Brittain Hoping Hattan Can Uphold Family Honour 17/05/08

Clive Brittain saddled Warrsan for back-to-back victories in the Juddmonte Coronation Cup (2003 & 2004) and this year he is looking to that top-class performer’s near relation Hattan to take the prestigious contest on June 6.

Hattan has been in cracking form this spring, following up a fine victory in the Group Three Winter Derby at Lingfield with a solid half-length second to Ask in the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown Park on April 25.

Brittain believes that Hattan is a different horse this year and is hoping that the six-year-old can head to Epsom with a Group One already in the bag as he sends his stable stalwart to Rome on Sunday for the Premio Presidente Della Repubblica, ahead of a tilt at the Juddmonte Coronation Cup.

The Carlburg Stables handler revealed today: “Hattan goes to Italy on Sunday for a Group One and, depending how he gets on, he will almost certainly go to Epsom for the Coronation Cup.

“He’s in very good form this year. Having his teeth sorted out during the winter has made a tremendous difference and he is 20 kilos heavier this year. He has won and finished a close second this season so we feel that weight increase has been a great benefit to him.”

“I’m confident that Hattan has a very good chance of winning in Italy and it would be lovely to go to Epsom with him to try to follow-up Warrsan’s two successes in the race.”

Other notable entries in the Juddmonte Coronation Cup include Aidan O’Brien’s 2007 Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune, along with stablemates Duke Of Marmalade, Peeping Fawn, Yeats and last year’s runner-up Septimus among others, while also entered from Ireland is Kevin Prendergast’s Mores Wells.

The home team is headed by Sir Michael Stoute’s three-time Group Three winner Ask, who was a narrow runner-up in the Group One Canadian International at Woodbine last year. Mick Channon has entered Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Youmzain, who ran fifth in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic on his only start this year.

French raiders have a strong hand, with Andre Fabre’s Getaway, the hugely-impressive winner of the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket on his seasonal debut this month, and Richard Gibson’s Doctor Dino, successful in last year’s Group One Hong Kong Vase, both among the 45 entries. German trainer Jen Hirschberger has two entered, namely Adlerflug and Sommertag, both of whom carry the colours of Gestut Schlenderhan.

THE 2008 JUDDMONTE CORONATION CUP

Class One, Group One, £200,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.25pm, Epsom Downs, Friday, June 6, 2008. For four-year-olds and upwards, one mile & four furlongs. Entries closed April 8, entries revealed April 9 (45 entries), forfeit stage May 20, five-day confirmation stage May 31, final declaration stage 10.00am, June 4. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Thursday, May 15.

Form Horse Age Owner Trainer
5/16112-0 ADLERFLUG (GER) 4 Gestut Schlenderhan Jens Hirschberger GER
40320-13 AL SHEMALI 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
123116- ANNA PAVLOVA 5 Galaxy Racing Richard Fahey
532124- ARCH REBEL (USA) 7 Pat Garvey Noel Meade IRE
024/112-1 ASK 5 Patrick Fahey Sir Michael Stoute
142642-0 BALKAN KNIGHT 8 Raymond Tooth David Elsworth
031606-06 BIG ROBERT 4 Martin Graham William Muir
1140-(0)0 BOSCOBEL 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
1111-1 COASTAL PATH 4 Khalid Abdulla Andre Fabre FR
33131-3 DOCTOR DINO (FR) 6 J Martinez Salmean Richard Gibson FR
442423-1 DUKE OF MARMALADE (IRE) 4 Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
21065-5 FINSCEAL BEO (IRE) 4 Michael Ryan Jim Bolger IRE
521114-3 GALACTIC STAR 5 Saeed Suhail Sir Michael Stoute
113/124-1 GETAWAY (GER) 5 Baron Georg von Ullmann Andre Fabre FR
1-6241065 GOWER SONG 5 Usk Valley Stud David Elsworth
510-4500 HALICARNASSUS (IRE) 4 Box 41 Mick Channon
46140-(1)2 HATTAN (IRE) 6 Saeed Manana Clive Brittain
112330- HONOLULU (IRE) 4 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
4/145(3)1-5 LION SANDS 4 Stronach Stables Luca Cumani
12111-0 LITERATO (FR) 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
142411- LUCARNO (USA) 4 George Strawbridge John Gosden
1/3336-01 MACARTHUR 4 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
131350-2 MARAAHEL (IRE) 7 Hamdan Al Maktoum Sir Michael Stoute
450136-3 MORES WELLS 4 Iona Equine Kevin Prendergast IRE
1101/15-44 MULTIDIMENSIONAL (IRE) 5 Niarchos Family Henry Cecil
451130- PAPAL BULL 5 Papal Bull Syndicate Sir Michael Stoute
321111- PEEPING FAWN (USA) 4 Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
61612-66 PERSIAN STORM (GER) 4 Baron Georg von Ullmann Andre Fabre FR
3410F-0 QUEST FOR HONOR 4 C H De Moussac Andre Fabre FR
220223- RED ROCK CANYON (IRE) 4 Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith, Diane Nagle Aidan O'Brien IRE
014430-1 RED ROCKS (IRE) 5 Paul Reddam Brian Meehan
260114- REGAL FLUSH 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
203523- SAGARA (USA) 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
10/1211- SEPTIMUS (IRE) 5 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
116/100-2 SIXTIES ICON 5 Susan Roy Jeremy Noseda
15/230-14 SOAPY DANGER 5 Renata Jacobs Mark Johnston
115115- SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (IRE) 4 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
3/10004- SOMMERTAG (GER) 5 Gestut Schlenderhan Jens Hirschberger GER
0/12060- SONG OF HIAWATHA 4 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE
1110- TURBO LINN 5 J Nelson Alan Swinbank
0/11113-1 YEATS (IRE) 7 Sue Magnier & Diane Nagle Aidan O'Brien IRE
41260-00 YELLOWSTONE (IRE) 4 Fitri Hay Jane Chapple-Hyam
35242-5 YOUMZAIN (IRE) 5 Jaber Abdullah Mick Channon
11322-(0)2 ZAHAM (USA) 4 Hamdan Al Maktoum Mark Johnston
114130-6 ZAMBEZI SUN 4 Khalid Abdulla Pascal Bary FR

45 entries
12 Irish-trained,
6 French-trained,
2 German-trained

Turbo Linn to Mix it with the Blue Bloods in the Juddmonte Coronation Cup 17/04/08

North Yorkshire trainer Alan Swinbank is hoping that the Turbo Linn fairytale can hit Group One heights in the Juddmonte Coronation Cup at Epsom Downs of Friday, June 6 - Ladies Day.

The multiple bumper winner progressed throughout last season, taking her unbeaten streak to eight, including the Group Two HBLB Lancashire Oaks.

Swinbank revealed today: “All being well, Turbo Linn’s first run will be in the Listed Braveheart Stakes at Hamilton Park, on May 16. If she runs well there, then she will go straight to the Juddmonte Coronation Cup.

“She has wintered very well and has started to come in her coat now with the warmer weather. We just want some more sunshine on her back.

“She has progressed well and has been working with the likes of Alfie Flits and some good three-year-olds we have, so we are very pleased.

Turbo Linn suffered her only defeat in the Group Two Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster in September, but Swinbank believes there were mitigating factors for that eclipse.

He continued: “I think it was a case of the ground and the trip not being ideal. She’s a mile and a half horse and she just did not see out the mile and six, but also she had been on the go a long time and maybe we were a little bit greedy going for the Park Hill.

“Hopefully, she can crack on and win a few more races for us. Given her background, it would be quite a fairytale if she could win the Coronation Cup and if she can get placed it would add quite a bit of value which would be a bonus, especially as we have her full sister.”

Juddmonte Coronation Cup possible Multidimensional made a promising reappearance when fourth in the Weatherbys Earl Of Sefton Stakes over nine furlongs at Newmarket on April 17.

The Henry Cecil-trained five-year-old was staying on when short of room in the final furlong. The lightly-raced Mutlidimensional ran only twice last term, finishing a fine fifth in the Group One Champion Stakes when hampered at a crucial stage.

In other Juddmonte Coronation Cup news, the last two winners of the St Leger could line up. The Jeremy Noseda-trained Sixties Icon, winner of the 2006 St Leger, could be joined in the race by last year’s St Leger hero Lucarno, from the John Gosden yard, who was fourth to Authorized in the 2007 Vodafone Derby.

Doctor Dino Could Line Up in Juddmonte Coronation Cup
17/04/08

Chantilly-based Richard Gibson is contemplating the Juddmonte Coronation Cup for his globe-trotting Doctor Dino and is hoping to start the horse’s European season at Epsom Downs on Friday, June 6.

The six-year-old ran at the highest level on three continents last season, winning the Grade One Man O’War Stakes at Belmont Park in September and the Group One Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December. This year began with a fast-finishing third in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba on March 29.

Gibson is looking forward to giving Doctor Dino another busy campaign this season and wants to run his stable star at Epsom, providing the ground is not soft.

He said: “He likes fast ground and the Juddmonte Coronation Cup would be a distinct possibility for Doctor Dino. It’s the first race we have on the list for his European season, so there is a good chance he will line up there.

“The horse is in great nick and the plan is for him to have his first run since Dubai at Epsom. If the ground is fast, then we will certainly go for the Juddmonte Coronation Cup.”

While Gibson is giving Doctor Dino a break prior to a possible tilt at the Juddmonte Coronation Cup, many of the 45 entries could make an appearance prior to the start of June, including Galactic Star, Gower Song, Soapy Danger and Red Rocks, who are all entered in this weekend’s Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury.

The Group Two Jockey Club Stakes, run on the Sunday of the Guineas meeting at Newmarket on May 4, has also attracted several of those engaged in the Juddmonte Coronation Cup, including Adlerflug, Getaway, Coastal Path, Honolulu, Macarthur, Sixties Icon and Youmzain.

Last year’s winning trainer Aidan O’Brien could also run Honolulu and Macarthur in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at Leopardstown on May 25, and the trainer may also let fellow Juddmonte Coronation Cup entries Duke Of Marmalade and Soldier Of Fortune take their chances in the extended10-furlong contest.