Wednesday 8th September 2010
Strawberrydaiquiri on course for Group 1
Sahpresa wins last year's Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes
NEWMARKET Racecourses director of racing Michael Prosser is eagerly anticipating the prospect of an international renewal of the Group One Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes on Saturday, 2nd October.
Star billing is likely to go Sahpresa, who won the mile-long race at Newmarket last year in dazzling fashion from a top-class field.
Trainer Rodolphe Collet's charge was also an impressive winner of last Sunday's Group Three Prix du Pin to suggest she is being brought to the boil for the £180,000 event on the third day of the Cambridgeshire meeting at the Rowley Mile course.
Another exciting entry who could provide an added international flavour to this year's race is Liliside, first past the post - but subsequently demoted to sixth - in the Poule D'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas).
The French filly has also been in winning form this month, landing a Listed contest at Longchamp.Respect, too, has to be given to the Alain de Royer Dupre-trained Rosanara, second in the Group One Prix de Diane (French oaks) in June.
If the French challenge is likely to be a strong one, so too will Ireland's - headed by Lillie Langtry. She triumphed in the lucrative Tattersalls Timeform Fillies' 800 at last year’s Cambridgeshire meeting and has since gone on to land the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group One Matron Stakes. Last Saturday's victory at Leopardstown saw her beat the supremely consistent Spacious, from the stable of James Fanshawe, by a neck.
Lush Lashes, a three-time Group One heroine for Jim Bolger, could head to Newmarket after coming home fourth on her first start for nearly a year in a Group Three at the Curragh on August 29, while Bethrah, who stormed to a last-gasp victory in this year’s Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas for Dermot Weld, is also among those in the race.
Prosser said: "The Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes has all the makings for a superb renewal on October 2nd and I am thrilled to see such a strong contingent of French and Irish horses remaining at the latest entry stage.
"Sahpresa was most impressive in winning in France last Sunday and if she returns to Newmarket in the same form that she showed last October she will be very hard to beat.
"There are a clutch of top-class Irish fillies still in the race and it will be intriguing to see how the form lines from both sides of the Channel tie up.
"Don't forget, either, the home challenge - not least that of Spacious, who has come so close in each of latest three races. All in all, it looks as if we will be set for a stunning race of adepth and quality."
Strawberrydaiquiri may bid for a well-earned first Group One victory in the race.
Owned by Renata Jacobs, Strawberrydaiquiri made her Pattern debut in last year’s race, when she stayed on well to take fourth behind Sahpresa and returned to the Rowley Mile to post a neck victory in the Group Three Dahlia Stakes at the Guineas Festival at the start of May.
She followed up that success by capturing the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot and has been fourth in Group One company on her two subsequent appearances, in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes at the Champagne Lanson July Festival on Newmarket’s July Course and the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Gary Coffey, racing manager to Jacobs, revealed today: “The Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes is certainly an option for Strawberrydaiquiri as things stand.
“She ran a very solid and genuine race in the Nassau Stakes, where she was beaten by three very good fillies. Midday has gone on to win the Yorkshire Oaks while Stacelita and Antara have both since run well in the Prix Jean Romanet, so the form stacks up very well.
“She proved that she can be equally effective over 10 furlongs but we would have no problem in dropping her back to a mile.
“It was her first time in Group company in last year’s race and they went very quick, which just caught her a little bit flat-footed, but she finished very strongly. She has already won on the Rowley Mile course this term and she would be perfectly entitled to have another crack at a Group One contest.”
Another notable contender is the Mick Channon-trained Music Show and she also boasts Group One-winning form, having beaten the likes of Spacious, Lillie Langtry and Strawberrydaiquiri in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes.
Apart from Prix Jean Romanet runner-up Antara, Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor may also be represented by Forensics, who has won three Group One races in Australia.
Also in the entry are the Mark Johnston-trained Rainfall, who was third behind Music Show in the Etihad Airways Falmouth Stakes, and Seta, who has landed a pair of Listed contests on her two most recent starts for Luca Cumani.
Among the 37 top-class fillies remaining in the £160,000 Group One Cheveley Park Stakes (2.30pm) over six furlongs on Friday, October 1 are a number of leading fancies for next season’s 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, including Misty For Me from the Aidan O’Brien yard.
The two-year-old Galileo filly had the Richard Hannon-trained Group Two Irish Thoroughbred marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Memory back in sixth when taking the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on August 29.
The David Wachman-trained Meow landed a Listed contest over five furlongs at the Curragh last month, her first start since finishing second to the John Gosden-trained Maqaasid in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Criquette Head-Maarek enjoyed a fourth (1982 Ma Biche, 1987 Ravinella, 1996 Pas De Reponse) success in the race last year with subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine Special Duty and the French trainer could rely on that filly’s half-sister Exemplify and unbeaten Listed winner Helleborine.
Others to consider include Group Three Princess Margaret Stakes winner Soraaya, the in-form Group Two Lowther Stakes heroine Hooray and impressive Salisbury Listed race winner Brevity.
The £160,000 Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes (3.05pm), also taking place on Friday, October 1, has fallen to O’Brien on three occasions (2000 Minardi, 2001 Johannesburg, 2004 Ad Valorem) and Ireland’s champion trainer has 11 entries among the 34 going forward for the six-furlong contest, including Zoffany, winner of the Group One Phoenix Stakes over the distance at the Curragh on August 8.
Richard Hannon has a strong hand with Group Two Coventry Stakes winner Strong Suit and Group Two Richmond Stakes hero Libranno. David Simcock could run the unbeaten Group One Darley Prix Morny hero Dream Ahead, while William Haggas may saddle Approve, who has annexed the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes and Group Two Norfolk Stakes this term.
The Richard Fahey-trained Wootton Bassett took the DBS Premier Stakes over the distance at York last month, while others entered include Group Three Anglesey Stakes winner Dunboyne Express, Group Two Railway Stakes victor Formosina and Weatherbys Super Sprint victor Temple Meads.
