Detain team ‘excited' to tackle Hampton Court challenge

Leader Live

18-06-2025

John and Thady Gosden's Detain has come closest to big-race glory of the 14 runners as having run well in the French Guineas to be sixth, he stepped up on that to finish third in the French Derby.
'It was a huge run the last day and he was beaten three-quarters of a length which is very little,' said Barry Mahon of owners Juddmonte.
'We initially thought Ascot would come too soon, but he has bounced out of Chantilly well and John and Thady are both very happy with him.
'We would be excited to see him over the mile and a quarter again at a nice track and a little down in grade.'
Just behind him in the French Derby in fourth was Trinity College for Aidan O'Brien and the pair meet again, with just a quarter of a length to make up.
Representing British Classic form is Saeed bin Suroor's Tornado Alert.
He outran his odds to finish fourth in the 2000 Guineas and was not disgraced when sixth of 18 in the Derby behind Lambourn.
'He came back well from the Derby and he's in good form,' said Godolphin's long-standing trainer.
'I think this race will suit him, a mile and a quarter looks a nice trip for him having run well over a mile and a mile and a half.
'This looked the right place to bring him, down in class a bit, having run well in the Guineas and the Derby.'
Two horses arrive on the back of just two runs, Andrew Balding's High Stock, who won the Wood Ditton before finishing second in the Dee Stakes at Chester, and Roger Varian's Jackknife.
He was an impressive winner on debut before finishing third in the Heron Stakes at Sandown.
'We've been very pleased with him, I was delighted with him in the Heron, he finished his race off really well after meeting a bit of trouble,' Varian told Sky Sports Racing.
'Oisin (Murphy) thought the step up to 10 furlongs and better ground would suit him. He's a lovely horse, not only for this week but beyond.'
James Ferguson's Glittering Legend made big strides in the spring and is another of note, along with William Haggas' Arabian Force, who has seen his form boosted in recent days.
While the Ribblesdale Stakes perhaps lacks an established star, Paddy Twomey's Catalina Delcarpio still has plenty of time to develop into one.
Unraced at two, she made a winning debut before being beaten into second in the Salsabil Stakes.
Twomey said: 'We're looking forward to the race. Catalina won well on debut and then ran well again in the Salsabil Stakes.
'She's trained well since and we're looking forward it.
'She's run well in both her runs and she's bred to be a middle-distance filly and we're really looking forward to the race.'
The Balding-trained Serenity Prayer, second in the Musidora at York, has a similar profile.
In the Norfolk Stakes, O'Brien's Charles Darwin is a short price to take his record to three out of four, although there are plenty of lively challengers.
Wathnan Racing are well represented with Karl Burke's Naval Light, who caught the eye when second on debut, and Sandal's Song, trained in America by George Weaver.
Of Naval Light, Wathnan's Richard Brown said: 'I think there will be much more to come and he fell out the stalls at Beverley and then was given the perfect ride for a debut by Sam James, who was very patient with him.
'Although the gaps didn't come for him to win the race, when they did open and he gave him a small flick he started to fly and galloped out very strongly.'
Of Sandal's Song, he added: 'He won impressively at Gulfstream for the team who brought Crimson Advocate over to win a couple of years ago.
'He's settled in well at the National Stud and we know these American raiders have to be taken seriously.'