Hills targets another Jubilee

Recent Curragh scorer Mitbaahy and defending champion Khaadem give trainer Charlie Hills a strong hand in his bid for back-to-back victories in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Mitbaahy emerged as a major contender for the six-furlong Group One when landing the Greenlands Stakes in Ireland last month, form which was well advertised earlier in the week when the runner-up Regional found only Australian raider Asfoora too strong in the King Charles III Stakes.

Khaadem, who like Mitbaahy carries the colours of owner Fitri Hay, was a shock 80/1 winner 12 months ago – but while he has failed to trouble the judge in four starts since, most recently finishing down the field in the Duke of York Stakes, Hills would not be surprised to see him bounce back on Saturday.

“Khaadem hasn’t really had his conditions since last year. He loves fast ground, every time we’ve run him since it’s been soft and he loves it rattling,” said Hills.

“It wasn’t really a shock to us last year. He’s won some very good races during his career, including a Stewards’ Cup and a King George at Goodwood and a Palace House at Newmarket, so he’s certainly got it in his locker when he gets his ground.

“Mitbaahy seems to be improving at the moment, I was delighted with his last win and he’s been as good as gold really since then. I’m very happy with him. He beat a couple of Group One horses in Ireland and I think Ascot should suit him well as he obviously got the stiff six well at the Curragh.”

The two at the top of the market for the last of eight QIPCO British Champions Series races at Royal Ascot are Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Duke of York winner Mill Stream and the Ralph Beckett-trained Kinross, who is set for his first outing since finishing second on Champions Day in October.

Mill Stream is ridden by William Buick, who said: “He did well to win (at York) I thought. It was a messy race and he should have won by further. Ascot’s going to suit him, and I think the sprint division is open at the moment. If you can mark up his Duke of York performance he’s in with a shout, definitely.”

Beckett said of his stable star: “Kinross is in good form and he’s ready to run. He ran a bit fresh and saw a bit too much daylight when he was seventh a year ago, so we’ll be holding on to him longer and riding him to finish. Hopefully he’ll be competitive, but it’s a difficult one as it’s really all about the second half of the year.”

Shartash is two from two since joining Archie Watson and has been snapped up by prominent owners Wathnan Racing since his most recent triumph in the Listed Spring Trophy at Haydock.

Richard Brown, racing adviser to the Qatar-based operation, said: “Shartash was a very good two-year-old and obviously won the Railway Stakes and then as can happen, he lost his way a little bit at three. He’s ended up with Archie Watson who has gelded him and I think that has been the making of him. He has won twice this year at seven (furlongs), but I think he will be at his best at the six-and-a-half point, so I think the stiff six at Ascot will be perfect for him.

“It’s obviously a big step up in class and we will find out if he is up to this level. We hope he is but until you run them in Group Ones you don’t know. It will be a very hard race to win, but we are hoping he’s improving and he’s among a group of horses who could step up to that level.”

Other hopefuls include George Boughey’s Believing, who has been declared to run just four days after finishing a close-up fourth in the King Charles III Stakes, and The Wizard Of Eye, who made a winning stable debut for Charlie Fellowes in the Victoria Cup here last month and now steps up to the highest level in the hands of Ryan Moore.

“We’re dropping back from seven furlongs to six and I’ve got no idea if he’s got the speed for it,” said Fellowes.

“In all his work at home he looks very quick, but we’re stepping up into Group One company and dropping back in trip, so there’s a few questions to answer, but we’ve got the best jockey in the world on board and I’m really happy with him – he’s in great condition.

“I wouldn’t mind a bit of rain. I’m not really fussed what the ground is like as it was very quick when he won the Victoria Cup, but rain wouldn’t be an issue, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Holding out for a Hero

There will be few more popular winners at Royal Ascot this week than Desert Hero should he register victory at the meeting for a second successive year in the Hardwicke Stakes.

The William Haggas-trained chestnut brought the house down 12 months ago when providing the King and Queen with their first taste of Royal Ascot success after coming out on top in a pulsating renewal of the King George V Stakes.

Desert Hero went on to win the Gordon Stakes before having to make do with minor honours in third when bidding to emulate Dunfermline, who 46 years earlier had provided the late Queen Elizabeth II with the last of her five British Classic wins in the St Leger.

Having been gelded during the winter, the son of Sea The Stars was beaten only a head by Okeechobee on his Sandown reappearance – and while he disappointed behind the re-opposing Middle Earth in the Aston Park Stakes at Newbury on his most recent outing, his big-race pilot Tom Marquand is eyeing another afternoon to remember at the Royal meeting.

Marquand said: “Hopefully he will give me another great day. He will enjoy the trip and the ground and hopefully he will get a smooth trip round and can show what he did last year. I haven’t sat on him since Newbury, but I think his Sandown run (in the Gordon Richards Stakes) knocked him quite hard and it is hard to gauge sometimes how much a run takes out of a horse. I’m sure the team will have him in tip-top order.

“Last year was one of the highlights of my career and it will be tough to supersede that one, it was a special day to look back on, but hopefully there will be a few more. He needs the right trip round and a bit of luck, but hopefully he will get it.”

John and Thady Gosden’s Middle Earth was recording his fourth win from seven career starts when scoring at Newbury last month and connections are optimistic of another bold showing this weekend.

“Roaring Lion (sire) has obviously had a winner already this week (with Running Lion) and if he could have another with Middle Earth that would be lovely,” said David Redvers, racing manager to joint owners Qatar Racing.

“The horse is in great form apparently and Oisin (Murphy) thought he was probably one of his best chances of the week coming into it. The draw (eight of nine) isn’t ideal, but it is what it is.”

The likely favourite is Aidan O’Brien’s St Leger hero Continuous, despite the fact he has not been seen in competitive action since finishing fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.

“We’re very happy with him and he’s had two days away,” O’Brien told Racing TV.

“We maybe didn’t have the clearest run with him in the winter and the spring, but we’re very happy with him. He’ll improve from the run, but he is ready to win and he’s a lovely, straightforward, honest horse. We think this is a lovely race to start him back in, but we do think he will really come forward from the run.”

Decorated American handler John Sadler – most famous for training the unbeaten Breeders’ Cup hero Flightline – will fulfil a racing ambition when Missed The Cut becomes his first ever runner at Royal Ascot.

The five-year-old was formerly a high-class operator on these shores for George Boughey, winning previously at the Royal meeting before making the move to America, where he has thrived for the California climate, winning multiple Group races at Santa Anita.

Sadler said: “The horse is doing well, he’s been in Lambourn with Ed Walker. This will be a first for me and I’ve won internationally before, I’ve won in Dubai and won Breeders’ Cups and my last trip here was to pick up the Longines award with Flightline.

“We had such a good trip to London last time, I said it would be fun to run a horse at Royal Ascot and we have the right horse with the right ownership group. A lot of things fell in line that meant it looked like a fun thing to do.

“We tried to make Missed The Cut a little bit of a dirt horse last year, but he wasn’t at his best, so now we have put him back on turf and has run four really nice races this year. You can see on his form he has no problem with American distances and has run over a mile and a half over there many times. We know he can run this trip and another thing that is lovely this week is the weather is gorgeous.

“He has won at this meeting before and little things like that makes us think he fits the bill and would be a good candidate to come and give it a try. With all due respect, when you are racing against Aidan O’Brien and John Gosden, my old California teammate, we know how tough these races are but we have our fingers crossed.”

Further strength in depth is added by George Scott’s stable star Isle Of Jura, who following a memorable winter hat-trick in Bahrain, made a successful return to Britain in Goodwood’s Festival Stakes last month.

Of Isle Of Jura, Scott said: “Obviously he’s been a star for us this year and although he’s shown a good level form and a will to win, having won seven of his last nine starts, this is a big step up. He’s bred to be a very good horse and has the physique of a very good horse and we’re looking forward to the race.

“We’re conscious of the step up in grade, but feel like now is the right time for it and he’s earned his right in the field. He’s proven himself on a right-handed track on very fast ground and that’s what he’s going to get on Saturday. It’s rare you find horses with his will to win and I’ve no doubt that he has the ability to compete with these horses, it’s just whether he’s quite ready for it at this stage of his development. We’ll find out on Saturday.”

Brave call for Osborne

Saffie Osborne has described riding the fancied Never So Brave in the Jersey Stakes for Sir Michael Stoute as a “massive privilege”.

Osborne’s career has been one of steep progression in recent seasons and while her father Jamie provided her with a large proportion of her winners in her early days, her biggest victories have come for Ed Walker, Harry Fry and Clive Cox.

However, a Group Three winner for Stoute on the biggest stage of all would be another level entirely and in Never So Brave, a horse who won easily at Chester’s May meeting, she has a live chance.

“He’s obviously put two wins to his name and is a very nice horse,” said Osborne.

“It’s an honour to be riding for Sir Michael at the Royal meeting. It’s a pretty deep race with lots of horses with good form, but hopefully he can run well. It’s a massive privilege to ride for Sir Michael. He is someone I have grown up watching train so many big winners all around the world and to be consistently riding for him now is really special.”

With his form boosted by stablemate Rosallion earlier in the week, Haatem is out to bag his own big race sporting his new colours of Wathnan Racing.

Third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and only just reeled in by Rosallion in the Irish equivalent, Haatem is dropping down in trip and class for the seven-furlong Group Three.

He was bought by Wathnan following the Irish Guineas but with a 3lb penalty for his Craven Stakes win, he may not have things all his own way.

“He’s going to have to carry a penalty, which is never easy to do, but he’s a big, strong horse. Physically it looks like the penalty shouldn’t hinder him too much,” said Wathnan’s Richard Brown.

“He’s a top-class horse and has proven it this year. He was a very impressive winner of the Craven and has gone on to prove it in two Classics. He’s not short of speed, but we know he’s going to stay. In the Jersey you have to be a strong stayer and you don’t win the Jersey if you don’t stay.

“I think he will be a good candidate in what is shaping up to be a very hot race and we’re looking forward to seeing him in the Wathnan colours for the first time.”

Ralph Beckett’s Task Force was a top-class juvenile, finishing second in the Middle Park. He has only run once this season when seventh in the 2000 Guineas.

“We haven’t seen him since the 2000 Guineas but he came out of it in good shape,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“We just felt he was maybe a little bit weak at that stage and with him being a May foal, he had only just turned three when he ran in the Guineas and he was probably just going through a bit of a growth spurt and looked a little on the weak side in the parade ring.

“Ralph has been happy with him since and the drop back to seven furlongs I don’t think will be an inconvenience. He was a staying on second in the Middle Park over six, so I think seven will be a nice trip for him and we’re looking forward to seeing him back in action.”

Also in the famous Juddmonte silks is Harry Charlton’s Kikkuli, a half-brother to the brilliant Frankel. He was second in Listed company last time out on just his third run.

“He was still learning his trade at Sandown and the ground had probably just got a little soft,” Mahon said.

“We were happy he handled ease in the ground and we had no great worries about ease in the ground to be honest, but I just felt that day it blunted his speed a little bit. The winner got away from him and Ryan (Moore) didn’t give him a hard time. I think he will have learned plenty from that and he will come on again.”

Aidan O’Brien runs River Tiber, last year’s Coventry Stakes winner and third in the Irish Guineas on his only outing this season, plus Mountain Bear and Pearls And Rubies.

O’Brien’s Bedtime Story is bred to be very good indeed, being by Frankel out of the top-class sprinter Mecca’s Angel.

She won on her debut and is likely to go off favourite in the Chesham Stakes, a race the trainer has won four times since 2016.

Charlie Appleby’s Age Of Gold, another Frankel colt, looked a runner of huge potential winning on his debut at Yarmouth.

Appleby told Godolphin: “He’s a once-run colt who won very well at Yarmouth over six furlongs and I feel the step up to seven is going to suit him. Hopefully he’s a live player.”

Amo Racing run the €260,000 newcomer Duke Of Monroth, from the family of Roaring Lion, with Paul and Oliver Cole’s Seaplane related to some strong stayers.

Elsewhere, Clive Cox has secured the services of Moore for Harry Three in the Wokingham.

A Group One contender two years ago, he returned from a long layoff to finish fourth in a Listed race on his comeback.

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