Saturday at Newmarket
Wesley Ward has seen some good horses go through his hands in his time as a trainer, but the American believes Lady Aurelia to be a “once-in-a-lifetime filly” as she prepares to tackle the best of the British again in Saturday’s Group One Connolly’s Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes.
Unbeaten and some would say unbeatable, Lady Aurelia returns to a British racecourse for the first time since her stunning Queen Mary victory at Royal Ascot in June
Heading the opposition is the Richard Fahey-trained Queen Kindly, another daughter of Frankel, and the winner of the Lowther Stakes at York. “I’m never afraid of one horse,” was the trainer’s take on the clash with Lady Aurelia. “Bring it on!”
There’s also Group One action for the colts on the card in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes, with Godolphin’s Blue Point, a York winner having taken the Gimcrack Stakes, likely to be a leading player. Trainer Charlie Appleby says: “Everything has gone well to date and we are on target for the Middle Park. He is fit and well and is a very exciting horse.”
Aidan O’Brien has five possibles left in the race, and also has a strong hand in the 1600m Royal Lodge Stakes, the Group Two which was the first pattern-race won by Frankel when he scored in 2010. He has won the Royal Lodge on five previous occasions and Derby second-favourite Capri heads his team.
Saturday’s action would not be complete, of course, without the big race that gives the meeting its title – the 1800m 35-runner Betfred Cambridgeshire.
Sunday at The Curragh
Out to win the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes for the sixth time in a row, Aidan O’Brien has a predictably strong hand but Jessica Harrington has supplemented impressive Listowel scorer Escape Clause, while Firey Speech is respected for Dermot Weld and Moyglare Stud Farm.
18 leading names are in contention for the Group Three Renaissance Stakes over 1200m earlier in the afternoon.
Gordon Lord Byron, Sole Power, Toscanini and the frustrating Washington DC are among the Irish possibles to take the eye, with Kevin Ryan’s Goken and the Henry Candy-trained La Rioja potential British raiders.
Dermot Weld’s Eziyra is possibly the pick of the Irish-trained contenders in the Group Three C.L. & M.F. Weld Park Stakes, having finished second to Sea Of Grace in the Flame Of Tara Stakes on her most recent appearance while Godolphin have added some spice to the mix with a couple of potential runners from Newmarket in Grecian Light and Wuheida
