Gregory among Wathnan stars heading for Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York
The Qatari-based owners – headed by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – made a stunning entrance into British racing at Royal Ascot where Courage Mon Ami and Gregory both triumphed.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained pair are both intended to line up at York, as are Isaac Shelby and Ballymount Boy.
The last-named is a new recruit to the Wathnan string and is on schedule to run in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes on Wednesday, chasing the £165,000 prize. On his last outing, the son of Camacho finished second to Vandeek in the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Wathnan racing advisor, Richard Brown, said: “We bought Ballymount Boy after Goodwood. He ran a great race. This horse looked like he was still a bit green and he’d get better with age and racing, so we’ve bought him and the plan is that he will run in the Acomb.”
Ballymount Boy has only raced at six furlongs to date, but Brown is confident a further furlong will be to the colt’s liking.
He added: “I think he’s screaming out for the step up. He was doing all his best work late at Goodwood. We’re under no illusions, it will be tough. But he’s done nothing wrong, so he deserves to take his chance.”
On the same afternoon Wathnan have Gregory entered for the Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes. The son of Golden Horn has not been seen on a racecourse since his gritty front-running display in landing the Queen’s Vase spoils at Royal Ascot.
Ahead of the £250,000 contests, Brown said: “We’re all looking forward to seeing him back. He did it the hard way at Ascot – he was very game. The big aim for him has always been the St Leger, so the Voltigeur is an obvious steppingstone, but it’s a very prestigious race in its own right and it’s exciting to have a colt going there who we think will have a good chance.”
Gregory also has an entry in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup – but stable-mate Courage Mon Ami is Wathnan’s probable representative in the two-mile Group 2 contest on Friday.
The Gold Cup at Royal Ascot hero could only finish sixth of 11 to the Hughie Morrison-trained Quickthorn in soft ground in the Goodwood Cup.
But Brown said: “We’ve sort of put a bit of a line through it. Taking absolutely nothing away from Hughie’s horse – tremendous ride, tremendous performance – but for those of us in behind, it was a bit of a non-event."
Isaac Shelby could well lock horns again with Kinross in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes on Saturday August 26. The latter-named beat trainer Brian Meehan’s charge by a neck in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood and a rematch in the Group 2 on the Knavesmire appears on the cards. This year the race offers Group One prize money of £500,000.
Brown said: “Brian’s going to give him a final piece of work but the plan at the moment is that we are leaning towards running him.
“We’ve probably got to take on Kinross again but the Goodwood ground was very much in Kinross’ favour. If this came up looking likely to be on the quick side, well, that might swing things a little bit more in our favour.
“Kinross is as good as there is around over seven furlongs but we made him work and we’d be happy to take him on again if our horse is in good shape.”
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