Entries from nine countries will appear in eight Group 1 races at Royal Ascot, led by three of the world’s most highly regarded sprinters: Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) (Australia, 124), Golden Palace (Uncle Mo) (United States, 121) and Interior (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) (Australia, 120). The pair of Australians who can face Golden Pal in stand S. Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) (Anthony & Sam Freedman), getting ready to run on the last day of the meeting.
Last year’s G1 Everest winner Nature Strip merged eight Group 1 wins, including G1 TJ Smith S. at Randwick April. 2. The Interior won the G1 Lightning S. at Flemington in February. The race has been a major stepping stone for Australia’s five Royal Ascot winners – Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti, Scenic Blast and Black Caviar, all of whom won the five-feathered Emperor.
“We’ve nominated both Nature Strip and Interior for King’s Stand S. and Platinum Jubilee S. This is to keep our options open for anything that can happen to horses but we do. there should be an exciting Royal meeting, that’s for sure,” said assistant coach Chris Waller and racing manager Charlie Duckworth. It’s been a busy time preparing for the race, while the Home Office is back up and running. The plan is for both horses to do most of their work on their home turf before heading to England.”
Holding Australia’s athlete in the stands was Golden Pal, winner of last fall’s GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The four-year-old kicked off the season with a win over G2 Shakertown S. in Keeneland April 9.
“Golden Pal is doing really well, he really is,” said coach Wesley Ward. “It was a strong performance by him at Shakertown – but it was a comeback and I really think his next performance will be something special. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime horse – definitely the best horse I’ve ever had – and I think he’ll make that mark with his performance at Ascot if he runs as I expect.
“Physically he is a great specimen now and mentally he is truly coming into his own. I’m excited to bring him back there. “
Also expected to run for the Royal meeting for Ward’s candidate, Platinum Jubilee S. Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will bid to join a select group of horses to win three different Royal Ascot races in consecutive years. The 4-year-old caught the G2 Queen Mary S. in 2020 and last year finished second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup before the rankings were reversed due to interference.
“Barbara Banke [owner] and her team are excited to bring Campanelle back there,” added Ward. “She had a strong performance in her comeback win at Keeneland the day before. If you watch that race with some of the fastest fillers in the country, what she did is pretty impressive. ”
Representing Japan in the G1 Prince of Wales’s S., winner of the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) can go with the Team 1 champion candidate from Japan The Grenadier Guards (Frankel {GB}), who will be targeting the Platinum Jubilee.
Hideaki Fujiwara, coach of Shahryar, said: “I discussed with the owner [Sunday Racing Co Ltd] about future plans after Shahryar won the Dubai Sheema Classic and we have agreed that Shahryar’s next goal should be the highest performing races in the world. I believe Prince of Wales’s S. is the ideal location for the horse. “
There were 16 entries representing the United States in Group 1 today. Among them were a series of runners trained by Graham Motion (Spendarella (Fr) (Common Base {GB}), Coronation G1 S. and Sy Dog (Sleep {GB}) (G1 St James’s Palace S.) with Brad Cox (Caravel (Mizzen Mast) (G1 King’s Stand S.) or G1 Commonwealth Cup). Christophe Clement, the man responsible for last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winners Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), is aiming for Crown S. The 3-year-old is owned by celebrity chef, Bobby Flay.
“All options are open for Pizza Bianca after her second visit at the Aqueduct last weekend,” says Clement. I have yet to discuss it with the owner and doubt that we will make a decision in the next two or three weeks. There’s another four-week stake race at Pimlico that she can take part in and then from there you can go to Ascot. The filly will tell us what she wants to do but for now all options are open.”
Clement can also be represented by Slideway (More than ready) and the winner Derrynane (Quality Sugar).
“Slipstream is perfect for the Commonwealth Cup,” he asserts. “He won [the Listed Palisades S.] impressively at Keeneland in April and I don’t think I’ll bring him back before Ascot. This horse has a very good mind and walks on any ground. He was very mature as well as a good 2-year-old last year. I think he is a good horse.”
“I also nominated someone very quickly named Derrynane. She is top class but needs a stronger foundation. Similar to Pizza Bianca, there’s a stake race for her [in the US] at the end of May and we can get there before deciding on the Commonwealth Cup.”
