Wednesday 22nd September 2010
De Royer Dupre's 'Pride' follow-up bid
ENTRIES are revealed today for both the Group 2 Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes and the Group 2 Pride Stakes, both of which take place at Newmarket on Champions’ Day, Saturday, 16th October.
Run over a mile and a half, the £90,000 Pride Stakes is restricted to fillies and mares and remembers the fantastic mare Pride, winner of the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes in 2006. Pride’s trainer Alain de Royer Dupre also won the 2009 renewal of the Pride Stakes with Ashalanda and has two entries to choose from in 2010 with Ashiyla and Shamanova both engaged.
Ashiyla landed a maiden at Chantilly in May and has subsequently performed with credit in Pattern company, most recently taking fourth to Midday when beaten just over a length in the Group One Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on 12th September. Shamanova has also been in good form this season, filling the runner-up spot on her last three outings in Group company. The pair are both three-year-olds and owned by the Aga Khan.
De Royer Dupre reported today: “It was very nice to win the race last year with Ashalanda and I hope to be represented this time with Ashiyla.
“Her fourth in the Prix Vermeille didn’t surprise me because she gallops with Sarafina every week. She was a pacemaker for her in that race but I always take a Group horse to set the gallop in the top races.
“She is a late-maturing filly and I think that she is good enough to run well in the Pride Stakes. She goes well in most types of ground, although I would expect softer conditions at Newmarket in the middle of October.
“We have also given an entry to Shamanova but her intended target is the Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp on 2nd October."
The 34-strong entry for the Pride Stakes also includes Crystal Capella, successful in the 2008 renewal and runner-up to Ashalanda last year. The five-year-old, who has yet to run this season, is one of a four-strong entry from the stable of Sir Michael Stoute, which also includes recent Group 2 Blandford Stakes scorer Eleanora Duse.
Godolphin has three to choose from including this season’s Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes heroine Hibaayeb while a strong potential Irish challenge includes recent Irish St Leger runner-up Profound Beauty, Roses For The Lady, Devoted To You, You’ll Be Mine and Zarebiya.
Champions’ Day kicks off with the £90,000 Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes, one of the few Pattern races in the calendar for three-year-olds and upwards to take place over seven furlongs.
Among this year’s entry of 47 is the globe-trotting Balthazaar’s Gift, who gained a third Group 2 victory when taking the Park Stakes at Doncaster on 11th September. The seven-year-old entire has been in great form all season, running well behind Starspangledbanner in both the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
His trainer Clive Cox revealed today: “The Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes is certainly an option for Balthazaar’s Gift at the moment. The Prix de la Foret is his next intended target but he is ground dependent these days and we need to cover all of the options with him.
“We were delighted with his win at Doncaster and we have been thrilled by the way he has come out of that race. It was an impressive performance and he seems as spritely as ever - Philip Robinson was very complimentary after he won and you have to respect his opinion.
“He has won on softer ground as a youngster, but with maturity and his build, he definitely appears to be more at home on ground that is not too testing. He’s won two Group 2 races over the past couple of seasons and he is an absolute superstar to have anything to do with.”
