Clover looking to Lonsdale Cup for Al Nayyir
Having finished third behind subsequent Gold Cup hero Trawlerman on his return to Britain in Sandown's Henry II Stakes in late May, the seven-year-old returned to the Esher track for the Listed Coral Marathon earlier this month and was again denied by a short head, this time by veteran stayer Coltrane.
Clover said: 'He ran super, I think maybe just as an older horse he might have found the ground a touch tight perhaps on that summer, quick ground.
'He was only beaten in a photo and I loved the way he hit the line strong, so hopefully he can win another stakes race soon.
'He could well go back to York, obviously he was a close second in it (Lonsdale Cup) last year. We'll see how he is, but it could well be the plan at the moment.'
On Saturday Clover saddled big-race runners at Newmarket and York, with high-class sprinter Rogue Lightning far from disgraced in finishing ninth in the July Cup – beaten just over four lengths.
'He ran well, it feels like he loves being in trouble and it's hard to find a clear passage through, but he wasn't beaten far,' the trainer added.
'Hopefully we can work back from the Dukhan Sprint in Qatar in February, which he won this year, and hopefully he's up to winning another stakes race soon.'
Tabletalk looked a major threat after travelling strongly in the Group Three Silver Cup at York, but his effort petered out late on and he had to make do with minor honours in third behind Al Qareem.
Clover said: 'He ran well, I thought he might go and nearly win and I don't know whether Ascot took it's toll perhaps – maybe it came a bit soon.
'I'd like to think he's up to winning a Group Three and that looked a good opportunity, but we might have ran him back a bit soon.
'We'll see how he is. We'll give him a quiet week and build him up from there.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
5 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Kinross primed for another Lennox tussle at Goodwood
The popular eight-year-old has been a standing dish in this contest on the Sussex Downs, taking home the first prize in 2021 and 2023. After showing no signs of decline when reappearing with a narrow defeat in Haydock's John of Gaunt Stakes, he now makes his fifth appearance in Tuesday's Group Two event, looking to better last year's third. 'He's been great since Haydock,' said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owner Marc Chan. 'I would say it's as competitive as any other Lennox he has run in, that's for sure. It's a very open race, but we go there in good shape. 'Every race is a bonus for him at this stage of his career, so fingers crossed he runs well.' Andrew Balding struck with Sandrine in 2022 and attempts to repeat the dose with Jonquil, who returns to the distance over which he landed the Greenham Stakes after failing to figure down at six furlongs in the Commonwealth Cup. Also bidding to bounce back to his best is John and Thady Gosden's Audience, who took home the spoils impressively 12 months ago but has struggled to trouble the judge since. Gosden said: 'He hasn't quite repeated last year's run yet. We sent him down to Dubai, which might not have been the smartest move in the world, running him over six furlongs. 'He's well in himself and happy. He enjoys the track and I think he'll run a big race again.' It was Ed Walker's Ten Bob Tony who denied the aforementioned Kinross earlier in the season. He has been freshened up since that victory in Lancashire and his handler said: 'Ten Bob Tony loves a bit of ease in the ground and goes well fresh. 'It was a huge performance to come back and beat Kinross at Haydock and he's obviously a very talented horse. 'He's a real yard favourite, he's completely chilled, a real kind, straightforward horse to deal with.' Walker in fact holds a strong hand in the seven-furlong event and will also saddle his Jersey Stakes scorer Noble Champion, who represents the same owners and will be ridden, like at Royal Ascot, by Kieran Shoemark. 'Ascot wasn't a surprise at all, as he's always been an exceptionally good work horse,' continued Walker. 'He's exuberant and playful, and the set up was ideal, although I do worry about the nature of Goodwood compared to Ascot as it's a completely different track. 'We've always had huge belief in this horse. On his day when everything's right, he's very, very good. 'It's quite hard to get everything right with him, but I think when he gets it right, he's an exceptional horse and he has been flying since Ascot.'
Glasgow Times
5 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Humidity coming to the boil for hot-looking Vintage Stakes
Andrew Balding's son of Ulysses excelled from the front when winning the Chesham Stakes and although the form of that race has taken the odd knock since, connections are hopeful they have identified the perfect Group Two spot for the exciting youngster to cement his position near the top of the juvenile ranks. 'I loved the way he did it at Ascot and he was just lolloping along and James (Doyle) felt if someone had come to him he would have picked up and gone again,' said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing. A GUTSY PERFORMANCE 💪 Humidity wins the #RoyalAscot Chesham Stakes 🏆 — ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 21, 2025 'The form has taken a few whacks which would make you nervous, but he did it in great style at Ascot and it makes you excited to seeing him go again. 'He's drawn 10 which might be a bit wider than ideal, but hopefully he can get out and get striding. 'I'm sure we'll try to go forward with him, but it's not like he has to make the running and he's a really relaxed horse who has a very big stride and I think he will be fine.' Also arriving with a 100 per cent record from two starts is Eve Johnson Houghton's Zavateri, who renews July Stakes rivalry with Ed Walker's Do Or Do Not having fought out the finish at Newmarket last month. Both colts are stepping up in trip here, something Johnson Houghton believes will bring improvement from Zavateri. Zavateri in the parade ring after winning the July Stakes (Steven Paston for The Jockey Club) 'He's been in very good form since Newmarket and won the July Stakes impressively,' said Johnson Houghton. 'I know he's got a 3lb penalty now, but we think that won't be a problem to him and we've always thought he wanted further so this was the obvious next step for him.' Aidan O'Brien has won this three times in the past, with Highland Reel his most notable graduate, and this time he relies on Dorset, who has caught the eye both in defeat on debut and when returned to the Curragh to open his account next time. O'Brien said: 'We think he's come forward from the last day and it will be interesting to see.' Dorset is joined from Ireland in the line-up by Joseph O'Brien's Coventry Stakes fourth Andab, who has not only had the misfortune of bumping into an on-song Gstaad but also Albert Einstein since a clear-cut winner on debut. Dorset in winning action at the Curragh (Brian Lawless/PA) David Menuisier's Goodwood Galaxy, Richard Hannon's Gharma Sutra and Hugo Palmer's Laureate Crown have all raced once, won once and step up in grade, with the latter given the chance to emulate subsequent Classic hero Galileo Gold who won this for Palmer 10 year's ago. Charlie Johnston's Vincenzo Peruggia showed marked improvement when off the mark at the second time of asking, while John and Thady Gosden's Haydock winner Morris Dancer.
Glasgow Times
5 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Illinois expected to thrive over Goodwood Cup trip
The Ballydoyle handler saddled the brilliant Yeats to land the Group One contest in both 2006 and 2008, a feat repeated by his latest superstar stayer Kyprios, who struck gold in 2022 before regaining his crown 12 months ago. Following the latter's retirement, Illinois was drafted into the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and performed admirably to finish best of the rest behind the front-running Trawlerman – and with the latter not in attendance, the four-year-old is favourite to go one better on the Sussex Downs. TRAWLERMAN IS THE 2025 GOLD CUP HERO! #ROYALASCOT — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2025 O'Brien said: 'He ran well in the Gold Cup and we're looking forward to this, obviously it's a shorter trip than Ascot. 'We thought this would be a nice third race back for him this year and we've been very happy with him since Ascot.' Connections have a major second string to their bow in the form of Scandinavia, a dominant winner of the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket three weeks ago and as the sole three-year-old in the field, he is in receipt of a stone in weight from Illinois and the rest of his rivals. 'He was good in Newmarket and he seems in good form. Obviously he's only a baby, but he liked the extra distance in Newmarket the last day and seems to have come out of the race well,' O'Brien added. Sweet William won the Summer Handicap at Goodwood in 2023 (Andrew Matthews/PA) Despite deciding against running Trawlerman, John and Thady Gosden are well represented, with Gold Cup fourth Sweet William joined by French Master and Military Academy. French Master claimed his fourth win from six career starts in the Copper Horse Stakes at the Royal meeting and now tests the water over two miles on a track where he has been successful before. John Gosden said: 'Sweet William has been in very good form. He broke well in the Gold Cup, it was a tough race and in the end the two and a half (miles) was a little too far for him – he's a two-mile to two-and-a-quarter-mile horse, but he ran a brave race. 'He's in very good form and he knows Goodwood well, so back we go again.' French Master will dip his toe in Group company for the first time (John Walton/PA) Of French Master, the trainer added: 'I think he's a horse who will rise to the occasion. He won in good style (at Royal Ascot), but he's going from a handicap to a completely open Group One. 'We're hopeful he'll run a good race and we're very much looking forward to running him and seeing the jump in class. If he doesn't handle it, we can regroup.' Saeed bin Suroor (John Walton/PA) Another who appears better suited to the drop in trip will be Saeed bin Suroor's Dubai Future, who split Illinois and Sweet William when third in the Gold Cup. Bin Suroor said: 'Dubai Future worked well on Thursday and heads to Goodwood in good order. 'He ran a good race in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, but two miles suits him better, as he showed in the Dubai Gold Cup. 'He has done very well this year and I'm looking forward to seeing how he gets on.'
