racing_news/

Balthazaar’s Gift Among 47 for Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes
23/09/10

Entries were revealed yesterday for both the Group Two Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes and the Group Two Pride Stakes, both of which take place at Newmarket on Champions’ Day, Saturday, 16th October.

Richard Hannon has entered the 2000 Guineas runner-up Dick Turpin
© racing-images.co.uk

Champions’ Day kicks off with the £90,000 Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes, one of the few Pattern races in the calendar for three-year-olds and upwards to take place over seven furlongs.

Among this year’s entry of 47 is the globe-trotting Balthazaar’s Gift, who gained a third Group Two victory when taking the Park Stakes at Doncaster on 11th September. The seven-year-old entire has been in great form all season, running well behind Starspangledbanner in both the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group One Darley July Cup at Newmarket while he also performed with credit when fifth in the seven-furlong Group Two Betfair Cup at Goodwood.

His trainer Clive Cox revealed today: “The Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes is certainly an option for Balthazaar’s Gift at the moment. The Prix de la Foret is his next intended target but he is ground dependent these days and we need to cover all of the options with him.

“We were delighted with his win at Doncaster and we have been thrilled by the way he has come out of that race. It was an impressive performance and he seems as spritely as ever - Philip Robinson was very complimentary after he won and you have to respect his opinion.

“He has won on softer ground as a youngster, but with maturity and his build, he definitely appears to be more at home on ground that is not too testing. He’s won two Group Two races over the past couple of seasons and he is an absolute superstar to have anything to do with.”

Last year’s Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes went to Arabian Gleam and he could attempt back-to-back victories for trainer Jeremy Noseda, who could also be represented by the consistent Himalya, a close third behind Balthazaar’s Gift at Doncaster.

Richard Hannon has entered the triple Group One winner Paco Boy and the 2000 Guineas runner-up Dick Turpin, who was subsequently successful in the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.

Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor has the highest number of horses engaged, with his octet of entries including Royal Hunt Cup victor Invisible Man, Group Two Celebration Mile hero Poet’s Voice and Delegator, who beat all bar the great Sea The Stars in the 2009 2000 Guineas and made a winning return to action in a Listed contest at Newbury on September 17.

Irish handler Aidan O’Brien has made three entries including Beethoven, successful over the course and distance in last season’s Group One Dewhurst Stakes, a race in which his stable companion Steinbeck finished third.

There are a total of seven Irish-trained entries while there is also a potential German-trained runner in the Mario Hofer-trained Smooth Operator, a French Group Two winner in 2008 who put up a good performance on his penultimate start when fourth in the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August.

THE VICTOR CHANDLER CHALLENGE STAKES
Class 1, Group 2, £90,000 Total Prize Fund. 1.45pm, Newmarket, Saturday, October 16. For 3-y-o and upwards, seven furlongs. Weights: 3-y-o colts & geldings 9st 1lb; 3yo fillies 8st 12lb; 4-y-o 9st 3lb; 4-y-o+ colts & geldings 9st 3lb; 4-y-o+ filles & mares 9st. Penalties: after February 28, 2010, a winner of a Group 1 or Group 2 race 4lb. Entries closed September 21, entries revealed September 22 (47 entries), five-day confirmation & £8,000 supplementary entry stage Monday, October 11, final declaration stage 10.00am, Thursday, October 14. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including Monday, September 20, 2010.

Form Horse Age Owner Trainer

(0)(0)(0)103 ACROSS THE RHINE (USA) 4 Thistle Bloodstock Limited Tracey Collins IRE
40(1)106 AIR CHIEF MARSHAL (IRE) 3 Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O'Brien IRE
20-1430 ANGEL'S PURSUIT (IRE) 3 Malih Al Basti Richard Hannon
031-600 ARABIAN GLEAM 6 Saeed Suhail Jeremy Noseda
113/-4 ARAZAN (IRE) 4 H H Aga Khan John Oxx IRE
15-6416 ASHRAM (IRE) 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
111-033 AWZAAN 3 Hamdan Al Maktoum Mark Johnston
05-0051 BALTHAZAAR'S GIFT (IRE) 7 H E Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Clive Cox
1(6)-6414 BEETHOVEN (IRE) 3 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
200443 BLUE ANGEL (IRE) 3 Oakley Street Racing Richard Hannon
(0)40226 CAT JUNIOR (USA) 5 Roldvale Limited Brian Meehan
006040 DAMIEN (IRE) 4 The Hon Catherine Corbett & Chris Wright Barry Hills
02D35-1 DELEGATOR 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
(1)(1)3121 DEVER DREAM 3 Pearl Bloodstock Ltd William Haggas
122215 DICK TURPIN (IRE) 3 John Manley Richard Hannon
333562 DREAM EATER (IRE) 5 Jeff Smith Andrew Balding
250264 DUFF (IRE) 7 Kilboy Estate Edward Lynam IRE
0-62525 GOLDEN STREAM (IRE) 4 The Queen Sir Michael Stoute
101360 HARRISON GEORGE (IRE) 5 P D Smith Holdings Ltd Richard Fahey
4-10235 HIGH STANDING (USA) 5 Tony Bloom William Haggas
223433 HIMALYA (IRE) 4 Gillian Khosla Jeremy Noseda
0-44126 INVISIBLE MAN 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
0-2(1)11(1) KAKATOSI 3 Robert Tillett Andrew Balding
6-16404 KINGSGATE NATIVE (IRE) 5 Cheveley Park Stud Sir Michael Stoute
123013 MABAIT 4 Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Luca Cumani
4-31042 MAIN AIM 5 Khalid Abdulla Sir Michael Stoute
1125-35 NIDEEB 3 Saeed Manana Clive Brittain
2-11234 PACO BOY (IRE) 5 The Calvera Partnership No 2 Richard Hannon
532040 PALACE MOON 5 Canisbay Bloodstock William Knight
14-0021 POET'S VOICE 3 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
100540 PRIME DEFENDER 6 Steve Falle, Matt Franklin, James Sumsion Barry Hills
121350 RAINFALL (IRE) 3 Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Mark Johnston
1-20122 RAKAAN (IRE) 3 Jamie Osborne Jamie Osborne
022205 RED JAZZ (USA) 3 Ronnie Arculli Barry Hills
200031 REDFORD (IRE) 5 Dr Marwan Koukash David Nicholls
011012 RIO DE LA PLATA (USA) 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
634326 ROCK JOCK (IRE) 3 Thistle Bloodstock Limited Tracey Collins IRE
16410-6 ROYAL ROCK 6 Aida Fustoq Chris Wall
31-33(1)2 SECRECY 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
14-4056 SENT FROM HEAVEN (IRE) 3 Triermore Stud Barry Hills
6-16510 SHAKESPEAREAN (IRE) 3 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
500602 SIR GERRY (USA) 5 Trish Galligan Chris Dwyer
(1)(5)(3)322 SKYSURFERS 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor
4-02240 SMOOTH OPERATOR (GER) 4 Stall Jenny Mario Hofer GER
5-32315 ST MORITZ (IRE) 4 Renata Jacobs Mark Johnston
402(6)11 STEINBECK (IRE) 3 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE
561005 SWILLY FERRY (USA) 3 John Grant Barry Hills

47 Entries
7 Irish-trained
1 German-trained