By Brian Sheerin
Coventry Stakes-bound Power Blue (Space Blues), a horse Robson Aguiar describes as Adrian Murray's best chance of a winner at Royal Ascot, will be offered under the hammer at the Goffs London Sale.
Meanwhile, a deal has already been brokered by bloodstock agent Ben McElroy for Murray's recent Curragh maiden winner Ipanema Queen (Sands Of Mali), who will line out for the Albany Stakes at the royal meeting for new connections.
“We are going to the London Sale with Power Blue,” Aguiar, the assistant trainer to Murray, said. “He ran a good race when second to Albert Einstein in the Marble Hill Stakes. That was a prep for Royal Ascot – he ran 85 per cent fit and there is more to come from him. There is improvement in him going to Ascot and I think he will run a big race in the Coventry Stakes. I think he goes to Ascot with a realistic chance. Every year, we bring horses to Ascot that have chances, and we won the Norfolk with Valiant Force (Malibu Moon). Bucanero Fuerte (Wootton Bassett) and Arizona Blaze (Sergei Prokofiev) also finished third in the Coventry and the Norfolk [respectively]. I think Power Blue is one of the best horses we will bring to Royal Ascot over the past few years and he is definitely as good as Valiant Force, Bucanero Fuerte and Arizona Blaze.”
He added, “After Ascot, he could be a horse for the National Stakes at the Curragh and maybe even the Breeders' Cup. He is going to improve a lot when he steps up to seven furlongs and even a mile. He is still growing.”
Ipanema Queen was bought by John Bourke of Hyde Park Stud for just €4,500 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. It proved to be an inspired buy after the daughter of Sands Of Mali, who Bourke retained a share in, landed a median auction maiden over six furlongs at the Curragh by over five lengths last month.
Aguiar said, “Ipanema Queen will go to the Albany. We will enter for the Queen Mary as well but the plan is to go for the Albany. I think there is a lot more to come from her as well. We were going to bring her to a barrier trial but she was good at home so we decided to run at the Curragh. We thought she would run well but didn't expect her to win. She was very impressive and we're looking forward to Ascot with her.”
On the rest of the stable's running plans for the Royal meeting, he continued, “Arizona Blaze will go for the Commonwealth Cup and Paris Carver (Bolt D'Oro) will go for the Queen Mary. We got her from the breeze-ups in America so we only have her a short time. We were happy with her debut run at the Curragh and the plan is to go straight to Ascot now. She is another who will improve a lot. Dallas Star (Cloth Of Stars) will go for the Queen Alexandra Stakes over 2m6f, we have What's Your Game (Waldgeist) running at Leopardstown on Thursday who is also in the mix for Ascot as well and Tiberius Thunder (Night Of Thunder) will go for the Britannia Stakes.
“I don't think Bucanero Fuerte will go to Ascot. It's 50-50. He's working well but I'd encourage him [Murray] more to run in a Listed race or a Group 3 next time and, if he keeps on improving, maybe we can aim him at a Group 1 towards the end of the year. California Dreamer (Mehmas) is also in good form and she could go for the Jersey Stakes.”
Asked to nominate the team's best chance of a winner at the meeting, he concluded, “I think Power Blue is our best chance of a winner all week. The Ballydoyle horse [Charles Darwin] and Charlie Appleby's Frankel colt [Treanmor] look good but, the rest of the field, I'm not scared of them. I think he's a very nice colt who's only going to get better. We've got some nice horses going to Ascot but I think he is our best chance.”
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