Scope For Another Record
Sir Michael Stoute has already annexed Royal Ascot’s G2 Hardwicke S. a record eight times, and the Newmarket conditioner has declared his intent with a team of three bidding for win number nine in Saturday’s latest renewal. Chief among them is ‘TDN Rising Star’ Telescope (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who gave a stunning performance in the contest last year when powering to a seven-length score over stablemate Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), himself the winner of the 2013 G2 King Edward VII S., and subsequent G1 Coronation Cup victor Pether’s Moon (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}). Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s bay will attempt to become Stoute’s third dual winner of the contest and arrives in good form, coming off an impressive six-length romp in Newbury’s Listed Aston Park S. last month. The likely favorite is, understandably, the choice of the red-hot Ryan Moore. “Telescope seems in very good form, is holding his condition well and everyone at Freemason Lodge is more than happy with him,” commented Highclere’s Harry Herbert. “Sir Michael is very happy with the horse and he seems to love Ascot as, touch wood, he has never run a bad race there. It is a tough race, but I would like to think that he has improved from four to five. He is not short of speed, but he seems more at home over 12 furlongs.”
Herbert noted another stab at Group 1 glory is likely in the cards for Telescope.
“As with all Sir Michael’s horses, it’s one step at a time, but the King George is definitely his midsummer target providing he shows his best in the Hardwicke,” he said. Moore, by far and away the meeting’s leading rider, added, “He’s in good shape, he’s been brought along gradually all year and I’m sure he goes there with every chance. It looks a strong Hardwicke, but he likes Ascot and I’m sure he’ll run his race. I think he definitely could get [a first] Group 1, it just depends on the opposition and finding the right slot, but he’s certainly good enough to win at Group 1 level.”
Last year’s runner-up Hillstar makes his seasonal reappearance here coming back from wins in Newbury’s G3 Arc Trial and Woodbine’s GI Canadian International. The third member of the team, Snow Sky (GB) (Nayef), is no back number. Juddmonte’s G1 St Leger third, who ran fourth to Eagle Top (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in last term’s G2 King Edward VII S., drops down a quarter mile after a battling victory in the 14-furlong G2 Yorkshire Cup on seasonal return May 15.
Lady Bamford’s Eagle Top, from the in-form John Gosden barn, has finished fourth in both outings since prevailing at last year’s Royal meet, in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S.–over this course and distance–and the May 28 G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown last time. “Eagle Top will come on for his first run and has worked well with Frankie Dettori,” said Gosden. “The Hardwicke looks to be the right race for him.”
Luca Cumani trainee Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who hit the board in last term’s G3 Tercentenary S. here, was too good for Snow Sky in August’s G2 Great Voltigeur S. at York, and is upped in trip coming back off placings in Sandown’s G3 Gordon Richards S. and The Curragh’s G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. “Postponed will almost certainly have to produce a career-best performance to win and on a track that is probably not ideal,” admitted Cumani. “Nonetheless, the return to a mile-and-a-half for the first time this season will be in his favor and we can only hope the ground is still fast. He has had unsuitably easy underfoot conditions on both his starts this year so we feel he has not yet been seen at his best.”
It is a measure of this competition that GI Northern Dancer Turf S. hero Sheikhzayedroad (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and three-time G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) are rated big outsiders. Sheikhzayedroad lines up off a last-of-four in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom, and fellow globetrotter Red Cadeaux was a last-out 11th in Sha Tin’s G1 QEII Cup. “Red Cadeaux is a world-famous horse and has put in a few massive runs in the Melbourne Cup,” stated James Doyle, who partners the 9-year-old for the first time. “He seems to run a big race wherever he goes and, although he is getting on a bit, he seems to be in good shape. I have never sat on him before, but I am looking forward to riding him, although it looks a tough race. The ground won’t be a problem to him.”