonium are both among a 37-strong entry for the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes, which will be staged at York on Tuesday August 18, the opening day of the four day Ebor Festival.
 
The 1m 4f Group 2 is a renowned trial for the St Leger - also sponsored by Ladbrokes - but is established as a great race in its own right. In the last 10 years alone, it has turned out top-class performers such as Fantastic Light, Youmzain, Rule Of Law and Lucarno; the latter pair following up in the Classic.

Also among the recent winners was Hard Top (2005) and his owners Ballymacoll Stud might be represented this time around by the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Glass Harmonium, who produced a fine effort to land the Hampton Court Stakes (Listed) over 1m 2f at Royal Ascot.

Peter Reynolds, general manager for Ballymacoll Stud, said: “We were absolutely thrilled with his performance at Royal Ascot and he has come out of the race well.

“He is a nice horse but we don’t exactly know where’s he’s going yet. The Great Voltigeur is a nice race and will come under serious consideration. We’ve had success in it in the past with Hard Top, who won it well.

“So, we have always liked the race and it would be extremely nice to have a horse good enough to win it (this year), but it’s all in the melting pot at the moment.

“Glass Harmonium hasn’t been over the mile and a half trip - the furthest he has been is a mile and a quarter, in both the Dante and the Hampton Court.”

Father Time is already proven over 1m 4f, having powered to a comprehensive four-length triumph in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Khalid Abdulla-owned colt is trained by Henry Cecil, who has also entered Native Ruler for the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes. Neither are guaranteed runners at this stage but Cecil is happy with the pair post-Ascot.

He said: “Father Time and Native Ruler have both come out of the King Edward VII well but York is a long way away.

“Hopefully, we will have a runner in the (Darley) Yorkshire Oaks but we will have to see how Midday and Flame of Gibraltar progress from their next races.”

Trainer Aidan O’Brien holds a strong hand with 16 horses nominated at the initial stage. Fellow Irish trainer John Oxx has entered Irish Derby third Mourayan.

Among the Saeed bin Suroor-trained quartet of entries is Italian Derby winner Mastery, who was third at Royal Ascot in the Queen’s Vase behind Holberg, one of three horses in the Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes from Middleham-based trainer Mark Johnston‘s stables.

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