Lightning Thunder eyes Coronation, with Belmont Oaks as
‘back-up option’
Trainer Olly Stevens was thrilled with the performance of Lightning Thunder
in Sunday’s Group 1 Irish One Thousand Guineas, where she finished second in her
second consecutive classic after filling the same position in the One Thousand
Guineas at Newmarket May 4, and noted that his charge has future options at
Royal Ascot or overseas.
“I think everyone in the yard is in awe of what a tough and genuine filly she
is and we’re extremely proud of her,” Stevens told PA Sport. “I think we were
pretty public about the fact we were worried about the ground, but the owners
were very sporting and decided to let her take her chance.
“The ground didn’t suit her on the day, but she still ran very well. I would
say she ran a bigger race than she did at Newmarket, all things considered.”
Lightning Thunder’s next target is the Group 1 Coronation at Royal Ascot June
20, but Stevens noted she could take in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in the United
States if conditions at Royal Ascot are unsuitable.
“Our primary target is the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot,” Stevens said.
“The stiff mile there should suit her perfectly and you’d like to think she’d
get her favored fast ground.
“If for some reason it poured down with rain, we have the back-up option of
the Belmont Oaks in New York on July 5. That is over 10 furlongs, they’d go a
good gallop and I think the race would suit her, but Ascot is something pretty
special and that’s where we’d like to go, ideally. We’re keen to stick to Group
1 level as I think she’s shown she deserves to win one now.
“There are some nice races later on in the year like the Falmouth Stakes and
the Prix Jean Prat, so hopefully she’ll have her day.”
Definitely on course for the Coronation is Sheikh Rashid Dalmook al Maktoum’s
Rizeena, withdrawn from the Irish One Thousand Guineas after bleeding from a
nostril post-exercise last week.
“It was only a minor trickle (of blood), but we had her scoped and it was
almost 100 percent clean,” trainer Clive Brittain told PA Sport. “There was a
bit of color there, but it hasn’t developed into anything serious and I’m very
happy with her.
“When in doubt, you have to pull out and, as it turned out, the Irish Guineas
ended up being a slog anyway. Maybe the filly is cleverer than me!
“She lost three kilos after the work she did before she was due to go to
Ireland. She’s put that back on, plus another three kilos, so she’s in great
shape. She’ll definitely be heading to Royal Ascot and I’ve seen nothing to make
me change by mind about that.”
Rizeena, the winner of last year’s Moyglare Stud at the Curragh, was last
seen finishing seventh in Newmarket’s One Thousand Guineas, an effort Brittain
attributed to her dislike for the course.
Two of Cirrus des Aigles’ victims in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at
Longchamp are likewise under consideration for Royal Ascot.
Anodin, the four-year-old full brother to Goldikova who finished second in
the d’Ispahan, could be supplemented to the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot
for a fee of £35,000, according to trainer
Freddie Head. Anodin, winner of the Prix Paul de Moussac last June, has
previously finished no better than third in Group 1 company, but his performance
on the weekend had Head thinking the Wertheimer homebred had earned a shot at
the Royal meeting.
“He is a horse I like very much and I was very happy with him (Sunday),” Head
told PA Sport. “I think he would prefer better ground, and if we can teach him
to settle a bit more, I think he could do very well. He could go to Ascot for
the Queen Anne. We would have to supplement him, but we could do that.”
Head saddled Goldikova to victory in the 2010 Queen Anne.
The day after Al Shaqab Racing’s Olympic Glory finished fourth in the
d’Ispahan, trainer Richard Hannon reflected that the extended nine-furlong trip
was likely too long for the four-year-old. The Prix d’Ispahan, which came just
eight days after Olympic Glory romped by 2 1/4 lengths in the Lockinge at
Newbury, was the colt’s first time racing beyond a mile.
“Obviously, it was disappointing that Olympic Glory could not follow up his
Lockinge win in France, but I don’t go along with the theory that the race came
too quick, nor that he does not like Longchamp,” Hannon said. “Hindsight is a
wonderful thing, but maybe we were being too optimistic in thinking that he
wanted more than a mile, because he did not finish his race, which is not like
him.
“We’ll freshen him up, and he could still go to Royal Ascot, but we will see
how he bounces back at home.”
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