Lady Iman primed for Nunthorpe challenge
It was after the talented daughter of Starman had impressed in her first three outings that O'Callaghan first suggested taking on her elders on the Knavesmire and now with the Group One assignment coming into view, connections are determined to keep their feet firmly on the ground.
O'Callaghan said: 'I said to Ger Lyons on June 28 in the parade ring before the race she got beat in that the race for Lady Iman is the Nunthorpe.
A first winner at the Qatar Goodwood Festival for trainer Ger Lyons!
It's a treble on the card too for Ryan Moore as Lady Iman shows her class in the £100,000 Group 3 HKJC @WorldPool Molecomb Stakes pic.twitter.com/6bcMnFvpAX
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 30, 2025
'I kind of had it in my head that five furlongs was her bag and then when she went to Goodwood, she proved she's good at it (in winning the Molecomb Stakes).
'We're looking forward to it, but we've enough going on to keep us busy and most of the time you would think you'll get beat, don't you?
'Prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best is what they say. It's just nice to be good enough to compete in the race, even if the trainer didn't really want to and as we've said before, we'll have a go.'
Kingsgate Native was the last two-year-old Nunthorpe winner in 2007 while The Platinum Queen was runner up in 2022, with both horses having been sold by the O'Callaghan family's Tally-Ho Stud.
O'Callaghan added: 'It's kind of cool to be having a go at the Nunthorpe with Lady Iman and we actually sold Kingsgate Native to Anthony Bromley and John Best at Doncaster, while the last two-year-old to run well in the race was The Platinum Queen and we sold her too, it's a race we like.'
Australian ace Asfoora finished fourth in the race 12 months ago and is back for another crack after unplaced runs at Royal Ascot and Goodwood so far this summer.
'I think we're in good shape heading into York and we've been happy with her the last few weeks after Goodwood,' said trainer Henry Dwyer.
'I know she didn't run as well as we had hoped at Goodwood and I think that was more based on the track conditions. We were thinking about scratching there but we knew we needed to run to get her ready for York and she came through it well.
'We thought she was a bit flat after Ascot so had to back off her a little bit heading into Goodwood and then the rain came. She ran and only got beat two and a quarter lengths with things against her but with things in her favour on Friday, I think she will go really well.'
The winner of Asfoora's last outing in the King George Stakes was John and Sean Quinn's reopposing Jm Jungle, while second at Goodwood was Jack Davison's She's Quality, who has been knocking on the door with regularity this term.
'I keep telling myself her turn will come soon and we've been working towards this big one and let's just hope it goes to plan on Friday,' said Davison.
'She's got tremendous raw speed and it's going to be fast and furious up the Knavesmire, but we're really looking forward to it.'
Arizona Blaze, the Commonwealth Cup second who impressed at the Curragh last time, is a third Irish-trained contender for in-form trainer Adrian Murray.
'We couldn't be happier with the horse he's in great order and he's drawn in mid-division so he'll have options in the race,' he said.
'Without doubt he's ready and he's done everything well for us up to now. He will have to step up again you would think, but there's no time like the present. He's been a star for us and has won well on quick ground in places like the Breeders' Cup so it's all systems go.'
Second to Arizona Blaze in the Sapphire Stakes was Mgheera, who excelled earlier in the season and is one of two in the mix for Ed Walker alongside last year's Lowther Stakes scorer Celandine.
'It looks the perfect set-up for Mgheera and I think she has slightly gone under the radar having only run the once at the Curragh since winning the Temple Stakes,' said Walker. 'She will love the fast ground and has been training very well.
'It will be very interesting coming back to five furlongs with Celandine, but I'm looking forward to trying it and I think she will cope with it.'
Group Three glory for Sayidah Dariyan @yorkracecourse 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/ZWfdMdQ4GU
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 11, 2025
Course winner Sayidah Dariyan represents Richard Hughes in a race he famously claimed with Oasis Dream and Sole Power as a jockey.
Philip Robinson, racing manager to owner Jaber Abdullah, said: 'I'm very keen on her and I love this filly. For me, I think she could end up the best sprinting filly in the country.
'She got the track experience at York last time and we know that will suit and Ryan Moore is on board so she ticks a good few boxes.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
5 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Al Qareem out for another York raid in the Lonsdale Cup
Only Aidan O'Brien's Gold Cup runner-up Illinois has been able to stop Karl Burke's six-year-old in his last four starts and connections are raring to have a crack at John and Thady Gosden's staying star, who will be out to replicate his Royal Ascot heroics and remain unbeaten on home soil in 2025. 'I did think the race would turn out stronger than it is so I'm pleased to see only six in the field,' said Nick Bradley, managing director of owners Nick Bradley Racing. 'Trawlerman of course will be hard to beat, he's drawn four and we're drawn five. I'm looking forward to seeing who leads and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing those two go toe-to-toe at the two-furlong pole and may the best horse win. 'He's got a good course record but I think that's more because we've handpicked those races and he's run well at places like Ascot and Chester as well, so I don't think it's because of the track necessarily.' A winner of 11 of his 31 career starts, Al Qareem has long been a reliable source of success for his connections and his performance on the Knavesmire could prove key in Bradley hitting some ambitious targets for the current campaign. He added: 'My target for this year is £1.4million in prize-money and 60 winners and I'm thinking if I can be at £1.1million by the end of this month, I will be in good shape. He's not for passing! Al Qareem is all heart once again as he makes all under @CliffordleexLee who got the sectionals absolutely spot on. We've ran out of superlatives for this horse, the dream horse to own! Well done to @karl_burke and his team especially Danielle who looks… — Nick Bradley Racing (@NBradleyRacing) July 12, 2025 'If Al Qareem finishes second I think I'll get there, so I will be relying on him quite a lot and it's a credit to Karl and his team and the horse himself as we have a standard-bearer who tries so hard every time he lines up.' Trawlerman is joined in the line-up by Clarehaven stablemate and stalwart of the division Sweet William, with Shackleton the chosen representative of Ballydoyle and Saeed bin Suroor's Gold Cup third Dubai Future also engaged. The field is completed by Tom Clover's Al Nayyir, who was agonisingly denied by Vauban in this 12 months ago and suffered a similar fate at Sandown when last seen in the Esher Stakes. 'We're really happy with the horse and he looks to have trained nicely since his run at Sandown,' said Clover. 'I always wonder if this is the time of year he is at his best as he does come to hand a bit, which is encouraging. He looks super in himself and we will keep everything crossed for a big run. 'The only slight niggle for us is the ground and being that little bit older he might not want it this tight, but he has gone very well on it previously and has been working very well. 'It's obviously going to be a very tall ask and although there are only six runners, it looks deep. But I do think he warrants his place in this field and if the others go really hard, it might set up well for him.' There is also Group Two action in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes, where Ed Walker's Do Or Do Not looks to turn some consistent form into a deserved success. Second in both the Coventry Stakes and July Stakes before also finishing third in a strong renewal of the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, he now reverts to six furlongs with first-time cheekpieces in place. 'He's been a very fun two-year-old and unlucky not to win one, but he's been aimed high and we're doing so once again,' said Walker. 'He's in good form and I don't see any problem with the drop back to six furlongs. They went very very fast when he couldn't go with them down the hill in the July Stakes at Newmarket and I think he will be all right and we're going to run him in cheekpieces. 'He ran really well at Goodwood as well and his form is really rock solid.' Burke's dual winner Reciprocated and Declan Carroll's Thirsk novice scorer Lifeplan are other interesting names among a field of eight.
Rhyl Journal
5 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Minnie Hauk hits another winning note in Yorkshire Oaks
One of two runners for Aidan O'Brien in the Group One feature, the daughter of Frankel came into the York Group One with Cheshire, English and Irish renewals on her CV this term and was ridden by Ryan Moore as the 8-15 favourite. Her stablemate Garden Of Eden set the pace and David O'Meara's Estrange did ensure the winner had a race, but the triumph was ultimately light work by three and a half lengths on the line. O'Brien said: 'She's beautiful, she does everything right, she cruises, she's a lovely mover and obviously the Arc and the Breeders' Cup Turf, all those races are there for her. 'Ryan said the (Breeders' Cup) Turf, so she's obviously given him an unbelievable feel. Ryan gave her a class ride, he was very cool on her. She is classy and he gave her a very confident ride. 'It wasn't going to be a Mickey Mouse race today, they were going to go an even gallop without going crazy. Ryan has always said the stronger the tempo, the better we're going to see. 'She's very exciting.' O'Brien – who saw Delacroix and dual Derby winner Lambourn suffer defeat on Wednesday – went on: 'We've always felt the better the race the better she'll be. FOUR times an Oaks Winner 👑 Yorkshire Oaks ✅Irish Oaks ✅English Oaks ✅Cheshire Oaks ✅ Next stop Longchamp for 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒖𝒌? @coolmorestud | @yorkracecourse | #EborFestival — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2025 'It was good for Ryan, he had a tough day yesterday and things didn't work out but the professional that he is he didn't flinch. 'It was a nicely-run race, even though there were only four in it, I think the second is a nice filly, isn't she. 'She's won well in the end our filly, she obviously stays very well and always finishes her race off well. She doesn't kill herself getting there but she's always finishing. 'She has to be close to the top of our pecking order for the Arc, she's an improving filly at this time of year. 'She could go to the Breeders' Cup Turf but also the Arc. Whirl could go with her. 'Whirl could go to the Vermeille or Irish Champion, but there's a good chance Delacroix goes back to the Irish Champion and if John (Gosden) brings his horse (Ombudsman) it will be great.' Co-owner Michael Tabor said: 'I think she won very comfortably, she's obviously very good and looking forward maybe she will run in the Arc or the Breeders' Cup. Hopefully we can keep her in training as a four-year-old and enjoy her. 'There's no secret to the success. First of all we have a very good trainer but we try to breed the best to the best as we all do, like Godolphin and Juddmonte. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. 'Yesterday was not a disaster, but it was tough. It's tough when you lose which is why you have to appreciate when you win because it is not easy. 'Minnie Hauk beat Whirl at Epsom and dare I say their next races will be the Arc and the Breeders' Cup for one or the other and hopefully they'll have good chances in those races.'
Rhyl Journal
5 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Bullet Point well made in York handicap
A winner at Newcastle and Newmarket in the autumn, the William Haggas-trained four-year-old picked up where he left off when completing his hat-trick at the Craven meeting in April and emerged with plenty of credit when second in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot next time. Having again filled the runner-up spot at the Berkshire track last month, Tom Marquand's mount was the 15-8 favourite to regain winning ways on the Knavesmire and while he was briefly caught in a pocket, he quickened up smartly once the gap came to win by a length from Cerulean Bay. Haggas said: 'He's lovely, going round a bend probably helped him and he did that well today.' Bullet Point has been declared for the Group Three Sky Bet Strensall Stakes this weekend and could well bid for a second win on the Knavesmire before a planned trip across the globe next month. 'He's declared for the Strensall and we always looked at doing both so we'll see now. We'll have a look at him on Saturday morning,' Haggas added. 'He's going to go into quarantine to go to Australia on September 28 to run in a race called the Five Diamonds (Rosehill, November 8) which is a nine-furlong five-year-old (southern hemisphere) only race.' Charlotte's Web (11-4 joint-favourite) shone for Simon and Ed Crisford when taking the British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes. Stepping to a mile and half under Danny Tudhope, the four-year-old travelled patiently before making headway int he final furlongs to score by a head from Crepe Suzette. Ed Crisford said: 'We're really pleased, she's taken another step forward. 'We were slightly concerned about the trip because we were stepping up to the mile and a half for the first time, but she travelled super well and came into the race nicely. 'We wanted to take our time today and that's what Danny did. That last half-furlong you could see her tying up a bit, bit she got away with it. 'There's no immediate plans, but there should be plenty for her. I think she'd probably like a bit softer ground.' Andrew Balding's Stellar Sunrise justified 100-30 favouritism in straightforward fashion in the Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap. The Space Blues colt had beaten the highly regarded Naval Light on his previous outing and thrived for the step up to seven furlongs. 'Andrew has always loved this colt and he won really well at Goodwood. This was always the plan,' said Harry Herbert, representing owners Royal Ascot Racing Club. 'Oisin (Murphy) was so confident this week and said he was probably his best ride of the week so it's lovely to see him do it. 'I'd imagine we're looking at black-type races.' The British EBF Fillies' Handicap was then claimed by William Knight's Royal Velvet, who bounced back from a blip last time out with a one-length victory under William Buick at 12-1. 'I don't know what was up with her at Newmarket the last day,' said the trainer. 'We were scratching our heads, but that was an impressive performance today. 'We'll probably start looking for some black type, I just don't want the ground to go for her.'
