Colonel John worked 800 metres on the synthetic surface at Santa Anita on Monday. The Santa Anita Derby winner and one of the better fancied colts for the Kentucky Derby clocked 47.4 seconds. Trainer Eoin Harty spoke about his trainee’s plans. “Colonel John has not raced on a dirt track. We will give him a 1000-metre workout on April 20 and ship him to Kentucky on April 21. Then we will work at Churchill and hopefully, he will make the transition.”
Bob Black Jack went 800 metres in 48 flat in the company of a stablemate and had David Flores aboard. Flores expressed satisfaction. “He had blinkers on and worked well. They are little cheaters-not much but I think they helped him focus. He went straight when going by the other horse. That’s a good sign.”
Atoned was fourth in the Illinois Derby. The next race for Atoned is the Grade II $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 19. Atoned is being pointed to the Preakness Stakes on May 17.
Mike de Kock is not resting on his laurels. De Kock’s Honour Devil and Sun Classique won on World Cup day in Dubai. Asiatic Boy ran second to Curlin in the World Cup. Archipenko finished a close-up third in the Dubai Duty Free and is a starter in the Audemar’s Piguet QE II Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on April 27.
“Archipenko raced really well and he can improve. I guess this year was something else, the greatest night of my career. No doubt about it,” De Kock said.
Archipenko will be opposed by Viva Pataca and Quijano. Viva Pataca is the hometown horse. De Kock won the 2006 QE II Cup with Irridescence. In 2005, De Kock’s Grey’s Inn took the runner-up berth. The 2008 renewal figures to be a mouth-watering event.
Muthabara, Hamdan Al Maktoum’s unbeaten filly, is the 5-1 joint favourite with Natagora for the English 1000 Guineas. Muthabarra, two for two, will use Newbury’s Fred Darling Stakes on Saturday as her prep. After suffering a hairline fracture to her pelvis, Muthabara returns after a layoff.
Angus Gold, Racing Manager for Hamdan, was cautiously optimistic. “She has won both her starts on good to soft ground. That is more or less what we expect at Newbury but we would have to think again if it deteriorated.”
Godolphin’s three Guineas prospects worked at Nad Al Sheba on Monday, Sheikh Mohammed was on hand. Ibn Khaldun, Fast Company and Rio De La Plata were put through their paces. Ibn Khaldun is 11-2 for the 2000 Guineas with Stan James, the sponsor.
Let us move to France. Zarkova, the unbeaten Zamindar filly owned by the Aga Khan, won the Grade III Prix de la Grotte at Longchamp on Sunday. Zarkova is three for three. Christophe Soumillon rode.
Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said this about the filly’s next race. “We will take her to the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas at Longchamp) on May 11. Then, we will take our chances in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks over 2100 metres at Chantilly) and the Epsom Oaks is not on the agenda.”
At Saint Cloud last Friday, Stephen Pasquier, the 2007 champion jockey in France, rode Gagnoa to victory in the Grade III Prix Penelope. Winning trainer Andre Fabre stated that the Oaks at Epsom and the Diane at Chantilly are the two options
Courtesy: Racing Post, NTRA and TV reports
