Par for the Course
Of all the British races to concentrate the mind of Aidan O’Brien, Royal Ascot’s G1 St James’s Palace S. obviously takes high rank in importance with a record-equaling six winners emanating from Ballydoyle since the turn of the millennium. Traditionally by this time of year the Rosegreen establishment is hitting top stride and there is a sense that Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has yet to reach a peak despite already completing the G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas double. Impressive at Newmarket May 2, the bay was less so in the Curragh equivalent three weeks later on ground deadened by plentiful rainfall in the build-up. Back on a sound surface on Tuesday, it takes a leap of the imagination not to foresee the continuation of a winning sequence interrupted only by the mechanics of the Longchamp stewards after his 2-year-old finale in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
“We’re happy with him since the Curragh and everything has gone well,” O’Brien said. “We were a bit worried about the ground at the Curragh and hopefully we’ll get good fast ground at Ascot. Joseph rides him every day and seems very happy with him. Since the first day when he was fourth in a maiden at Leopardstown, every other day he’s been very straightforward. He’s relaxed now and doesn’t do much when he gets to the front. He travels well and quickens well and is a lovely horse.”
The last time the English and French Guineas winners met in this was in 2008, when the Newmarket hero Henrythenavigator prevailed for Ballydoyle and Longchamp victor Falco flopped. Despite the obvious merit of his all-the-way three-length defeat of his G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning stable companion New Bay (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the May 10 G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Make Believe (GB) (Makfi {GB}) still has something to find to test Gleneagles. The forward-going style of Prince Faisal’s bay even promises to set the race up perfectly for his Irish contemporary, leaving Olivier Peslier with a tactical dilemma.
“He does not need to lead, he could come from behind, too–we will just see how the race develops and I will leave that to his jockey,” trainer Andre Fabre explained. “Make Believe has done well since making all the running in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, though I have not done much work with him as he is quite a light horse. Fast ground would not be a real concern for him as Ascot always does a good job with the ground and it was pretty fast when he won the Poulains, but a drop of rain would be welcome. I see Make Believe as a real miler and I expect him to remain at this distance for the rest of the season. I was very impressed with Gleneagles in the 2000 Guineas; impressed with his conformation, with his action and with his attitude. He looks something special and will be difficult to beat.”
Sir Michael Stoute has not supplied the winner of this since Shaadi gave him his sole success in 1989 and looks to the unbeaten Consort (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) to end the drought. Still totally unexposed, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s grey showed the kind of acceleration which marks out the really talented when scoring on his comeback in Sundown’s Listed Heron S. over this trip May 28. Immediately afterwards, his trainer suggested it was either this test or the Tercentenary, so the home signs have obviously been significant for him to enter the deep end.
“The interesting thing about Consort is he is physically changing all the time,” Highclere’s Harry Herbert said. “He has come out of the race at Sandown and looks a different horse. His work coming into this has been really good. He was quite a lazy worker last year, but this year he is really beginning to sparkle on the gallops. His last piece of work was highly impressive and that is what made Sir Michael decide to have a crack at the St James’s Palace S. He is bred to go at least a mile and a quarter, but he has got a good turn of foot and does not lack speed. I am a massive fan of Gleneagles and it is a privilege to have a horse capable of competing against him. It will be a big task for Consort, but he goes into the race as a fresh and improving horse and it will be great for the owners to see just what sort of horse they have got.”
Godolphin rely on last year’s G1 Dewhurst S. winner Belardo (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who could not get past Gleneagles when fourth on a surface which favored him in the Irish Guineas, and the darker Latharnach (Iffraaj {GB}). The latter was second in the Listed King Charles II S. over seven furlongs at Newmarket on his 3-year-old bow May 16 and needs to have upwards of a stone in hand to figure here.
Ibrahim Araci’s G3 Solario S. winner Aktabantay (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is another facing a tough task on his seasonal bow, having last been seen finishing sixth behind Gleneagles and co. in the Jean-Luc Lagardere. Trainer Hugo Palmer is hopeful he can hold his own.
“He looks fantastic, he hasn’t let me down once this year in any of his work,” he commented. “Since we got him back on track, he’s had a faultless preparation which is what you need for these big races. It’s the only opportunity the horse will have to run in the Group 1 over a mile against his own generation in this country.”