Solid Foundation

Doncaster’s G1 Racing Post Trophy on Saturday sees the unbeaten Foundation (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) bid to continue his streak and bring a perfect conclusion to his juvenile career with next year’s Classics firmly in sight. After winning the Listed Ascendant S. on raw ability alone over this mile trip at Haydock Sept. 5, the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing colorbearer was more professional when readily accounting for Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in Newmarket’s G2 Royal Lodge S. three weeks later and he sets the standard. “I saw him work on Wednesday morning and John [Gosden] and the team are very happy with him,” Highclere’s managing director Harry Herbert commented. “He seems to be in good form coming into the race and we’ve all been very impressed by what he’s done so far. He’s always shown plenty of ability at home. After he won his listed race at Haydock, I remember Frankie saying he didn’t even know he was a racehorse and that can happen from time to time–sometimes it’s just their talent getting them through. But then he went to Newmarket and had to knuckle down and have a real race to win his Group 2. Hopefully he’s continuing to improve and if he is, hopefully he’s the one to beat on Saturday.”

John Gosden has warned that the participation of the likely odds-on favorite could be in doubt if heavy rain hits the Yorkshire circuit, but Herbert is expecting him to show. “Very extreme ground would be a concern, but I know we’d definitely rather have it soft than too quick. He’s shown he can handle good-to-soft ground. Strange things can happen when the ground gets very soft, but what will be will be.”

Standing in the way are a trio from Ballydoyle who seek to provide Aidan O’Brien with an eighth renewal, with Deauville the main focus as he looks to step up on his second in the Royal Lodge. That was his first run since accounting for Sanus Per Aquam (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G3 Tyros S. over seven furlongs at Leopardstown July 23, so improvement is likely, while Michael Tabor’s silks are carried by two other pattern-race winners in Johannes Vermeer (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Port Douglas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The former took the G3 Golden Fleece S. at this distance at Leopardstown Sept. 12 before finishing fourth in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp Oct. 4, while Port Douglas made all to win the G2 Beresford S. over this trip at The Curragh Sept. 27. Hugo Palmer puts forward Ibrahim Araci’s Mengli Khan (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who booked his ticket with an authoritative win in an extended-mile maiden at Nottingham 17 days ago. Palmer said, “He is a very big horse, but he has a high cruising speed and travels very well in the soft ground. He is plenty strong enough and has got a remarkable engine. He is a high-class horse who will be much better as a 3-year-old.” Richard Hannon saddles Chelsea Thoroughbreds’ Tony Curtis (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), who comes into this on the back of success in the Listed Stonehenge S. at this trip at Salisbury Aug. 21, and the syndicate’s spokesman James Ramsden commented, “He’s like most Rock of Gibraltars; he’ll go on anything. He’s looked like he wants further and we think he will do next year, probably 10 furlongs, but we trust Richard Hannon to make the right decision regarding that. We were going to put him away for the season after Salisbury, but this race can cut up and he doesn’t have much to find on the official ratings.”