It’s a Dundeel, who has won three consecutive Group 1 races against Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds, races outside his age group for the first time in Saturday’s $513,350 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick Racecourse.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of four Group 1 races on Saturday’s Randwick program.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and the central figure in the racing and breeding entity known as Godolphin, said Wednesday he was putting the English yard of trainer Mahmood al Zarooni on “lockdown” after 11 horses at the stables tested positive for two steroids, according to the British Horseracing Authority.
Sprinter Sacre, unbeaten in 10 steeplechase races, won his first start outside of England in Tuesday’s $247,000 Boylessports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown, Ireland.
The 7-year-old became the first horse to win races in the same year at the three major steeplechase festivals – Cheltenham, Aintree, and Punchestown – since the star Irish hurdler Istabraq in 1999.
Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni faces a likely suspension from British authorities after 11 horses he trains for Sheikh Mohammed’s powerful Godolphin Racing stable tested positive for banned substances in out-of-competition testing, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Monday.
A group of 45 horses trained by Al Zarooni in England were tested on April 9 and the 11 were found to be positive for the anabolic steroids ethylestranol and stanozolol.
On the same day that her older full brother Interaction won the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita, the 3-year-old filly Incabronatta won her debut in the Clasico Juan Boucau at San Ysidro, Argentina, on Sunday.
Owned by Jose Cerillo and Federico Fantini Jr., who also own Interaction, Incabronatta won the Clasico Boucau over 7 1/2 furlongs by a half-length in a field of 13 unraced 2-year-old fillies by Southern Hemisphere standards.
The filly is by Easing Along, a stallion by Storm Cat, and is out of Inter Rails, a mare by Ride the Rails.
Sacred Falls, the winner of the Group 1 New Zealand Guineas in 2012, pulled an 18-1 upset in Saturday’s $2,055,000 Doncaster Handicap at Randwick Racecourse in Australia, catching 5-2 favorite Pierro in the final sixteenth of a mile.
Carrying 117 pounds, Sacred Falls closed from the back of the field of 18 in the final quarter-mile. A 3-year-old colt in the Southern Hemisphere, Sacred Falls, who ran about a mile on heavy turf in 1:37.99, was ridden by Tommy Berry for trainer Chris Waller.
Trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes ruled the 3-year-old stakes action this week in England, with Olympic Glory winning the Group 3 Greenham Stakes and Maureen the Group 3 Fred Darling on Saturday at Newbury, two days after Toronado captured the Group 2 Craven at Newmarket.
Just two weeks after winning the Grand National over 4 3/8 miles at Aintree Racecourse, Auroras Encore is back in action on Saturday in the $271,000 Scottish Grand National over 4 1/16 miles at Ayr Racecourse in western Scotland.
Auroras Encore, 11, will be ridden by Ryan Mania, who was aboard in the Aintree race.
The Scottish Grand National drew a field of 26. Auroras Encore, trained by Sue Smith, is a 14-1 chance and will carry top weight of 166 pounds.
Toronado made a strong 3-year-old return to the races Thursday at Newmarket, easily winning the Group 3 Craven Stakes, and on Saturday, another one of trainer Richard Hannon’s top sophomores, Olympic Glory, is set to make his 3-year-old bow in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
Pierro has won 11 of 13 starts and more than $4.2 million in Australia over the past 13 months. With the success comes the burden of carrying high weights in major stakes.
Saturday at Randwick Racecourse, Pierro, a 3-year-old in the Southern Hemisphere, will carry 126 pounds in the $2.06 million Doncaster Handicap over a mile on turf. As a 3-year-old racing against older horses, Pierro concedes weight to older horses such as topweight Shoot Out (128) and Glass Harmonium (126).
