Hampered by unsuitable ground conditions for the most part of 2017, Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) is finally back in action for Friday's G2 Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards Challenge S. at Newmarket. Third in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot June 24 and runner-up in the G1 July Cup he had won 12 months before on the other course here on July 15, he was only fourth in the G2 Lennox S. over this trip at Glorious Goodwood on Aug. 1 and was denied a chance to defend his crown in the G1 Prix de la Foret as Chantilly turned soft. “It has been infuriating to have a horse of Limato's calibre and not be able to do anything with him,” trainer Henry Candy commented. “His defeat in the Lennox S. was 80% down to the ground, which was riding soft. We talked ourselves into running him that day when we shouldn't have. At least it's been no problem keeping a lid on him at home without a race, as he is a very free worker and keeps himself pretty fit. This seven-furlong trip should be fine–I think he is capable of winning group races at anything between six furlongs and a mile–and I don't see any problem with him handling the Rowley Mile as he is very light on his feet. This is likely to be his final start of the season and, although we are toying with the idea of trying him over a mile again next year, we will go wherever the ground is right.”
One who will not want the ground to dry out too much is Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Massaat (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who followed a win in Newbury's G2 Hungerford S. over this trip on Aug. 19 with a third in the Sept. 10 G1 Prix du Moulin at Chantilly. “He seems in good form and it's been a big team effort to get him back to form,” trainer Owen Burrows said. “The vibes I'm hearing are that he's going to stay in training next season, so with that in mind we're running here rather than the QEII. The hope is we can then try and make him into a Group 1 winner next season.”
John Gosden brings back Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah's Dabyah (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}), who scored in the G3 Fred Darling S. at this distance at Newbury on Apr. 22 before finishing fourth in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot on June 23.
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