June is dominated by Royal Ascot – the race meeting that everyone wants to
do well at and my two main runners started favourite. SHUMOOS was my main
hope, having won her maiden so easily, and had plenty of confidence in her
going into the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes. A furious pace was set by the
American runner which took Shumoos of her feet early on and she then showed
some signs of inexperience. She was gaining on the winner at the end and
was only beaten a short-head into second. To be just beaten in the feature
race for 2yo fillies at Royal Ascot on only your second start is some
performance but I have to admit I was slightly disappointed on the day. She
will hopefully line up in the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket July
meeting.
Mohammed Rashid’s DANCE AND DANCE is out of Caldy Dancer, who I bought for
Mr Rashid, and he started favourite for the prestigious Royal Hunt Cup at
Royal Ascot, having earlier in the month won the Class 2 Investec Mile on
Oaks day at Epsom. In the Royal Hunt Cup he suffered several incidence of
interference but still managed to run-on to take second beaten only half a
length. Big handicaps like the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket July and Totesport
Mile at Glorious Goodwood will probably be targeted.
SWISS CROSS was another big handicap winner taking the Investec Specialist
Bank Stakes – a Class 2 over 6 furlongs on his favoured firmer ground on
Derby day at Epsom. He then ran in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot
but by that stage of the week the ground had gone far too soft for him. ST
MORITZ rounded off a successful Epsom Derby meeting for me by finishing
second in the Group 3 Diomed Stakes having led most of the way. MEDIPLOMAT,
who I purchased privately, won the main Derby Trial for the Hungarian Derby
in early July, so hopefully can become my second winner of this Hungarian
Classic.
Tattersalls July Sale catalogue (Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th July). This
sale is normally a mixture of about 200 broodmares & fillies and then about
500 horse-in-training (in 2010: 476 horses sold for a median of 6,000
Guineas). It is a sale that I have been lucky at buying for overseas
clients. I bought 2011 Bahrain Kings Cup winner Book Of Numbers from last
year’s sale. Also there is Fasig-Tipton KY July Select Yearlings (12 July)
– in 2010; 243 yearlings sold for a median of $50,000.