Woodbine Saturday
THERE are two Grade 1s on the Woodbine card this evening with an international line up for the Canadian International headed by last year’s winner Desert Encounter.
Desert Encounter has won his last three starts, all in Group 3 company, and landed the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup at Newbury last month.
He is joined by the horse he beat in that Newbury contest – the Andrew Balding-trained Pivione.
Balding won the Canadian feature in 2003 with Phoenix Reach in 2003. Balding said:. “I have been lucky enough to win the E.P. Taylor, Wonder Where Stakes, and the Play The King Stakes, so Woodbine has been a happy hunting ground in the past.”
Two years ago Bullards Alley shipped in from Kentucky and was a 10 ¾ length winner of this race and his full-brother, Nessy, will be looking to replicate the feat.
Nessy finished second behind Old Persian in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer, run over the Canadian International course and distance on September 14th.
The German runner is Alounak who won a Group 3 in Baden Baden last time adds to the international flavour but the most likely winner may be the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained Ziyad, winner of the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville in August from Arc sixth Soft Light and Nagano Gold. The four-year-old son of Rock Of Gibraltar had previously gone down narrowly to Coronet in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud.
In the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes over 10 furlongs, European interest comes from Joseph O’Brien-trained Red Tea. The mare won the Group 2 Kilboy Estates Stakes at the Curragh in July and was beaten by two and a half lengths into third behind Coronet in Deauville’s Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet over this trip in heavy ground.
Imperial Charm runs for Simon Crisford. Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, the Dubawi three-year-old filly turned in two solid efforts in Group 1 company at Longchamp this year, finishing fourth in the Poule d’Essai de Pouliche and third in Prix Saint Alary.
Starship Jubilee is among the most fancied local runners and won the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes last month from tonight’s Keeneland runner Magnetic Charm.
Fozzy Stack runs Woody Creek in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes over six furlongs.
She finished fifth in a listed contest at Ayr last time but has three consecutive runner-up finishes, including a neck defeat in the Group 3 Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Phoenix Sprint Stakes over the summer and gives her a chance of only 7st 12lbs against the males with lightweight jockey Kazushi Kimura on board.
Keeneland Saturday
CHAD Brown’s domination of US turf races looks likely to continue as he saddles three fillies in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. Cambier Parc, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks tops a field of nine three-year-olds for nine furlong turf contest along with Regal Glory and Café Americano.
William Haggas runs Queen Elizabeth’s Magnetic Charm who has been at Keeneland since her runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine las t month. Florent Geroux rides.
Godolphin’s Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Castle Lady (Mickael Barzalona), a Shamardal filly, has not been seen since a fifth in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and a return to form would see her a live challenger for Henri-Alex Pantal.
Varenka will attempt to give trainer Graham Motion a second victory in the race and has solid claims on the Grade 2 win from Regal Glory in Saratoga last time.
Chad Brown won the race last year with Rushing Fall and in 2012 with Dayatthespa. Cambier Parc is dual Grade 3 winner as well as her Grade Del Mar triumph.
Regal Glory comes on a winning streak of three since her defeat and Café Americano has won three of four starts, including a Grade 3 victory at Arlington in her most recent start.