HIGH HEELED (High Chapparral [Ire]) is set to make her seasonal reappearance
in a fantastic renewal of the £225,000 Coronation Cup (Eng-G1) at Epsom
Downs on Investec Ladies Day, June 4, day one of the Investec Derby
Festival.
The John Gosden-trained filly is among 16 entries remaining for the 1 1/2-mile
contest after the scratchings stage, alongside likely favorite SARISKA (Pivotal), behind whom she finished third in last year’s
Epsom Oaks
(Eng-G1) when trained by Barry Hills.
The duo have not crossed paths since that day, with Sariska going on to an
imperious triumph in the Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) at the Curragh and High Heeled
storming to a six-length victory in the St Simon
S. (Eng-G3) at Newbury in October, with recent Ormonde S. (Eng-G3) winner Harbinger
(Dansili [GB]) back
in third.
The two fillies were due to meet in the
Middleton S. (Eng-G2) going 10 furlongs at York on May 13, but High Heeled
was pulled out, leaving Sariska to land the spoils from last season’s Epsom Oaks runner-up and Breeders’ Cup
Filly & Mare Turf (G1) heroine Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream [GB]).
High Heeled switched to Gosden’s Newmarket yard after being sold for
600,000 guineas at Tattersalls in November and the
filly now races for owners George Strawbridge and James Wigan.
“High Heeled is in good form and we wanted
to run her in the Middleton S. at York last week but the ground
came up too fast for her there,” Gosden revealed Wednesday. “We are looking at the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom because she
has run well on the track and it is just a question of the ground being
right on the day. We are a little bit limited as regards options for a filly
whose best form is with some cut in the ground.
“The ground was pretty testing when she beat Harbinger at Newbury
last year and she goes through it easily, so that is what we are hoping for.”
The top-class entries for the Coronation Cup also includes last
year’s impressive Irish Derby (Ire-G1) victor FAME AND GLORY (Montjeu [Ire]), who
chased home Sea the Stars when second in the 2009 Epsom Derby (Eng-G1).
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt defeated RECHARGE (Cape Cross [Ire]) by five
lengths in the May 3 Mooresbridge S. (Ire-G3) at the Curragh.
O’Brien has a total of three horses going forward, the others being
AGE OF AQUARIUS (Galileo [Ire]) and DIXIE MUSIC (Montjeu [Ire]).
Recharge, one of five Irish-trained entries, could take his chance if connections are pleased with his effort in
the May 23 Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) at the Curragh, a race
won by his dam, Rebelline (Robellino).
“He is going to the Tattersalls Gold
Cup and we will have to see how he gets on before deciding about
Epsom,” trainer Kevin Prendergast said. “He is working well and has come on a bit, but he would have to if he
is to take on Fame and Glory again. He has run twice this season and
he ran very well to finish second both times. He is a gross horse and is
probably fitter now than he has been at any time in the past year.”
The Mick Channon-trained YOUMZAIN (Sinndar), runner-up in the past two
renewals of the Coronation Cup, is set to bid for yet another Group 1 victory, while
Mark Johnston has engaged fellow Group 1 winner JUKEBOX JURY (Ire) (Montjeu
[Ire]), successful in the Jockey Club S. (Eng-G2) at Newmarket
earlier this month.
Godolphin has four horses remaining, with three of those being in the
care of Saeed bin Suroor. KITE WOOD (Galileo [Ire]) was runner-up in the St Leger
(Eng-G1) last term, while CUTLASS BAY (Halling) won the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) for previous handler Andre Fabre on May 2, and
CAVALRYMAN (Halling) defeated Age of Aquarius to win the
Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1) before finishing third to Sea the Stars in the Prix
de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) in October.
Mahmood Al Zarooni trains the other Godolphin entry, Group 1
winner EASTERN ANTHEM (Singspiel [Ire]).
SOUTH EASTER (Galileo [Ire]), third to Debussy (Diesis [GB]) in the Huxley S.
(Eng-G3) at Chester on May 6, is owned by Markus Jooste and Investec’s
co-founder and managing director Bernard Kantor, while the other
remaining horses are EASTERN ARIA (UAE) (Halling), CLOWANCE (Montjeu [Ire]) and
BASHKIROV (Galileo [Ire]).