Denied a bid for a repeat success in last month's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Postponed (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) faces an altogether different question on Wednesday as he tackles the G1 Juddmonte International at York. Without a win over this 10-furlong trip and dropping back from a mile-and-a-half for the first time since last May's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in which he was third, the impressive Mar. 26 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and June 4 G1 Coronation Cup hero has to show the versatility here that marks out all champions. “This year he has traveled very strongly in his races and, most importantly, Andrea [Atzeni], who gets a number one feel of the horse, thinks he will handle himself down in trip very comfortably,” trainer Roger Varian said of the 5-year-old, who suffered a respiratory infection prior to the Ascot feature. “He's been training well over the last few weeks, looks great and seems right back to himself. Postponed is a big 5-year-old with a good constitution and he looks to have recovered quicker than some. He's in his prime and one of the best around.”
While Postponed has yet to demonstrate the kind of speed required for this race, Godolphin's Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) is highly effective at the trip, as he proved when beating the subsequent G1 Sussex S. winner The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown last time July 2. He bids to emulate Giant's Causeway and Sea the Stars (Ire) in completing the Eclipse-International double as a 3-year-old, and John Ferguson believes he has the right material to do so. “The great thing about it is it's a mile-and-a-quarter, which we know he loves,” he said. “He's very flexible as far as ground conditions are concerned. And although he is taking on some of the best mile-and-a-quarter horses in Europe, we believe he deserves to be there. Charlie [Appleby] is very happy with him. He is a horse that's maturing mentally all the time. They've done a great job with him and I think he will run well.”
Aidan O'Brien currently shares the record of five successes with Sir Michael Stoute and he is represented by the King George first and fourth Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sir Isaac Newton (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). The former beat the re-opposing Wings of Desire (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths when making all in the July 23 Ascot showpiece, as he had in last year's GI Secretariat S., and this track is perfect for those tactics.
“Highland Reel is in good form and we've been very happy with him since Ascot,” the Ballydoyle trainer commented. “Sir Isaac Newton is a horse that we think is still progressing.
He had a lovely run in the King George and we've been happy with him since.”
Stoute has two lively outsiders engaged in Ballymacoll's Arab Spring (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), who was third on his belated seasonal bow in the G3 Rose of Lancaster S. at Haydock 11 days ago, and Khalid Abdullah's Exosphere (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}), who was also in that position in the G2 Princess of Wales's S. at Newmarket July 7. “We are putting [Exosphere] back to a mile- and-a-quarter and hopefully it will suit him,” the trainer said. “It's a tough race, but we are going to throw our hat in the ring.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Mutakayyef (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is back up in trip after winning a decent renewal of the G2 Summer Mile at Ascot July 9, and racing manager Angus Gold is happy that he can transfer his renewed vigour over this longer distance. “I think this is a learning curve as much for us as it is for everyone else,” he explained. “I'm pretty confident the trip won't be a problem. He looked like staying the mile-and-a-quarter last year and that was before he was gelded and he started finding his form. William was quite keen to supplement him for the Sussex at Goodwood and stay at a mile, but Sheikh Hamdan had Awtaad in that and he decided we'd wait and go for the Juddmonte. He's a horse that's improved a lot this year, both physically and mentally, and York will tell us a lot more. I'm looking forward to seeing him run, as he's now performing like the decent horse William always thought he was.”
The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) was second in this in 2014 and third last year, having won the G2 Dante S. over the same course and distance, and at last has his favoured fast ground.
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