Things to know today
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Clive Cox has a decision to make over Coppull in Saturday’s Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, where the ground turned heavy after 23 millimetres of rain overnight into Friday. Cox said it is unknown territory for a colt very proven on a quicker surface, that he would watch Friday’s racing and consult the owner, and that physically he could not be happier with him. His other runner, James’s Delight, has no ground concerns at all. On the same card Roger Teal drops Dancing Gemini in grade for the Group 3 Superior Mile, calling the heavy ground not ideal but saying he is probably going to roll the dice (Sporting Life, irishracing.com)
Morning update. Coppull stands his ground and is declared for the Sprint Cup with Hector Crouch riding. American Affair, trained by Jim Goldie, has been taken out of the race because of the ground, leaving eight declared. Dancing Gemini is declared for the Superior Mile. The going at Haydock is heavy (Racing Post, At The Races, Racing Post)
Result. Almeraq won the Sprint Cup for William Haggas and Tom Marquand, beating Paborus by four and a quarter lengths with Big Mojo third. James’s Delight ran fourth and Coppull seventh of the eight runners. In the Superior Mile, Persica held on by a nose for Richard Hannon and James Doyle from The Lost King, with Fondo Blanco third and Dancing Gemini sixth of the nine (Sporting Life, At The Races)
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Andrew Balding sends Moonrise to the Group 3 William Hill Sirenia Stakes at Kempton on Saturday, the Princess Margaret winner having missed the Lowther because of softer ground. Balding said she has to carry a penalty and is drawn a bit wide, but that he would hope her speed and class overcome it, and noted that the Princess Margaret was a win and you are in for the Breeders’ Cup. Simon and Ed Crisford saddle Tawakal and Social Symbol, and George Scott runs Efsixteen, of whom he said six furlongs at Kempton will stretch her stamina a little (irishracing.com)
Morning update. Moonrise, Tawakal, Social Symbol and Efsixteen are all declared. Evenfall has been taken out of the Sirenia. The going at Kempton is standard to slow on the Polytrack (At The Races, Racing Post)
Result. Moonrise made all under Oisin Murphy to win the Sirenia by three and three-quarter lengths, with Shimmering Sun second and Social Symbol third. It is a second Group 3 for the Churchill filly, who carried a three pound penalty. Murphy said she must be quite good because she had an outside draw and the penalty, that she has improved with every start, and that she is a sprinter with plenty of speed (Thoroughbred Daily News, Shropshire Star)
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San Jose came clear to win Friday’s Charbonnel et Walker EBF Maiden Stakes at Ascot by two and three-quarter lengths under James Doyle for Brian Meehan and the owner Mark Chan, with Impasto second and Korsakov third. The Blackbeard colt had been fourth on his debut at Newbury on 15 August. Doyle said he has an engine and that he liked the way he galloped out, because he was completely clueless in the last furlong. The same maiden was won 12 months ago by Raaheeb (Sporting Life) |
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Gstaad heads a seven runner field for Sunday’s Group 1 Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp, along with Dorset, Opera Ballo, Ten Bob Tony, Erdenali, Nighttime and Dreamliner. Ballydoyle have not declared Lambourn for the Prix Foy, which leaves the 2025 Arc winner Daryz to face Bay City Roller, Quest For Magic and Uthred. Francis-Henri Graffard’s Sunly goes for the Prix Vermeille, where Friendly Soul and Sparan Nua are among her opponents, and the Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini returns in the Prix Niel against Montreal, Alam and Varandir (Sporting Life) |
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Marco Botti sends Giavellotto to Baden-Baden on Sunday for the 156th Grosser Preis von Baden, with Billy Loughnane taking the ride in place of Oisin Murphy, who is committed in France. The seven-year-old has not run since beating Kalpana a short head in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, and Kalpana went on to win the King George. Eight are declared, among them Roger Varian’s Saddadd and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Parachutiste. Botti said everything has gone smoothly since Ascot, and that the Breeders’ Cup and Hong Kong in December remain possible (irishracing.com) |
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Germany’s premier yearling sale turned over 9.316 million euros at Baden-Baden, up 9 per cent, with 169 of the 209 offered sold for a clearance rate of 81 per cent. Jeremy Brummitt, who gave 600,000 euros for the Sea The Stars filly out of Sconset, said it was the first time he had been asked to buy for Newsells Park Stud, and that she is for Newsells Park Racing 2027, an enterprise to race horses in the hope they reach the top level, win a Classic and retire to stud at Newsells (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Midnight Empress topped the Tattersalls Online Barrier Trials Pop-Up Sale at 45,000 guineas, bought by Joseph Bell from Diego Dias, who trains and consigned her after she won her six furlong trial at Leopardstown by a length and a half. The Mehmas filly is out of the unraced Tamayuz mare Star Empress, a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Minzaal. Katherine Sheridan, the Tattersalls Online sales manager, said the sale had demonstrated the potential for the concept to grow (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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Veronica Stephens has been named chair of Nottingham Racecourse, succeeding Jeremy Bradbeer, who died suddenly on 15 August. She has sat on the course’s racecourse committee since 2017, is an honorary steward at Doncaster and Southwell, is a member of several Highclere Thoroughbred Racing syndicates and was appointed deputy lieutenant of Lincolnshire last year. Baroness Dido Harding, the Jockey Club’s senior steward, said the mark of a great chair is always the strength of their committee and the legacy they leave behind (Thoroughbred Daily News) |
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George Boughey is building Libertango back up for the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket at the end of this month, after her win in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York on 20 August. He said the timeframe from Newmarket to York and then on to the Cheveley Park is perfect for her, that she has had an easy week and works on Tuesday, and that it looks like being a race of the ages for the two-year-olds if Sun Goddess and Senorita Bonita turn up (Sporting Life) |
Nine items against a cap of fifteen, leaving room for anything today’s racing adds. Doncaster’s St Leger Festival and the Arc meeting appear in The week ahead below and are not repeated above.
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