TRAINER Simon Crisford will have taken particular satisfaction from winning the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton Park for a second consecutive year thanks to the improving Chesspiece.
The son of Nathaniel, who sported the blue of Godolphin, was Crisford’s first winner for his former employer Sheikh Mohammed’s operation, for whom he was racing manager for over 25 years.
A length and a quarter winner, James Doyle’s mount coped with the drop back to a mile and three making all the running and stretching away in the closing stages.
Third in the Group 2 Queens Vase at the Royal meeting in June, Chesspiece has something to find with the winner and Goodwood Cup bound Gregory, if the pair meet at Town Moor on Saturday, September 16th, but the St Leger is very much the plan. Connections are optimistic they can erode the five and a quarter lengths which separated the pair at Ascot provided the ground is on the slow side.
Easy underfoot conditions are the key to the Crisford runner. There are plenty of options en route to South Yorkshire in September, including the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood (August 3rd), although that may come too soon.
The Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York (August 23rd) is a viable alternative, while the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury (August 19th) over an extended one mile five appeals most.
Either way, he is a horse who shouldn’t be underestimated in the final classic of the season. Longer term, one can envisage him globetrotting across Europe next year in those continental Group 1s over a mile and a half, Alpinista style.
Promising two-year-old
Less than six hours prior to Chesspiece winning north of the border, Simon and Ed Crisford also unleashed a promising looking two-year-old at Nottingham (the yard are three from nine with their juveniles at the track since taking out a joint licence).
Vandeek cost a king’s ransom having been secured at the Craven breeze-ups in April for 625,000gns and the grey began repaying some of that investment when scoring on his debut at the midlands track in a six-furlong maiden.
Many decent juveniles have begun their careers at Colwick Park and the KHK Racing Ltd owned colt looked just that as he overcame a tardy start to win going away by three parts of a length from his 10 rivals.
Strong in the market beforehand, Andrea Atzeni gave his mount time to overcome the slow beginning before making headway at halfway. Leading inside the final furlong, he readily reeled in the more experienced Never So Brave who had previously chased home the unbeaten 97-rated Ancient Wisdom at Newmarket.
The fact the pair pulled four lengths clear of the third suggested the front two are above average and Vandeek can only improve for the experience. The Havana Grey colt doesn’t hold any fancy entries at this stage but expect that to change shortly.
From a family of sprinters, don’t be surprised if the once-raced colt is fast tracked into something like the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury (September 23rd) following one more run. The fact he handles some ease underfoot is never a bad thing in the autumn.
THE Charlie Hills-trained Murashah was nominated as a two-year-old to look out for in this column following his eye-catching win at Haydock on his debut earlier this month.
The same handler produced a similar type at Newbury a little over a week ago with the powerful looking Cogitate creating a favourable impression on his racecourse bow. A son of Churchill who was acquired for 105,000gns as a yearling, he is a half-brother to the former John and Thady Gosden-trained 100-rated middle distance handicapper Grand Bazaar.
Sent off 14/1 in division one of the seven furlongs novice stakes, he was partnered by Hollie Doyle and the eye was drawn to this big strapping colt at halfway as he tanked through the contest.
Given the office with a furlong to run, Cogitate soon took over and pulled away to record a convincing success with his rider very complimentary afterwards.
The Hills-trained runner covered the last three furlongs in 34.02 seconds, including the sixth furlong in 10.97 seconds. His dam Damaniyat Girl was a listed winner over six furlongs and Group 2-placed over a mile for William Haggas.
A mile looks well within his compass later in the year but more immediately the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York (August 23rd) was suggested as a likely target.
It is worth noting the 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean won the same Newbury novice before following up on the Knavesmire. Lightning could be about to strike twice.
RICHARD Fahey’s juveniles continue in splendid form with the head of Musley Bank introducing Ziggy’s Condor to win by three lengths at Pontefract on the opening day of the Go Racing In Yorkshire Festival.
That son of Havana Grey booked his place for the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes on day two of York’s Ebor meeting (August 24th) in the process.
Less than 24 hours later, the stable unveiled arguably an even better prospect in the well touted Tropical Island at Ripon. Oisin Orr was aboard the daughter of Inns Of Court and she didn’t disappoint favourite backers, leading inside the final furlong before streaking away to win the five-furlong maiden by a length and three quarters. Out of a triple five-furlong winner and purchased at the breeze-ups for £135,000 at the same sale as the aforementioned Vandeek, she covered the middle three furlongs in 11.32, 11.40 and 11.28 seconds, which wasn’t bad on ground officially described as soft.
Expect the Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned filly to sharpen up for the outing too. In terms of future plans, the Listed Roses Stakes on the final afternoon of the York’s Ebor Festival (August 26th) is an option.
If Fahey elects to step her up to six furlongs, the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr (September 23rd) is a race which has been kind to the stable in recent years following the successes of Umm Kulthum (2020) and Barefoot Angel (2022). Tropical Island looked to have pattern race potential at the Garden racecourse last weekend.