The 5-year-old Australian mare Aperol Sprint has won four times in her 25-race career, with each of the wins at 1 1/4 miles or longer.
Thursday at Gosford Racecourse, Aperol Sprint will start at 1 5/8 miles against males in the second race on an eight-race program.
By Paul Jones
Last year’s race
Winner: Palace Pier
Jockey: L Dettori
Trainer: J & T Gosden
Owner: Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Age: 4 Weight: 9st 0lbs
Starting Price: 2/7
Season Form Figures: 11
Previous Best: 1st - St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1), Ascot (June 2020)
Nine American-based horses, including five for Wesley Ward, are set to travel to England this week for races at the Royal Ascot meeting, which runs from June 14 through June 18.
Ward has cut down on the number of horses he’s sending to Royal Ascot this year, but at least four of his runners should have excellent chances in their respective races.
“The more darts you throw the better chance you have to hit. But then it’s also a long ride home and big expense when it doesn’t work out. I decided to center in on the ones I thought had the best chance,” Ward said.
After a bumpy introduction to Australian racing in April, Nimbostratus, stakes-placed at Santa Anita in 2021, will have her second start in that country in a handicap at 5 1/4 furlongs at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Nimbostratus finished a well-beaten last of eight in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Canterbury Park in April in her Australian debut. It was her first start since a ninth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf last July at Del Mar.
Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has become the master of the Prix du Jockey Club, winning his fifth overall and fourth in the last seven years as Vadeni stormed to victory Sunday at Chantilly in France’s derby.
It was the third day in a row a European classic has delivered a satisfying result. Friday, Emily Upjohn nearly overcame a very difficult trip and lost a head bob to Tuesday in the Oaks at Epsom, and on Saturday at Epsom, silky smooth Desert Crown turned in an exceptional performance winning the Derby.
Rock the Dream had a month of close finishes in Australia in May, finishing with interest to be third in two sprint handicaps.
For her first start in June, at Armidale Racecourse on Tuesday, the theme remains the same. Rock the Dream starts in a seven-furlong handicap. But unlike in May when she started against males, Rock the Dream is part of a field of 10 fillies and mares at Armidale.
Trained by Scott Singleton, Rock the Dream was beaten 1 1/4 lengths at 6 1/2 furlongs at Muswellbrook on May 9, and by 1 1/2 lengths at seven furlongs at Inverell Racecourse on May 27.
In February, the Japanese-bred 4-year-old filly Songline won the Group 3 1351 Sprint on the undercard of the Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia, her first journey away from Japan.
On Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse, Songline won her first Grade 1 stakes in her fourth appearance in a race at that level in the $2.65 million Yasuda Kinen for turf milers.
The race has international implications of its own. The win gives Songline an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland in November.
Believe the hype.
Desert Crown, with only two previous runs, both sharp wins but neither above the Group 2 level, more than justified his solid favoritism for the Derby on Saturday at Epsom Downs in England. Desert Crown paid $6.40 on the American tote board but won like he should’ve been odds-on.
