Page 31 - May 2005 The Game

32 The Game, May 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Roses In May was ridden to victory in the world's richest race in Dubai recently by John Valasquez and the five years old American runner which is trained by Dale Romans easily justified favouritism when sent into the lead by his rider turning into the straight.
There was only one European winner on the card and this came when Phoenix Reach beat Godolphin's Razkulla in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Winner of the Canadian International at Woodbine in 2003 Phoenix Reach has also won in Hong Kong and England and his young trainer Andrew Balding plans to campaign him in Major International races through the season.
His next target is the Queen Elizabeth 11 Cup at Sha Tin in April and he will then probably go to York where this year's Royal Ascot meeting will be held due to a major redevelopment at Ascot racecourse.
The Godolphin team were eagerly awaiting the first run of 2005 from Shamardal which they acquired at the end of the 2004 English flat season. The Champion juvenile was been spoken of as a Kentucky Derby hopeful but he did not seem too happy on the dirt and finished a long way behind stablecompanion Blues And Royals which was ridden by Australian Kerrin McEvoy.
Immediately after the race Godolphin announced that they will enter Blues And Royals for the big Kentucky event and that Shamardal may still be allowed to take his chance in America's famous race. Shamardal was smartly away but was immediately engaged in a battle with Gypsy Johnny and Durban Thunder. Frankie Dettori's mount was still in contention entering the straight but quickly dropped away and it will come as no surprise if he switches to Blues And Royals in Kentucky. The latter improved a lot on previous runs and this may be due to the fact that he was wearing blinkers for the first time. Elvstroem won the Dubai Duty Free race for Australia but a big disappointment here was the Irish challenger Alexander Goldrun which never got into contention in the fourteen runner field. Jim Bolger's filly had previously won two successive grade 1 races in France and Hong Kong and connections felt she just had an off day.
Powerscourt was the other Irish runner at the meeting but he did not enjoy the clearest of runs behind Phoenix Reach in the Classic and had to settle for fifth place with rider Kieren Fallon saying "we were tightened up on the turn but the colt ran okay.”
Fallon had commenced his new job as stable jockey to Aidan o'Brien's powerful Ballydoyle yard the previous weekend when the Irish flat season opened at the Curragh. The new partnership visited the winner's enclosure when Kitty O'Shea won her second of two starts in tremendous style and has entered the betting lists for the English 1,000 Guineas. Fallon set a steady early gallop against proven older grade 3 performers but with three furlongs to go quickened the tempo and had his mount eight lengths clear entering the final furlong before easing down in the last 100 yards to win by six lengths.
After racing he was in action six more times as O'Brien had taken thirty of his horses to the track for a gallop. The workouts were not very strong but Fallon was impressed with a number of hismountsincludingFootstepsinthesandwhich wasconsidered a possible for the English 2,000 Guineas next month but is unlikely to be ready in time.
Powerscourt could return to Ireland to run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup which he won with ease last year. However, this grade 1 race will be tougher to take this time around as John Oxx has indicated he may saddle Azamour and Dermot Weld may give his Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow his seasonal start in the same contest add Sir Michaels Stoute's Epsom Derby winner North Light and it makes for a most exciting and competitive race and a great season ahead.
Azamour carries the colours of H.H. Aga Khan who now has over 800 racehorses in addition to his seven stallions. With the exception of Azamour he did not have too many topclass winners in 2004 but has some very nice prospects to look forward to in 2005.
Michael Stoute, who expected Fallon to ride for him this season until the Ballydoyle job became available, will not
~ The Scribe ~
European Update
employ a stable jockey. Irishman John Murtagh was not available for the job and now it is understood that his compatriot Michael Kinane, formerly Ballydoyle's jockey before teaming up with Oxx last year, will ride Stoute's top horses when not required by John Oxx in Ireland.
English racing was dealt another blow when Irish trained runners Democratic Deficit and Indesatchel won the Craven Stakes at Newmarket and the Greenham Stakes at Newbury recently. These races are regarded as the top trials for the first of the classics but only Democratic Deficit will go for the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas.
He carries the colours of Harry Dobson who has mining interests in Canada and having improved through the Winter months he will now take his chance in the Classic although still on offer at odds of 20/1. Democratic Deficit is a son of Soviet Star and needs fast ground to be seen at his best. Even if he does not have the conditions to his liking at Newmarket he should enjoy a lucrative time during the Summer months.
As a juvenile Democratic Deficit was well beaten by Dubawi at the Curragh and the latter remains a strong favourite for the Guineas despite not having a prep race. However, Godolphin had him in Dubai for the Winter and he apparently impressed in his workouts at Nad Al Sheba.
Indesatchel, trained by John Magnier's son in law David Wachman, galloped prior to his win with the filly Damson and she is the current favourite for the 1,000 Guineas (May 1st). She is unproven over the mile distance but was a very speedy filly as a juvenile.
Cheltenham can easily be described as the breeders cup of jump racing and is billed as an annual match between the Irish invaders and their British counterparts.
However the Irish enjoyed their best ever Cheltenham Festival meeting when capturing 9 of the twenty-four races. Hardy Eustace (Champion Hurdle), Moscow Flyer (Queen Mother Champion Chase) and Kicking King ( Gold Cup) took the three grade 1 championship races and amazingly the first five home in England's Champion Hurdle were trained in Ireland. Kelami won a handicap chase for France. While Irish eyes were smiling the home trainers were left with sad faces.
The trend continued at the Aintree Grand National fixture at Liverpool at the beginning of April. Ireland's challengers took eight races over the three days including the National itself with Hedgehunter and the grade one Aintree Hurdle with Al-Eile. Moscow Flyer, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, landed his nineteenth win over fences and Fota Island also followed up his Cheltenham victory.
Former Irish jockey Ferdy Murphy, now training in the North of England, had bad luck in the Scottish National last year when Granit D'Estruval fell at the final fence having seven days earlier won the Irish Grand National. He enjoyed better luck at Ayr this time when Joe's Edge, a winner at Aintree eight days previously, out battled Cornish Rebel in a thrilling finish.
The runner up, beaten just an inch or two, was ridden by Ruby Walsh who was attempting a unique four timer having landed the Welsh, Irish and English Nationals in the current season. No jockey has ever ridden the winners of these four marathons in the same season.
There will be a few brave souls carrying the union jack across the Irish sea in search of revenge at the Punchestown festival, which gets under way about the same time this issue goes to print, so we'll cover that sad story next time.
Silver for Horses
Jim Purvis displays the Colloidal Silver products which are now available for horses
Colloidal Silver is a pure all-nat- ural substance which acts as a pow- erful, natural antibiotic and has been most effectively used as a dis- ease, germ, virus and fungal killer.
Like all minerals, we get silver in our bodies through the food we eat. However the presence of chemical fertilizers in the soil prevents the natural nutrients from getting to the plants, leaving most people and horses with a deficiency of most vitamins and minerals including sil- ver.
Colloidal Silver can be used both externally (applied directly to cuts, scraped and wounds) and internally to clean out toxins, mucus and bac- teria.
Taken daily Colloidal Silver is touted as providing a second immune system resulting in more energy, vitality, vigor, relaxation and faster healing and reduced body toxins.
Colloidal Silver is produced locally in Caledon Hills and is 99.999% Silver and distilled water. It is recommended for skin disease, open cuts and abrasions as well as treating breathing, sinus, allergy and lung problems.
For more information on Colloidal Silver contact Jim at 416-949-1414.
Did You Know....
That Jockey Robbie King Jr., who recently returned to riding at
Woodbine, won in his second start back on April 17. Robbie captured the final race aboard the 19-1 longshot Gladiators Consort for trainer Darren Glennon.
The 41-year-old, two-time Champion jockey had been
absent from riding competitively for nine years while he pursued a career as a trainer at Woodbine.
Robbie has had 1,096 career wins (incl. 33 Stakes) as a jockey
and 29 career wins (incl. 3 Stakes) as a trainer.