Bar one forgivable blip at Goodwood, Godolphin's Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) has looked insurmountable in his bid for the title of Europe's champion miler in 2017 and his attempt to cement that fittingly comes on Saturday in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot. Proven top dog among the older generation in this category after successes in the May 20 G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury and G1 Queen Anne S. here a month later, he rebounded from a second to Here Comes When (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in deep ground in the Aug. 2 G1 Sussex S. to take the G1 Prix du Moulin with all his customary panache on Sept. 10. Provided the surface does not deteriorate markedly, he should be comfortable and trainer Richard Fahey is poised for his biggest day as a trainer. “Everything has gone according to plan. He's a very easy horse to train with no issues, touch-wood,” he commented. “I'm able to get the work into him when I want and he's a very willing horse who enjoys his work, which is a huge help. He tends to go on any ground. When he got beaten at Goodwood I'm not blaming the ground, I'm blaming the conditions–it was blowing a gale and pouring down with the rain. It was a horrible day. If you've ever run yourself in rain and wind, it's not comfortable and it just caught him out, but he's bounced back and won a Group 1 in France since so we are very happy and comfortable with him.”
Ribchester came up short 12 months ago as Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) proved too strong, and her trainer Aidan O'Brien has his usual strong presence with Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) looking to provide the stable with a fourth renewal. Carrying his 2-year-old superiority over into the spring of his 3-year-old career, he registered the G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas double before finishing fourth in the G1 St James's Palace S. over the round course at the Royal meeting on June 20. Performing with real credit when runner-up in the G1 Juddmonte International S. over an extended 10 furlongs at York on Aug. 23, he was below-par when seventh as the favourite for the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown last time on Sept. 9 and has questions to answer now. He is joined by the St James's Palace and GI Woodbine Mile runner-up Lancaster Bomber (War Front) and Sept. 29 G2 Joel S. runner-up Sir John Lavery (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and O'Brien is hoping he can restore his reputation.
“Churchill is in good form and everything has gone well with him since Leopardstown,” he said. “We're looking forward to seeing him run. Leopardstown was just a bit of a mess.”
In front of Sir John Lavery in the Joel at Newmarket was the rapidly-progressive Beat the Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}), who has won his last three starts by a cumulative margin of 11 lengths and who will be at home on testing ground. “Beat the Bank has done very well for us this year. He's been very progressive and seems to handle any type of ground,” trainer Andrew Balding said. “He won the Joel S. emphatically and deserves a step up in class. Only time will tell whether he is up to it, but we hope so.” Of the Sussex winner Here Comes When, he added, “He's obviously a much better horse when there is a lot of rain around. He's in great form and is a horse who historically goes very well fresh.”
Third behind Churchill in the G1 2000 Guineas when still raw, Al Shaqab Racing's Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead) has been given all season to strengthen and mature and again showed his above-average ability last time when getting up late to take the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 13. “This is likely to be his last race before retiring and a Marois-QEII double would be a fantastic way to go out,” the owners' racing manager Rupert Pritchard-Gordon commented. “We know Ribchester's going to be a tough nut to crack and we respect him enormously, and Beat the Bank looks like a real improver, but our horse has a little bit of brilliance as well.”
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