Carl Spackler and Satono Reve headlined the action on Newmarket’s July Course on Wednesday morning [June 11] as several leading international contenders put the finishing touches on their preparations for Royal Ascot – plus some big names from the Gosdens
US turf heavyweight Carl Spackler impressed in his gallop under Jamie Spencer, with the five-year-old set to make his debut for leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday [June 17].
Carl Spackler recorded his third G1 success for Chad Brown at Keeneland in April, after which he was purchased by Yulong Investments with a view to Royal Ascot and a spring campaign Down Under.
The five-year-old shipped directly from the US to Newmarket, leaving Sydney-based Maher in the unusual position of preparing a runner for Royal Ascot who has yet to set foot in his stable.
Will Bourne, Maher’s head of bloodstock, said: “We came here wanting to have a hit out and this was Carl Spackler’s second gallop since arriving in Newmarket. He came over here in good condition from Chad Brown, weighing about 525kg.
“After the feedback from Jamie Spencer from his first gallop, we came here today and achieved exactly what we wanted to. Jamie said when he gave him a squeeze late, he really exploded, and Jamie was really impressed by how much he has switched on since the first gallop.
“It is a very unique scenario to purchase a horse from America, to be trained by an Australian, to run at Royal Ascot.
“I think his biggest challenge will be the conditions and the track. A stiff mile at Ascot is a big ask coming from America, although his times out there really stack up and, thanks to his temperament, he is the perfect horse to travel. He is an absolute dude, like a kid’s pony.
“The Queen Anne Stakes is going to be a red-hot race. There is no hiding place in a Group 1 race at Royal Ascot and you would never get an easy field. We think Carl Spackler is a pretty good horse and hopefully he can show up on Tuesday.
“James McDonald has had a lot of luck in these colours with Via Sistina, and he has ridden winners at Royal Ascot before, so it was a good fit for everybody. It is always nice to have a world-class jockey on your horse in a Group 1. James has had a look at the horse’s tapes and is very excited about him.
“Royal Ascot is a great carnival. It is similar when you speak to English trainers and owners coming down for the Melbourne Cup, they love the buzz of the whole week, and it is the same for us coming here. It is a world-class stage and for Yulong to entrust us with the horse is amazing.
“The long-term plan is to bring Carl Spackler back to Australia for the Cox Plate and we would be thrilled to take the Queen Anne Stakes on the way through. We may also look at Goodwood as well, depending how next week goes.”
Asfoora: ‘It was completely bonkers, just madness’ – Henry Dwyer
Asfoora continued the fine record of Australian sprinters in the G1 King Charles III Stakes 12 months ago, with the Henry Dwyer-trained six-year-old targeting a repeat win in the five-furlong highlight.
In contrast to last year, when she had a prep run in the G2 Temple Stakes at Haydock Park, Asfoora arrived in Newmarket at the end of May after two appearances at Morphettville in April. She had a workout on the July Course earlier this week under Oisin Murphy.
Dwyer said: “Everything is going well and I am very happy with how Asfoora has travelled over. We were a bit apprehensive about the logistics, as she came over later compared to last year when she was here eight weeks before Royal Ascot.
“We have tried to do as much as we can at home because, when she is having a 40-hour door-to-door trip, we don’t want to do too much on the week she arrives. We gave her a good trial when she left Australia and, in all honesty, she bounced off the plane and was bright the next day. We felt she was going through the motions a bit at home but, now she is in this new environment, she has sparked up.”
Asked about the change in logistics this year, Dwyer said: “We could not get a flight, it is as simple as that. In an ideal world, we would have been over here earlier. We were thinking of going to France and having a prep in the G2 sprint two weeks ago, but we could not get here in time. As it turns out, we had to do the work at home, travel, and give her a really quiet time here before hopefully going there all guns blazing next Tuesday.
“She used to be bouncy, lit up, and blowing for an age after her work because she got so revved up,” the trainer added. “But now she has come back to us a bit, which might be a bad thing or a good thing, I don’t know.
“I am going to put blinkers on her. She has always been a ‘looky’ sort of horse, whereas now I feel like she is holding back a little bit. I feel the blinkers might give us an extra one percent.
“Oisin galloped her on Monday on the July Course. She had a lead horse and they went an easy furlong from the five to the four before running a really sharp 600 metres in around 33 seconds.
“She was steaming through the line with the blinkers on and pulled up like she had not had a gallop, so I think her fitness is good. She seems in a good place and Oisin is very confident, probably more than me, but I hope he is right!”
Reflecting on last year, Dwyer said: “It was completely bonkers, just madness. I was very nervous before the race as it was the biggest day of my racing life. I have 40 horses in work and have won a couple of Group 1 races, but that whole thing of travelling a horse, the risk-versus-reward scenario, it was a lot of pressure. It was more relief when she ran well.
“I didn’t care if she won or lost as long as she didn’t embarrass herself or us. We were stood in the grandstand and when she came past us and was clearly going to win, that was the last I saw of the race as I had 30 people jumping on top of me, cheering. I still don’t think it has sunk in.
“I feel like we have less pressure this year as we have been there and done it. If she had not won last year, there would be more pressure as it is an expensive trip with huge costs involved, in terms of staffing and flights. That is pressure, spending someone else’s money, but luckily she was able to repay us and the owner last year. This year, that money is already in the bank, so she owes us nothing.
“She will run at Goodwood and York again, and then we would like to go to Ireland and France, but it depends on her. If she is in good order, we will be doing that. We had some amazing experiences last year at all those racecourses and we were lucky enough to win one.”
Japan’s top sprinter Satono Reve completed a workout under Ryan Moore as he gears up for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, a first runner at the meeting for trainer Noriyuki Hori and owner Hajime Satomi.
Successful in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo, the prolific six-year-old chased home Hong Kong sensation Ka Ying Rising, the world’s #1 racehorse, in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize on his latest start in April.
Japanese raiders have taken many of the world’s international meetings by storm in recent years, although have yet to be successful at Royal Ascot from 10 attempts.
Lead Artist leads Gosden workers
John & Thady Gosden worked a quartet of runners, headed by Lockinge Stakes victor Lead Artist, who was partnered by Juddmonte’s new retained rider Colin Keane ahead of his Queen Anne Stakes bid. Sweet William, Torito and Devil’s Advocate were also in action this morning. 
The father-and-son training partnership is likely to saddle six runners in the G1 contests at Royal Ascot, with Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Field Of Gold set for a rematch with his Newmarket conqueror Ruling Court in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
In Kyprios’s absence, the Clarehaven outfit has a strong hand in the Gold Cup, with Trawlerman and Sweet William looking to improve on their second- and third-place finishes from last year.
John Gosden on his Royal Ascot hopes
Lead Action (Queen Anne): “He holds his condition extremely well. He is a well-covered, powerful horse, but that is his sire [Dubawi] line coming through, they are that type. He has had a nice blow afterwards and this should set him up nicely for next Tuesday. I think a stiff mile at Ascot will suit him better than a slick mile. It is shaping up to be a wonderful race with the first four from the Lockinge all turning up again. Will they finish in the same order? That is the exciting thing because they are four fabulous horses.”
Sardinian Warrior (Queen Anne): “Sardinian Warrior is in good form and will run in the Queen Anne Stakes as well. He ran a very good race in France and it is always nice to have a second string. I think Sosie, who is a very good horse, basically outstayed him last time.”
Field Of Gold (St James’s Palace): “There was no need for Field Of Gold to come over here today because he only ran in the Irish 2,000 Guineas a couple of weeks ago, whereas the horses working today ran at least a month ago. Taking on Ruling Court again is what Royal Ascot is all about. A lot of the races look very strong this year. We will see how everything works out with the draw, as sometimes on the round mile at Ascot you get drawn on the inside and never see daylight.”
Ombudsman (Prince of Wales’s): “Ombudsman tired in the ground in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes. I think the winner Almaqam is very smart, but we were giving him 3lb and they had the run of the race. Ombudsman had to come from off the pace and Ryan [Moore] was very pleased with him. It is a question of whether we go for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes or the Wolferton, but I think the owner [Godolphin] will be keen to go for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.”
Sweet William (Gold Cup): “Sweet William worked nicely. He is a wonderful character and does everything in his own time. It was a great run in the Yorkshire Cup because a mile and six furlongs is on the sharp side for him, especially on a flat track. He enjoys the climb at Ascot and, with the distance, he is solid at two and a quarter miles, whereas two and a half always takes you a bit into no man’s land.”
Trawlerman (Gold Cup): “Trawlerman won the Henry II Stakes and is pointing towards the Gold Cup as well. They are different types of horses in that Trawlerman bowls along, whereas Sweet William comes with a strong late run. To that extent, they suit each other rather well. Although there is no Kyprios, it will still be a smart field with the likes of Illinois.”
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