Commonwealth Cup

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin On Tuesday the European Pattern Committee (EPC) announced that 42 races are at risk of being downgraded in 2025, including Britain's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Its status will depend very much on its performance in 2024, which will mark the tenth running of the race introduced to the British calendar in 2015 as a readymade Group 1 in order to "create a more balanced programme and better opportunities for high-class sprinters". The Commonwealth Cup, run at Royal Ascot over six furlongs for three-year-olds only, was...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- From the very beginning, young trainer George Boughey has made one thing quite clear--when the opportunity presents, he wants to travel horses to play the game on the international stage at the very highest level. At this time last year, Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah's Al Dasim (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) was about a month away from making an early-season debut; twelve months on from that somewhat disappointing fifth when favoured in a five-furlong maiden at Leicester, the chestnut colt will be one of the choices...

Caravaggio (Scat Daddy--Mekko Hotke, by Holy Bull), the leading European first-crop sire of 2021, has been acquired by the Japanese Bloodstock Breeders Association (JBBA) and is set to continue his stud career at Shizunai Stallion Station, according to multiple published reports. Trained by Aidan O'Brien for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Caravaggio was perfect in four runs as a juvenile, including a defeat of Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot and capped by a four-length success in the G1 Keeneland Phoenix...

Connections of Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) have lost their appeal to have the colt's disqualification from victory in Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup overturned. Dragon Symbol and the American-trained filly Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) fought out a thrilling stretch duel in the six furlong contest, with Dragon Symbol crossing the wire a head the better, but the placings were reversed on account of Dragon Symbol bumping Campanelle on numerous occasions during the run and taking her off her line. Stewards on the day deemed the interference was enough...

Trainer Archie Watson has lodged an appeal with the British Horseracing Authority against the decision by stewards at Royal Ascot to disqualify Yoshiro Kubota's Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) from victory in last week's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Dragon Symbol and Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) moved into a joint lead approaching the final furlong of the Commonwealth Cup, at which point Dragon Symbol, ridden by Oisin Murphy, began to drift towards the far side rail, bumping Campanelle, with Frankie Dettori aboard, as he did so. Stewards deemed that at the...

After the drawn-out saga of Thursday's G1 Gold Cup, Royal Ascot moves back toward speed on Friday with the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Commonwealth Cup acting as a dual focus on a day that is forecast to see an abundance of rain. In terms of prize money and its longstanding status, the Coronation holds sway and another typically fierce renewal sees the May 2 G1 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) bid to hold on to her title in a rematch with the compatriot in whose shadow...

Sean Levey has already set several notable benchmarks in British racing--being the first black jockey to ride in the Derby in 2016 when fifth on Humphrey Bogart (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and, two years later, the first black jockey to win a British Classic when steering Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) to victory in the G1 1000 Guineas-and next week Levey hopes to earn a belated first Royal Ascot victory. The 33-year-old Swaziland-born rider, who will partner the likes of Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy...

Last year's G1 Middle Park S. winner Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) has wintered well, according to trainer Clive Cox, and will stick to sprints for his 3-year-old campaign, with the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot his key early season target. Cox said the G3 Pavilion S. at Ascot on Apr. 28 and the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock on May 22 are under consideration as starting points for the colt. "Supremacy will stay at six furlongs, so we're looking at the Pavilion, the normal sprinting route--with possibly the...

Last season's G2 Gimcrack S. winner and G1 Middle Park S. third Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) will make a belated start to his 3-year-old campaign after suffering a leg injury in his box at trainer Owen Burrows's stable. "Unfortunately Minzaal injured himself in his box before Christmas," said Burrows. "He's had to have surgery and he's back at [owner] Shadwell at the moment recuperating." The first key target for Minzaal's 3-year-old campaign had been the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, but Burrows admitted it will be a race against...

This year's G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}-Entreat {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}) has been retired from racing after suffering a tendon injury. Stud plans have not yet been decided. "He suffered a tendon issue that proved to be longer term than first realised, so rather than miss a complete season it was with reluctance that it was decided to retire him to stud," said trainer Clive Cox. "He was the best horse owned so far by HH Sheikh Sultan Al Deen bin Mohammed bin Salman Al...

Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) has exited his G1 Commonwealth Cup victory last week "really well" and is set to tackle elders in the G1 Darley July Cup on July 11, trainer Clive Cox said. Golden Horde was emulating his young sire with a Royal Ascot Group 1 victory, Lethal Force having taken the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. in 2013 for Cox, and the 3-year-old will also attempt to follow his sire into the July Cup winner's enclosure. "He's come out of it really well," Cox said. "He took...

It is not only the most hygienic Royal Ascot ever staged that features on Friday, with Chantilly and Gowran Park also holding meetings with notable races. The Berkshire venue, of course, is at the forefront, with the G1 Commonwealth Cup the main focus as 'TDN Rising Star' Pierre Lapin (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}) defends his unbeaten tally for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and Roger Varian. If the truth were told, nobody knows the true extent of his abilities but his smooth success in Newbury's G2 Mill Reef S. in...