Godolphin go flat out
They include their interesting French recruit, former Pascal Bary-trained Loving Kindness.
The Prix de Cabourg winner was purchased privately from the Niarchos family along with French Derby winner Sulamani at the backend of last season.
The Godolphin stable claimed the first two renewals of this race via Muwakleh (2001) and subsequent US Grade One-winning Imperial Gesture last season.
Loving Kindness, the choice of Frankie Dettori and also third to Elusive City in the Prix Morny, last ran when unplaced in the Grand Criterium in October.
Godolphin also rely on another Gallic recruit, Italian Group Three winner Lady Catherine, plus American winning duo Ashraaf and Danuta.
John Carroll will be on board Lady Catherine. Richard Hills and Kerrin McEvoy are the respective pilots of the other pair.
Taking them on are the likes of Eoin Harty’s runaway winner of the Moonshell Mile prep, Festival Queen.
Another interesting runner is Chilean Group One and Two-placed Escania. She has won a conditions event for local trainer John Sadler.
Meanwhile, Kevin Ryan was fined £800 and jockey Fergal Lynch suspended for five days over the running and riding of Cd Europe, who finished eighth, beaten by five-and-three-quarter lengths by the winner, Strawberry Dawn, in the Bet Direct Handicap at Southwell yesterday.
Cd Europe, who was having his first run for Ryan, was banned from running for 30 days from February 22-March 22 inclusive.
The stewards concluded that Cd Europe had been “tenderly ridden in the early stages” and found Ryan in breach of Rule 155 (ii) governing horses running on their merits, while Lynch was in breach of Rule 158 which governs a jockey failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing.
Lynch’s ban is February 27 and 28, March 1, 3 and 4.
The rider said at the inquiry that his instructions had been to sit handily and see how the race developed, while Ryan stated that as the horse was having his first run for him he left his instructions to a minimum.
