Special Stuff

Very few colts could win a Windsor Castle just six days after their racecourse debut, so Ardad (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has already achieved a notable feat with his career in its infancy, and he could be making waves again in Thursday's G2 Arqana July S. at Newmarket. It is even more rare that John Gosden would pitch such an inexperienced runner into such a test as he faced at Royal Ascot, but his 3 1/4-length success had substance as well as being visually impressive, as he clocked a marginally faster time over the five furlongs than the G1 King's Stand S. winner Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). “He was very impressive at Ascot and I've seen him on the gallops since and he looks to have improved again,” owner Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah's racing manager Bruce Raymond commented. “There's no doubt he's an improving horse. He must go there with a great chance of remaining unbeaten. At Yarmouth [on debut] the ground was quick and it was soft at Ascot, so he's versatile regarding ground. Originally we thought he'd be a seven-furlong horse, but he's shown so much speed over five that six might be as far as he wants for now.”

Also at the Royal meeting was Al Shaqab's Mehmas (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who split the talented Irish colts Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) and Psychedelic Funk (GB) (Choisir {Aus}) when second in the G2 Coventry S. over this trip June 14. Trainer Richard Hannon commented, “Mehmas has come through really well from his run in the Coventry. He will be suited by the better going and having pulled so far ahead of the rest at Ascot, he should be hard to beat here.”

Godolphin and Ballydoyle, who had an old-fashioned tussle in the Eclipse on Saturday, square up again with the June 16 G2 Norfolk S. third Silver Line (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and June 25 Curragh maiden winner Intelligence Cross (War Front), respectively. Saeed bin Suroor said of the former, “He's doing really well, is working really nicely and is in good form. The horse has improved from Ascot and I'm really happy with him. I think the trip will suit him.”

Kevin Ryan saddles Matt and Lauren Morgan's May 21 York debut scorer Broken Stones (Ire) (Requinto {Ire}), who had to miss Royal Ascot due to a setback. “He did everything wrong and still won and won well at York,” his trainer said. “This is a step up, but he'll have learnt from that first experience and he's a horse we've always liked.”