Brazen Speed

Saturday’s G1 Diamond Jubilee S. may have lost out on the small number of potential runners among the European 3-year-old brigade who were instead diverted to Friday’s G1 Commonwealth Cup, but it still boasts two substantial Australian sophomores in Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) and Wandjina (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}). The former has the more immediate appeal as a specialist sprinter, having garnered the Nov. 1 G1 Coolmore Stud S. and Mar. 14 G1 Newmarket H. over this trip at Flemington either side of a reversal when second to Lankan Rupee (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) in the five-furlong G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. there Feb. 21. He had that rival back in sixth in the Newmarket, and there is confidence coming from Grant Morgan, managing director of the owning syndicate On-Track Thoroughbreds. “The Newmarket is obviously one of our best sprint races. It was a very fair race and I think he won it on merit,” he said. “I think the form is hard to fault. He was strong through the race and beat arguably one of our best sprinters of recent years in Lankan Rupee. The form looks very strong.” Wandjina comes into this having proven himself over longer trips, with the Mar. 7 G1 Australian Guineas on his resume at Flemington prior to a second in the seven-furlong G1 All Aged S. at Randwick Apr. 18. Trainer Gai Waterhouse commented, “He’s very relaxed and enjoying himself enormously. I thought his work has been exceptionally bright, he’s got a terrific attitude and he’s extremely well, which is what you want to see going into a big race like this. I think ideally 1400 to 1600 meters is best for him, but he is versatile. He hasn’t run for a while so is fresh. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think we could be competitive. We have been here before and didn’t succeed, so we are coming back to try to succeed.” 

Ironically, the British sprinters look on the back foot here, with American challenger Undrafted (Purim) and two from Ireland dominating the front of the market alongside their Southern Hemisphere counterparts. Undrafted was fourth in last year’s G1 July Cup at Newmarket on soft ground, which played against him, and his subsequent efforts include a third in the Nov. 1 GI Breeder’s Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. The leading Irish duo are Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Mustajeeb (GB) (Nayef) and Michael Tabor’s Due Diligence (War Front). Last year’s G3 Jersey S. winner Mustajeeb returned to this trip for the first time since his debut when successful in The Curragh’s G3 Greenlands S. May 23, where he justified jockey Pat Smullen’s longheld belief that he was a top sprinter in the making. “I couldn’t have been more impressed with him,” he said when reflecting on his latest performance. “He looked big in the ring. You’d like to think he’ll improve from that and if he does, it leaves him there among the best sprinters around. Let’s hope he goes and takes a step forward and I think he’s got a big chance.” 

‘TDN Rising Star’ Due Diligence was second here 12 months ago on only his sixth start and fourth in Europe when forced to race away from the main part of the action. Despite the fact that his sole start in the interim was a seventh in the G3 Gladness S. over seven furlongs at The Curragh Apr. 19, he forms part of a Ballydoyle team that has thrived all week. “He had a setback last year after Ascot and didn’t run after that,” Aidan O’Brien explained. “The first time back it was soft ground. Joseph rode him and was very happy. We gave him plenty of time and everything has gone well. We’re very happy. Six furlongs on fast ground will suit him.” 

Of the Brits, Dean Ivory’s fairytale 7-year-old Tropics (Speightstown) figures most prominently coming off the back of a win in the Listed Leisure S. at Windsor at the start of the month. Second in last year’s G1 July Cup at Newmarket and toGordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}) in the G2 British Champions Sprint S. over this course and distance in October, the renowned mud-lover proved he handles fast ground last time and his owner and trainer is in confident mood. “Tropics broke the track record at Windsor, which was a bit of a shock as he was eased down near the line,” he commented. “It was his first run of the year and will have blown away a few cobwebs. He’s the best that I have ever had him and I think there’s more to come. Last year [when ninth], he raced up the middle on his own and then in the July Cup he just hit the front a bit too soon.” Ivory will send his stable star out despite ground concerns. “The fast ground is a little bit of a concern, but he’s won on it before and you’ve got to go where the races are–he doesn’t have that many opportunities through the year,” he explained. “Having my first Royal Ascot winner would be the pinnacle. It would be such a fantastic moment for me, my staff and my family. It would also be very emotional since Tropics carries the colors of my grandfather.”