Headline buy Ghostwriter gets mile-and-a-half chance in Hardwicke
Cox and previous owner Jeff Smith had been itching to step the four-year-old up in trip to a mile and a half following a succession of good runs over 10 furlongs last season against the likes of City Of Troy and Look De Vega.
Bought by Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing at Monday's Goffs London Sale, he will be ridden by David Egan for the first time.
'He obviously went through the ring on Monday but we've been wanting to step him up in trip for a little while now and this looks a good time to do it,' said Cox.
'He ran well in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and prior to that in Dubai so I'm hopeful that he'll relish the chance to step up in trip and I hope he does well for his new connections.
'The race has changed in complexion with Kalpana not running. I'm hugely respectful to Rebel's Romance as he's such a consistent performer and he's a credit to everyone involved with him, but I'm hopeful we can get involved at the finish.
'He's run well on the straight track at Ascot before, he's never been on the round course there but I'm happy that he's in excellent form and I hope he can put his best foot forward.'
The aforementioned Rebel's Romance has been an absolute star for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin.
Now seven, he has won Group One races in America, Germany, Hong Kong and Dubai over a mile and a half and last time out won the Yorkshire Cup over an extra two furlongs.
'I keep telling people, if I need to explain what Rebel's Romance is all about, they are probably not racing fans,' said Appleby on his globetrotting stable stalwart.
'He comes here in great order and he's well renowned for what he can do. I think the trump card could be the drop back to a mile and a half and that is going to be more comfortable for him. It was his guts that got him over the line at York, he's an absolute star.'
William Haggas, who got off the mark for the week on Thursday with Merchant, runs three, the shortest priced of them being the Wathnan Racing-owned Space Legend, who finished second in the King Edward VII last season to Calandagan
'We used the Huxley as a prep for this which was an inadequate trip and I'm not sure Chester's tight nature would have been ideal for him,' said Wathnan's Richard Brown.
'Ascot back up in distance will hopefully be more suitable, but he will have to perform to his very best as it's an incredible Hardwicke and he'll need to be on top form to make the top three – if he was to finish in the first three we would be delighted.'
Godolphin and Wathnan are to the fore in the Chesham Stakes, too, with Appleby's Treanmor living up to his €2million price tag on debut.
Appleby said: 'We were confident going into Newmarket over the six furlongs and he qualifies for the Chesham on the back of his sire Frankel.
'Frankel has phenomenal stats here at Ascot and I think he's second only to Dubawi, so we come here confident the step up in trip will suit and I think both physically and mentally he has come forward from that first run at Newmarket.'
Humidity was bought by Wathnan following a winning Newbury debut in the Cheveley Park Stud colours.
'He was bred for this and both physically and on pedigree you would think he would want further than six furlongs,' said Brown.
'His full-brother Holloway Boy won this on debut in 2022 and hopefully it is the right spot for him.
'I was really impressed with him at Newbury but this is going to be a tough race. Aidan (O'Brien) is bringing a smart horse over (Moments Of Joy) and Charlie Appleby's Treanmor looked special when winning at Newmarket.
'However, our lad is one from one and did it well and we're now going to find out how good he is.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Harry Eustace expresses unbridled joy after winning at Royal Ascot as a rookie trainer - saying 'I promise you we will celebrate'
Harry Eustace wanted to get his words out but all he could manage was a nod of the head in agreement. Had this really happened again? The answer, most definitely, was yes. Time For Sandals, his little three-year-old filly, had just completed the second part of week that, in all likelihood, has just transformed his career. Winning a Group One at Royal Ascot, for a rookie trainer, could be dismissed as luck but to do it twice in the space of four days indicates serious talent. Eustace had started the meeting that matters above all with a bang, when Docklands won the Queen Anne Stakes, but things got even better for the 37-year-old, who only started training in 2021; Time For Sandals might have been a 25/1 shot but she hit the line as powerfully as an odds-on favourite. There was heartbreak for connections of 28/1 runner-up Arizona Blaze, who wondered what might have happened had they been drawn on the far side of the track with Time For Sandals, but none of that diluted the wonderment which consumed Eustace. He's certainly bred for this job. His father, James, was an institution in Newmarket and won the 1998 Royal Hunt Cup here; his uncle, David Oughton, landed the Golden Jubilee Stakes in 2005, when Ascot was staged at York, from Hong Kong, where Harry's younger brother, David, now trains. Having the genes is one thing, being able to performer is another. Eustace dropped out of Edinburgh University, where he was studying chemistry, to pursue his dream of training good horses and the last four days, unequivocally, have shown that was the right call. 'People are waiting for you to prove you can do it – and we have done it twice this week,' said Eustace, whose other runners at Ascot this week finished second and fifth. 'This is the big marquee meeting of the entire year. To win here is the greatest stage and it's enormous for us. 'I won't take any of it for granted. I have been very lucky growing up with Dad. But it's tough. This is a sport and an industry in which it is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to keep going. 'I promise you we will celebrate it because you never know if it's going to be a little while between drinks!' This, in essence, is what it is all about: joy. Everywhere you looked, you could see what everyone is in this for: from Richard Kingscote, who partnered Time For Sandals, to Kieran Shoemark, who emerged from a period of turbulence to take the Sandringham Stakes on 22/1 shot Never Let Go. 'It has been a tough six weeks,' said Shoemark, who lost his job as one of John and Thady Gosden's main riders after losing on Field Of Gold in the 2000 Guineas. 'I had an opportunity that put me on the map and it is my job to remain there now.' Staying on the map is something that Willie Mullins will never have to worry about but even this winning machine looked like he was savouring Ascot success for the first time (it was actually his eleventh win) when Ethical Diamond blitzed the field in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes. Then, of course, there was Joseph Murphy, who sent out the 33/1 winner of the Coronation Stakes. He and jockey Gary Carroll are pillars of this sport in Ireland, the kind of men who keep the wheels turning on a daily basis but rarely get the credit they deserve. 'It's a lifetime's ambition to have a Group One winner,' said Murphy, who is now 70. 'This is 50 years of work – that's what it is. It's love and care, and all for the owners we have, all our people. It's just a whole group of people together. This is heaven on earth.'
ITV News
3 hours ago
- ITV News
Cercene upstages Zarigana in Coronation Stakes
Cercene gave jockey Gary Carroll and trainer Joseph Murphy a day to remember when bravely holding off French hotpot Zarigana to land the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Billed as a clash between French 1,000 Guineas winner Zarigana and Owen Burrows' supplemented Falakeyah, it was the Irish outsider who stole the show to become the race's longest-priced winner at 33-1. Falakeyah's challenge faded tamely having raced keenly, but 6-4 favourite Zarigana looked prime to pounce in hands of Mickael Barzalona and in fact looked to briefly have passed Cercene. However, Irish 1,000 third Cercene was not to be denied and proved her Curragh performance was no fluke as she battled back to secure a half-length verdict. Murphy said: 'We always liked her. We left her a little longer but good fillies you always leave a little longer, you never put them over. 'He got her switched off, he's confident and he's ridden for me 17 years now. 'This is 50 years of work, that's what it is, of love and care, and all for the owners we have, all our people, it's just a whole group of people together. This is heaven on earth. 'It's a lifetime's ambition to have a Group One winner. She's by Australia – a sire I love – and her half-brother (Perotto) won the Britannia so the pedigree was there and if she was an inch bigger I wouldn't have her! 'I was hoping Lake Victoria stayed in because we'd have a lesser race and then we'd have pace and ride her easier, you know what I mean. 'She travelled well, Gary gave her a great ride, and we were thinking that being by Australia she'd stay as well. She was headed and came back again. She waited for something to head her, but she's very tough and a dream to train. The plan was today so now we'll draw new plans.' Carroll said: 'It's unbelievable. I've been riding a long time now and been placed in plenty of Group Ones. This is my first one and if I was ever to ride a Group One winner it was for Joe Murphy. 'I've been riding for him since I was a 7lb claimer and he's been very, very good to me so I'm delighted I can repay him. 'She ran a blinder at the Curragh where the slow pace didn't suit. We went a bit better gallop there today, got to the front a furlong and a half out and she waited, the French horse came and headed me; to be fair to this one she's not big but she's very tough and she stuck her head out for me. 'It's hugely satisfying to win a Group One. They're so hard to come by. Good horses are very hard to come by. To do this, Royal Ascot, magic. 'After the Guineas run, a better run race there she'd have finished closer again, I think she's taken a step forward from there and she's ultra-tough, she doesn't know when to give up.'
North Wales Chronicle
4 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Headline buy Ghostwriter gets mile-and-a-half chance in Hardwicke
Cox and previous owner Jeff Smith had been itching to step the four-year-old up in trip to a mile and a half following a succession of good runs over 10 furlongs last season against the likes of City Of Troy and Look De Vega. Bought by Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing at Monday's Goffs London Sale, he will be ridden by David Egan for the first time. 'He obviously went through the ring on Monday but we've been wanting to step him up in trip for a little while now and this looks a good time to do it,' said Cox. 'He ran well in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and prior to that in Dubai so I'm hopeful that he'll relish the chance to step up in trip and I hope he does well for his new connections. 'The race has changed in complexion with Kalpana not running. I'm hugely respectful to Rebel's Romance as he's such a consistent performer and he's a credit to everyone involved with him, but I'm hopeful we can get involved at the finish. 'He's run well on the straight track at Ascot before, he's never been on the round course there but I'm happy that he's in excellent form and I hope he can put his best foot forward.' The aforementioned Rebel's Romance has been an absolute star for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin. Now seven, he has won Group One races in America, Germany, Hong Kong and Dubai over a mile and a half and last time out won the Yorkshire Cup over an extra two furlongs. 'I keep telling people, if I need to explain what Rebel's Romance is all about, they are probably not racing fans,' said Appleby on his globetrotting stable stalwart. 'He comes here in great order and he's well renowned for what he can do. I think the trump card could be the drop back to a mile and a half and that is going to be more comfortable for him. It was his guts that got him over the line at York, he's an absolute star.' William Haggas, who got off the mark for the week on Thursday with Merchant, runs three, the shortest priced of them being the Wathnan Racing-owned Space Legend, who finished second in the King Edward VII last season to Calandagan 'We used the Huxley as a prep for this which was an inadequate trip and I'm not sure Chester's tight nature would have been ideal for him,' said Wathnan's Richard Brown. 'Ascot back up in distance will hopefully be more suitable, but he will have to perform to his very best as it's an incredible Hardwicke and he'll need to be on top form to make the top three – if he was to finish in the first three we would be delighted.' Godolphin and Wathnan are to the fore in the Chesham Stakes, too, with Appleby's Treanmor living up to his €2million price tag on debut. Appleby said: 'We were confident going into Newmarket over the six furlongs and he qualifies for the Chesham on the back of his sire Frankel. 'Frankel has phenomenal stats here at Ascot and I think he's second only to Dubawi, so we come here confident the step up in trip will suit and I think both physically and mentally he has come forward from that first run at Newmarket.' Humidity was bought by Wathnan following a winning Newbury debut in the Cheveley Park Stud colours. 'He was bred for this and both physically and on pedigree you would think he would want further than six furlongs,' said Brown. 'His full-brother Holloway Boy won this on debut in 2022 and hopefully it is the right spot for him. 'I was really impressed with him at Newbury but this is going to be a tough race. Aidan (O'Brien) is bringing a smart horse over (Moments Of Joy) and Charlie Appleby's Treanmor looked special when winning at Newmarket. 'However, our lad is one from one and did it well and we're now going to find out how good he is.'
