Jockey Ryan Moore is set for another transatlantic trip this weekend to ride Japan in the Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga, and is hopeful that Aidan O’Brien’s charge will rise to the occasion. Moore has enjoyed a couple of recent successful forays to America for the Ballydoyle handler on the likes of Bolshoi Ballet and Santa Barbara. Winner of the Juddmonte International two years ago, Japan has won two of his four starts this term – beating Trueshan at Chester first time out and landing a Group Three at Leopardstown most recently.
Speaking on his Betfair blog, Moore said; “He kicked off the season with a good win in the Ormonde where he beat Trueshan and Sonnyboyliston. That form has been well franked since with Trueshan winning the Goodwood Cup and Sonnyboyliston landing the Ebor last Saturday. The ground went for him in the Coronation Cup and again in the Hardwicke when it came up soft. He just doesn’t operate to the same level when it’s soft.
“With this race in mind, we dropped him back to nine furlongs in the Meld Stakes at Leopardstown the last day. He did it well there and I thought he was always holding off the late closers. That will have sharpened him up. Although only the seven runners here it’s a very competitive race and the Chad Brown-trained Tribhuvan looked smart when making all to land the Grade One United Nations Stakes in Monmouth Park last month.
“Cross Border, who won the Bowling Green here on his last run and last year’s winner, Channel Maker, who beat Cross Border by almost six lengths that day, also must be respected. Hopefully the ground has dried out following some recent bad weather in the area and if it has, then my guy will give a good very account of himself.”
Also running on a topclass card that can be seen live on Sky Sports Racing is Belmont hero Essential Quality in the Travers Stakes, while Gamine is in action in the Ballerina Handicap and Swiss Skydiver goes in the Personal Ensign Stakes. Jackie’s Warrior also faces a mouth watering clash with returning former Kentucky Derby favourite Life Is Good in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes. Unbeaten in three career starts, Life Is Good will be running for Todd Pletcher for the first time, having left Bob Baffert.
Trainer Pam Sly has revealed that Eileendover is set to chase Group-race honours after opening her account under Flat rules. The four-year-old, whose grand-dam is Sly’s 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa, began her career under the National Hunt code last November in bumpers. After romping to impressive wide-margin wins in her first two starts at Huntingdon and Wetherby, the four-year-old took the step up into Listed company in her stride when only having to be pushed out to readily land the Alan Swinbank Mares’ race at Market Rasen by 6 1/2 length.
A run against the boys in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival was then passed over by connections in favour of a crack Grade Two mares’ event at Aintree. However, Eileendover could finish only fourth after seemingly struggling to stay the 2m 1f trip. The four-year-old filly then appreciated the step to a mile and three-quarters when powering clear in the closing stages to be Single by three lengths in a handicap at Newmarket. That was her fourth run on the level after she won three of her four bumpers, including a Listed contest at Market Rasen. Eileendover will not go jumping, with Sly concentrating on the Flat, and the Group Two Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster next month the target.
“She was a little stiff afterwards, but she’s fine. She’s had a couple of canters and hopefully we’re going to Doncaster for the Park Hill,”bsaid Sly. As long as she’s OK we’ll go there. That race isn’t an early closer. We didn’t know where we were going because I had to get her handicapped. I don’t think she’ll go jumping, especially not now she’s shown she can do it on the Flat. I think there’s another race for her over one-mile-six in October.”
No decision has yet been made over impressive Nunthorpe winner Winter Power’s next target, but I think the filly looks the ideal type for the Abbaye on Arc day at ParisLoncgchamp in October and value at the ante post odds on offer. The Tim Easterby trained speedster led her rivals a merry dance at York last week when blitzing rivals to complete her tremendous progression over the last 12 months.
Her first victory came in a Redcar nursery off a mark of 76 last July, and while she ended her busy juvenile campaign with a victory in the Cornwallis Stakes she still looked to have plenty to find with the best sprinters in the land. Two victories on the Knavesmire sandwiched a creditable run in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot before her Nunthorpe blitz, and two Group Ones remain in Europe for the five-furlong specialist. Esaterby told At The Races:
“She’s come out of the Nunthorpe well and she’s in good form. We don’t quite know what the plans are for the rest of the season yet. There are two obvious races, the one in Ireland (Flying Five) and the (Prix de) l’Abbaye, but she’s just nicely back from the Nunthorpe so we’ve no idea yet. She could run in one or both, I don’t know yet.”
Wintet Power is versatile as regards going and in my eyes Abbaye is the ideal race for her. She can currently be backed at a top priced 9/2 with Paddy Power. In my opinion that she should arguably be favourite, so at the odds on offer is worth a serious look.