By the time we know the outcome of the dual between Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Gold Cup, Royal Ascot 2018 will be more than halfway over and a lot of the big questions would have been answered. This is a clash to savour and a build-up to relish, with the meeting's ancient showpiece now firmly reinstalled as at least its main source of racing entertainment. While it is gratifying to witness the kings and queens of agility in the sprints and the princes and princesses of the mile and middle-distance bouts, there is something timeless in the spectacle of the great stayers straining sinew in the last quarter mile of this two-and-a-half mile trip. It is a long time since we had a genuine stand-off between a pair of such calibre in this race and it conjures memories of Le Moss (Ire) and Ardross (Ire) in 1980, when the former prevailed over his younger opponent in the first of their thrilling trio of encounters. If Order of St George is to regain the crown he surrendered to Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) 12 months ago, he will have to take Stradivarius out of his comfort zone on ground that favours Bjorn Nielsen's challenger.
Stradivarius breezed his way through the May 18 G2 Yokshire Cup, a success that keeps him on track for the Stayers' Million, which adds an extra dimension to this year's renewal. The pair also have to reckon with His Highness The Aga Khan's Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}), who comes to Britain for the first time on the back of a thoroughly convincing success in the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at ParisLongchamp on May 27.
Aidan O'Brien is looking for a record eighth edition and said he sees no reason to expect anything other than Order of St George's best on the day. “We are as happy with him going into the Gold Cup as we have been with him in any of the other years he has gone there,” he said.
John Gosden is a keen historian and said he sees the significance of this particular renewal as he prepares Stradivarius for the longest distance he has performed over. “It's got great depth in it this year. So often the Gold Cup can be a little bit thin on quality, but there is a lot of depth there and it's an exciting Gold Cup this year,” he said. “He's in great nick and he has come out of his win at York very well. It will be a helluva test–the two and a half miles. Once he goes beyond two miles, it is uncharted territory. We are very hopeful he will get the trip. If he doesn't, we know what we will do–we will go to a Goodwood Cup and prepare for a Melbourne Cup.”
Stars Align In Riddlesdale…
Godolphin's Charlie Appleby stable is picking up impulsion as the season wears on and there is no reason to expect anything other than a G2 Ribblesdale S. success for 'TDN Rising Star' Wild Illusion (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) after sound efforts when fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 7 and runner-up in the June 1 G1 Epsom Oaks. Last year's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner sets a lofty standard, but it is notable that only two winners of this in the last 10 years had been to Epsom.
“She's in great order,” Appleby said. “She looks fantastic and she's training well. Was it a difficult decision to back her up quickly after Epsom? No, not at all. She's come out of the race well and if she can repeat her Oaks performance she will be very hard to beat in the Ribblesdale.”
One coming up from underneath is Khalid Abdullah's 'TDN Rising Star' Sun Maiden (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a half-sister to Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who won a 10-furlong Salisbury novice contest by 12 lengths despite looking green. While the form of that race is in no way strong, the homebred is made up of the finest Juddmonte fabric and is in the hands of this meeting's winningmost trainer Sir Michael Stoute. “She was really impressive at Salisbury, but it was only a maiden,” Juddmonte's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said. “Sir Michael has given her more time to mature both mentally and physically. She is coming on and, like everybody else will be saying, she is in good form and we are hoping for a good run. We are going to find out if her inexperience at that level will hold her back, but if she has got enough talent she will be all right.”
Filly A Force In The Norfolk…
The opening G2 Norfolk S. will hinge on whether Breeze Easy's Apr. 26 Keeneland maiden special weight winner Shang Shang Shang (Shanghai Bobby) can burn off the Europeans for Wesley Ward and Joel Rosario, but this is a race Aidan O'Brien is capable of springing a rare surprise in. Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) and Waterloo Bridge (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) were 14-1 and 12-1 winners respectively in the last three years and his sole representative Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) trades around that price after finishing third in the Listed Marble Hill S. at The Curragh on May 26. The line-up of zippy juveniles includes the Robert Cowell-trained ParisLongchamp winner Pocket Dynamo (Dialed In) and two from the first crop of Charm Spirit (Ire) in the Hannon runner The Paddocks (Ire) and Charming Kid (GB) from the Richard Fahey yard. Another first-season sire with representation is Bungle Inthejungle (GB), whose Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) races for last year's Coventry-winning partnership of Rebel Racing and Richard Spencer.
“He won very well at Salisbury first time out and the form of that race has worked out well, I think two winners have come out of that race already,” Spencer said. “He's taken a big step forward from his debut and I think he'll run a big race.”
A Hampton Hat Trick?
Godolphin has a trio in the G3 Hampton Court S. they have won for the past two years headed by the Listed Newmarket S. winner Key Victory (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Charlie Appleby said he is hoping he can rebound from a last-out eighth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on June 3. “He is a horse who is learning on the job,” he commented. “He didn't lose anything in defeat in France and he learnt plenty on the day. I think he will be a key player in the Hampton Court and being back on a sounder surface will suit him.” The race's unknown quantity is the promising Shadwell homebred Wadilsafa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who readily dispatched the highly-regarded Herculean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in a mile novice race at Newmarket on May 18.
The Britannia H. over a mile features some 3-year-olds on the up including the course-and-distance winner Corrosive (Uncle Mo) from the Hugo Palmer stable, while heading the weights for the closing King George V S. is Godolphin's Dubhe (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who gave the re-opposing London Gold Cup winner Communique (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) eight pounds and a four-length beating in a Sandown handicap on Apr. 27. Lurking in this is Juddmonte's First Eleven (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a John Gosden-trained son of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Zenda (GB) (Zamindar) and therefore a half to Kingman (GB) who was impressive when winning by five lengths in an 11-furlong Newbury handicap on May 18.
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