Tornado Alert has Bin Suroor hopeful he can take Epsom by storm
Lammtarra put Bin Suroor in the spotlight at Epsom in 1995 and with the old mantra of fourth in the Guineas, first in the Derby set to be put to the test once again – after Generous so gloriously did in 1991 – the multiple Classic winning-trainer is confident this year's candidate will excel now upped in distance.
'The further he goes, the better he will be. He is a nice and relaxed horse,' said Bin Suroor.
'Oisin Murphy is going to ride him, he has been in a few mornings to ride him and he's been happy with him. I'm looking forward to seeing them together in a race.
'The first three were a little in front of him at Newmarket, but he beat Wimbledon Hawkeye who is a good horse.
'He has done everything right since the Guineas and it is exciting to be going to another Classic with him.'
Ralph Beckett is still awaiting his first victory in the premier Classic and holds a strong hand with York hero Pride Of Arras and Stanhope Gardens.
The former bids to become the 12th horse to do the Dante/Derby double, with the Kimpton Down handler happy his York scorer ticks plenty of boxes.
Beckett said: 'I think he's tightened up for the Dante and he's on good terms with himself. We're going there with our best foot forward, that's for sure.
'He's got more speed than I imagined he would have, having trained his dam and his brothers and sisters, so that is a positive, and his half-sister and half-brother both won at Epsom, which gives us encouragement.
'Soft ground isn't a concern, he has a soft ground pedigree and it's been a bit of a surprise to me he handles quick ground as well as he does.'
Stanhope Gardens, meanwhile, was only a neck behind Aidan O'Brien's Delacroix in the Autumn Stakes in October and made a foot-perfect return at Salisbury.
'Going into the winter this horse was always the one I thought was most likely to show up here,' added Beckett.
'He had the form with Delacroix and he was still pretty inexperienced that day, just his third run having won at Beverley and finished behind Ruling Court on his debut.
'He's a very well-balanced horse, very light on his feet and it's likely he will be suited by Epsom.
'He's a very straightforward customer, the reason he didn't make a trial is because he galloped away from home in mid-April and pulled a muscle in the back of his ribs which forced him to miss two weeks, so he's done pretty well to get here.'
Damysus has come a long way since winning on debut at Southwell in December and after catching the eye of many observers when second to Pride Of Arras in the Dante, he could give John Gosden his third Derby and first in conjunction with son Thady.
The Clarehaven team will also saddle the Juddmonte-owned Nightwalker, a staying-on fifth behind his stablemate at York, with Thady Gosden expecting both to thrive at a mile and a half.
He said: 'Their pedigrees suggests they will stay and also the way they travel during a race points to that as well.
'The Dante was an interesting race. There were a few little things to take out of it, but these are two horses we think will suit Epsom well. They were both doing their best work late on at York and it was a hot trial, but off that performance they've both shown that they deserve to come here.'
As well as Nightwalker, the Juddmonte team will be represented by Henri-François Devin's New Ground, one of two French raiders supplemented for the race alongside Francis-Henri Graffard's unbeaten Midak, who will fittingly sport the colours of the late Aga Khan in a race named this year in his honour.
Nemone Routh, French racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs, said: 'Every time we have run him he has improved and he has also improved physically through the year, so we would be hopeful he could run well.
'He's not going there devoid of hope and has done nothing wrong. It's an open race and he goes there with a sporting chance.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
43 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Trawlerman triumph highlights fruitful Royal Ascot for Gosden team
Field Of Gold and Ombudsman had already produced sublime performances in the St James's Palace Stakes and Prince of Wales's Stakes respectively during the first two days of the Royal meeting, but the elusive Gold Cup victory for the Clarehaven team's staying stalwart rubber stamped a stellar five days. John Gosden said: 'It's been a terrific week and I think the highlight must be Trawlerman. he's been in the yard five years, he's by Golden Horn and he wears his heart on his sleeve. 'He's the most genuine horse and in his races he will do everything, but when you're with him in person he is a kind, sweet, gentle soul, and for him to run the race he did having coming second last year – what a fantastic result for the horse and for the sport.' The Gosden team finished the week with five winners, the same number as O'Brien, but took the prize due to on extra silver medal they picked up through the week. Gosden Sr has previously won the award twice on his own and praised his son Thady after winning the award for a second time as a training partnership. John Gosden – who registered his 70th Royal Ascot winner this week – continued: 'Our week started very strongly with the right races and everyone working at home had the horses spot-on. 'They've run very well since, finishing second and third and second and third, and that of course counts towards winning this when you're at five winners all with Aidan O'Brien. 'Thady has been with me about eight years already – and the rest – so, poor chap, it must be getting a bit annoying! 'But there is nothing like this meeting, it's our Olympics, and it's great to win this. Without him I wouldn't be as on the ball at all. It's been a great combination.' Reflecting on Field Of Gold's dazzling Group One victory which lit up the opening day of the fixture, he added: 'Field Of Gold is a horse who has just improved and improved and improved. 'His sire Kingman was a peerless miler, but he has shown the electric turn of foot his sire had. It was a great race with all three Guineas winners from north-western Europe in the same race. He is very exciting for Juddmonte and for all of us.' Ballydoyle handler O'Brien may have been thwarted in his quest for a fourth successive leading trainer prize, but his number one jockey Ryan Moore was out on his own as top rider for the 12th time. He capped yet another fine week in Berkshire with his seventh success of the meeting aboard Willie Mullins' Sober in the concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes to finish two clear of Oisin Murphy. Moore said: 'It's great to ride seven winners, Aidan's horses were in great form all work, when you're riding for Aidan and Willie you're going to ride winners.' Both Coolmore and Wathnan Racing finished the week with five winners, but it was Coolmore who came out on top for the third year running on account of their superior record with placed horses. Coolmore's MV Magnier said: 'It means a lot to everyone. The guys and everyone put everything into this week, and for Aidan and Ryan to do such a good job, it's incredible. 'We're very grateful and we are very lucky to be here. We are very lucky to have the King and Queen present every day this week. It's a big deal for our business.'
North Wales Chronicle
44 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Trawlerman triumph highlights fruitful Royal Ascot for Gosden team
Field Of Gold and Ombudsman had already produced sublime performances in the St James's Palace Stakes and Prince of Wales's Stakes respectively during the first two days of the Royal meeting, but the elusive Gold Cup victory for the Clarehaven team's staying stalwart rubber stamped a stellar five days. John Gosden said: 'It's been a terrific week and I think the highlight must be Trawlerman. he's been in the yard five years, he's by Golden Horn and he wears his heart on his sleeve. 'He's the most genuine horse and in his races he will do everything, but when you're with him in person he is a kind, sweet, gentle soul, and for him to run the race he did having coming second last year – what a fantastic result for the horse and for the sport.' The Gosden team finished the week with five winners, the same number as O'Brien, but took the prize due to on extra silver medal they picked up through the week. Gosden Sr has previously won the award twice on his own and praised his son Thady after winning the award for a second time as a training partnership. John Gosden – who registered his 70th Royal Ascot winner this week – continued: 'Our week started very strongly with the right races and everyone working at home had the horses spot-on. 'They've run very well since, finishing second and third and second and third, and that of course counts towards winning this when you're at five winners all with Aidan O'Brien. 'Thady has been with me about eight years already – and the rest – so, poor chap, it must be getting a bit annoying! 'But there is nothing like this meeting, it's our Olympics, and it's great to win this. Without him I wouldn't be as on the ball at all. It's been a great combination.' Reflecting on Field Of Gold's dazzling Group One victory which lit up the opening day of the fixture, he added: 'Field Of Gold is a horse who has just improved and improved and improved. 'His sire Kingman was a peerless miler, but he has shown the electric turn of foot his sire had. It was a great race with all three Guineas winners from north-western Europe in the same race. He is very exciting for Juddmonte and for all of us.' Ballydoyle handler O'Brien may have been thwarted in his quest for a fourth successive leading trainer prize, but his number one jockey Ryan Moore was out on his own as top rider for the 12th time. He capped yet another fine week in Berkshire with his seventh success of the meeting aboard Willie Mullins' Sober in the concluding Queen Alexandra Stakes to finish two clear of Oisin Murphy. Moore said: 'It's great to ride seven winners, Aidan's horses were in great form all work, when you're riding for Aidan and Willie you're going to ride winners.' Both Coolmore and Wathnan Racing finished the week with five winners, but it was Coolmore who came out on top for the third year running on account of their superior record with placed horses. Coolmore's MV Magnier said: 'It means a lot to everyone. The guys and everyone put everything into this week, and for Aidan and Ryan to do such a good job, it's incredible. 'We're very grateful and we are very lucky to be here. We are very lucky to have the King and Queen present every day this week. It's a big deal for our business.'
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Noble just Champion for Walker and Shoemark
Having successfully combined with 22-1 shot Never Let Go in Friday's Sandringham Stakes, Walker and Shoemark teamed up with another relative outsider in Noble Champion, who was 25-1 having struggled to make an impact in Group Three and Listed company this spring. But stepped back up in trip from six to seven furlongs for this Group Three assignment, the Lope De Vega colt flourished, racing in the slipstream of the pacesetting Spy Chief for much of the way before taking over and pulling three and a quarter lengths clear, despite hanging left late on. Favourite Comanche Brave was just under three further back in third. 'It just hasn't panned out, he had a setback in January that messed up our prep for the Greenham,' said Walker. 'We thought he was a Guineas horse, we really believed a lot in him. We thought we'd go a sensible route and we went in a conditions race at Goodwood over a mile, there wasn't much pace. He was keen and he just got it all wrong. 'We brought him back to six, he just shows so much speed at home – we even thought about supplementing him for the Commonwealth Cup because he has so much speed. 'Finally the trainer got it right! He's as good a work horse as we've had, he's a very impressive horse. He's very quick with such a high cruising speed, he's very, very smart. 'He's driven me mad, I'm guilty of wearing my heart on my sleeve and I tell my owners if I think the horses are good, bad or ugly. I told Simon (Sadler, owner) how much belief I had in this horse, we were gutted he got beaten on debut. 'I said to Simon that if it didn't work today, then I didn't know what was going wrong. The ground, track, and trip was all right.' Shoemark felt the course and distance had suited his mount well, adding: The stiff seven furlongs here at Ascot, with a nice strong pace has really seen him at his best effect. He was in a lovely rhythm and it was just a matter of time to when I pressed go, he really hit the line strong. 'It can be a lonely place in front here, with the grandstand there's plenty to look at. He wouldn't have been in front a lot on his own before, so he was entitled to be a little bit green, but he's very talented. 'The yard really is flying and there is a lovely team at home at Ed Walker's. It's a really impressive operation. I feel very fortunate to have partnered some good horses this week.' Spy Chief's rider Robert Havlin was pleased with the 20-1 shot's effort having run just three times previously. He said: 'A great run, he's an inexperienced horse coming from a novice win at Yarmouth. He's still learning and still needs to relax a bit. I think the more racing he does, the better he will get.' Donnacha O'Brien said of his third-placed runner: 'He ran OK, I don't think he had any excuses, the first two pulled well clear. This is a tough place, any time you hit the board, it's not a bad result.'
