Richard Fahey has withdrawn Godolphin's MG1SW Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) from Deauville's G1 Prix Jacques le Marois on Aug. 13. Instead, the trainer has confirmed the G1 QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot on Oct. 21 as his “first choice” target for his stable star, who finished runner-up to Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2016 edition. Having already landed the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury and the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot this season, the 4-year-old was a warm order for the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood last week, but suffered a shock defeat, losing out by a neck to Here Comes When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in the soft going at Goodwood.
“He's absolutely fine after the race [at Goodwood],” said Fahey. “I might give him a break and wait for the Queen Elizabeth II S., but either way, Champions Day is the first choice. I haven't entered him for the [G1] Champion S,. as I think we're going to stick at a mile with him for the time being. Ribchester ran very respectably in the race last year against a filly who was something special and I honestly believe he is a better horse this year.”
Regarding his charge's Goodwood experience, Fahey said, “Quite what happened at Goodwood I'm still not sure, but I suspect it was a mistake to try to make the running and that was my mistake. It was a horrible, horrible day, not just in terms of the going, but also with the weather, and he may have just got sick of having the rain and the wind blowing right into his face up the straight. They were proper extreme conditions. It was just one of those things and we all live to fight another day.”
Ribchester is one of 48 entries for the QEII, which carries a total prize fund of £1.1million. A potential rematch with Here Comes When could be on the cards, with his trainer Andrew Balding also entering the fast-improving G3 Thoroughbred S. winner Beat The Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}).
Balding said, “The Queen Elizabeth II S. will come under very serious consideration for both of them. Here Comes When is absolutely bouncing after Goodwood–he's in great form and British Champions Day is attractive for him. He's better when lightly-raced and if he were to run at all before, it might be in a Group 2 race in Milan, where he doesn't have to carry a Group 1 penalty. Beat The Bank is only a 3-year-old and we have to be careful not to over-race him this year as there is lots to look forward to. But he seems versatile and Ascot will certainly be coming under consideration.”
Aidan O'Brien has given the option to dual G1 2000 Guineas hero Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and dual 1000 Guineas heroine Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), among others.
Saeed bin Suroor has entered Godolphin's Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}), who was last seen landing the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly and is entered in the Jacques Le Marois on Sunday.
“He worked really well on Saturday and has been a star horse for me this year,” said bin Suroor. “I would like to run him at Ascot on British Champions Day and we will look at both the Queen Elizabeth II S. and the [G1] Champion S. nearer the time. He has only run over a mile in Europe this year, but he saw out the extended nine furlongs strongly in the [G2] UAE Derby [on Dubai World Cup night in March] and I don't think stamina will be any problem over a mile and a quarter if we go for that race.”
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