Magical Path

As commendable as his successes in the G3 Abernant S. and G2 Duke of York S. have been, there is a sense that Royal Ascot Saturday is what counts as Magical Memory (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) approaches the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. While by no means a specialist trainer of sprinters, Charlie Hills has excelled with that type of racehorse in the early stages of his career and his guidance of Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds's grey from useful handicapper to valid Group 1 animal is the next feather in his cap following his masterminding of the career of Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) last season. His half-length defeat of Suedois (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in the May 11 Duke of York was more impressive than the formbook suggests, as he raced close to the fast pace throughout and may have been idling late on. Connections are wary of the easy surface, however, which he did handle at a lower level when winning the G3 Abernant S. at Newmarket Apr. 14. “In an ideal world, I think we'd want better ground,” the owning syndicate's representative Sam Hoskins said. “In saying that, in most of the races this week class has risen to the top. He was third in the Sprint Cup on slow ground and it was pretty slow ground when he won the Abernant, so he can handle it.”

In the Duke of York, Magical Memory was finally getting the better of his old rival Twilight Son (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), who captured the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup over this trip in September with the Hills runner back in third, as he had been in two handicaps previously. Henry Candy was concerned that the ground on the Knavesmire was too quick for Twilight Son and he was also forced to race under a Group 1 penalty on the wrong part of the track, so his eventual sixth was not as big a flop as it appeared at first. With that effort under his belt and the rain coming to his aid, the 4-year-old, who was also second-best to Muhaarar in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. over this course and distance in October, rates a serious threat. “He's in good form. He had a final check on Thursday morning and scoped well,” trainer Henry Candy said. “He had a little trip to Newbury last week to wake him up and he seemed in good form there. It was fairly similar ground here when he ran on Champions Day last back-end, so he should cope with that so we are hopeful. Our horses were not firing at that stage when he ran at York. He was drawn very much on his own on the unfavoured side. The ground was a bit lively and I don't think he ran too bad a race to finish where he did.”

Last year's winner, Undrafted (Purim), would not have wanted the weather to turn as it has, and it remains to be seen whether his trademark finishing surge will be as effective on easy ground, but he was impressive when finishing off strongly in Keeneland's GII Shakertown S. over 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf Apr. 9. “He's a special horse. He won me the biggest race of my career, I believe, and we've planned for this since the Breeders' Cup,” trainer Wesley Ward commented. “He won his only prep at Keeneland and he did it in style. Ever since that race he's trained on flawlessly, so I'm really excited. He's shipped in well. He's a quirky horse and thankfully he likes it over here in England–he blossoms. He should bring his A-game and hopefully it will be good enough.”

Providing the obligatory Hong Kong presence is Sutong Pan's Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie dei Colori {GB}), who was second to Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint Dec. 13, a position he had filled in the previous two editions of the Hong Kong Mile. His run before the Sprint in November had seen him beat Peniaphobia in the G2 Jockey Club Sprint over the same course and distance, and he was not far off that level last time when fourth in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize also over the six furlongs of Sha Tin. “We wanted to come last year, but we had a chip in his ankle removed so we've campaigned him lightly this year, he's had six runs,” trainer Richard Gibson said. “He's been a great servant for us, he's won lots of money and as he's got older he's got faster; we think he'll be suited to a stiff 1200 metres. As long as it is not extreme soft ground, I think he'll handle conditions well.”

James Fanshawe is an accomplished target-trainer in the big sprints and his latest project, The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), enjoyed the perfect prep for this when winning the Listed Leisure S. over this trip at Windsor May 23. As far as the boxes are concerned, he has a tick in most with the trainer, form and pedigree–he is a half-brother to the same stable's 2011 G2 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. winner Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB})–all matching the profile of a winner of this race. Jockey Tom Queally commented, “He's doing things well, he was good at Windsor and we're hopeful. He's going to a race where there are so many dangers. That's the thing with Royal Ascot, only one set of owners are happy after each race. He's so much better when you take him back–he's got a good kick, that's the thing.”