Royal Ascot

Thursdays Card

Manifest for the Gold Cup

Timely boost for Cecil's Gold Cup hope Manifest

HENRY CECIL enjoyed the perfect boost for the chances of Manifest in the Gold Cup on Thursday when stablemate Timepiece gave him a 72nd winner at Royal Ascot with victory in the Sandringham Handicap on Wednesday.

Cecil has won the Gold Cup on five occasions, although not since 1987 when Paean triumphed under Steve Cauthen.

In Manifest, the veteran trainer has the long-time Gold Cup favourite since Khalid Abdullah's four-year-old cruised to an eight-length win in the Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup in May.

Manifest will be ridden by Tom Queally, who is also on a high after steering Timepiece to victory.

"Manifest got jarred up at York. The Prince has never won the Gold Cup, but this horse may be the one to change that," said Cecil.

"I feel he will stay but he would like a bit of give in the ground. They are going to water. I don't want it to change the going but I would like no jar."

Opponents to Manifest include Age Of Aquarius, representing trainer Aidan O'Brien, who trained Yeats to a record four Gold Cup wins between 2006 and 2009.


Another trainer to have won the race four times, Saeed Bin Suroor, saddles last year's St Leger runner-up Kite Wood and Cesarewitch winner Darley Sun.

"Kite Wood won a Group 2 over a mile and seven furlongs in France and he has been in good form since that race," said Bin Suroor.

"He handled that distance well and Ithink he will stay the Gold Cup trip as long as he settles.

"Ideally, he would like some cut underfoot but the ground at Royal Ascot on Tuesday was fine and he will be okay provided the going is good and safe. It looks an open renewal and we are looking to see him go close."

Bin Suroor added: "Darley Sun also ran well on his seasonal return in one of the best trials for the Gold Cup.

"He's doing very well in his work and I think this is the right race for him - he will get the distance and he will have no problem with a faster surface."

No JJ but..........................

Global field of 24 set for Golden Jubilee

A TRULY global field of 24 were on Thursday declared for the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday.

Showcasing, second in the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes on his last start, leads the home team and betting at 5-1 with Victor Chandler, while Hong Kong sprinter Happy Zero, Kinsale King, representing US trainer Carl O'Callaghan, and former Australian-trained speedster Starspangledbanner remain at the final stage.

The three absentees were Alfred Nobel, Duff and Kingsgate Native, who finished sixth in the King's Stand Stakes at the meeting on Tuesday, and won this race in 2008.

Owner Khalid Abdullah, represented by Showcasing and Main Aim, holds a strong hand in the race as he attempts to gain more success at Royal Ascot.

His racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe told At The Races: "Showcasing hasmore zip than Main Aim, but Main Aim ran on really well in the Duke of York and deserves to take his chance."

In the Hardwicke Stakes, Jukebox Jury carries a 5lb penalty for winning a Group 1 in Germany as 12 were declared for the 1m4f contest.

Harbinger, succesful on both his starts this season, stands his ground alongside Crowded House, Duncan and the only mare in the line-up Barshiba

Manifest, ran a good race last time, and looks like he could stay all day. its going to take a good horse to beat him today, I also like the Godolfin horse Hibaayeb in the 15,05.

Report: Royal Ascot, Thursday

Gold Cup (Group 1) 2m4f, 2yo+

DERMOT WELD broke Aidan O'Brien's strangehold on the Gold Cup after Rite Of Passage shattered the track record when wearing down Age Of Aquarius in an epic duel.

The 20-1 winner provided the two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer with his first victory in the famous race and denied O'Brien a fifth consecutive success following the memorable exploits of Yeats.

Turning for home, Johnny Murtagh appeared to hold all the aces on Age Of Aquarius, sent off an uneasy 8-1 chance, but as stamina came into play, dual-purpose star Rite Of Passage relished every yard of the 2m4f trip.

Goodcall with Hibaayeb Russel

Gold Cup Replay


Fridays Card

Jacqueline Quest bids for popular Coronation win


THERE would be few more popular winners at Royal Ascot on Friday than Jacqueline Quest, who bids to win the Coronation Stakes.

First past the post in the StanJames.com 1,000 Guineas, she was demoted to second by the Newmarket stewards for interference to Special Duty, who was awarded the race.

The filly is trained by Henry Cecil for owner Noel Martin, who named her after his late wife.

Martin was paralysed from the neck down since becoming the victim of a racially motivated attack by neo-Nazis in Germany 14 years ago.

Cecil said: "Jacqueline Quest has been very well since Newmarket. I think she is an improving filly and a better filly than the one who ran at Newmarket, but whether she is good enough we'll have to wait and see."

While Special Duty is absent many of the fillies who finished behind her at Newmarket take her on again. Gile Na Greine was beaten just a nose and a head into third with Sent From Heaven only a half length further back in fourth.

Music Show, who was badly drawn at Newmarket and finished sixth, then came out and finished third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, one place behind another of Friday's runners, Anna Salai, and two in front of Lillie Langtry, who is also in the line-up.

Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Music Show's owner Jaber Abdullah, said: "She has been in very good form since the Curragh and has improved a bit, certainly in her coat and condition. Mick [Channon] is very bullish about her."

The form of Workforce's Derby win gets its first test when three of the 11 colts who finished behind him at Epsom take their chance in the King Edward VII Stakes.

Chief among that number will be the Aidan O'Brien-trained Derby runner-up At First Sight, who will be out to prove his b0ld front-running performance at 100-1 that day was no fluke.

Buzzword finished eighth at Epsom when he was stepped up to this 1m4f trip for the first time, while Bullet Train, winnerof the Derby Trial at Lingfield the time before was not given too hard a time after failing to act on the track.

Has to be Music Show for me today..

I was watching that day Jacqueline Quest lost the race on an objection, was gutting for the owner, he looked devastated. Would love to see her win for him today.

See Kings Gambit is also running at Ascot today....