Dawn set to miss Champion
The Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old has not run since disappointing in the Juddmonte International at York in August, after which he was found to have a temperature.
O’Brien’s wife Anne-Marie tweeted: “Await The Dawn is unlikely to run in the Qipco Champion Stakes this weekend as we feel the race is coming a little too soon for him.”
The son of Giant’s Causeway had been as short as 7-1 in places for the Ascot race, in which his stablemate So You Think heads the betting.
Frankie Dettori believes Saturday’s new-look Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot is a long-overdue development.
Dettori, who holds an ambassadorial role for the Qipco British Champions Series and is vying with Tom Queally to finish as leading rider, feels the high-calibre list of contenders is justification for making such wholesale changes to the traditional end-of-season calendar.
“I think it’s been a long time coming, “ he said. “There are five great races to look forward to at the best track in the world on a nice autumn afternoon with some of the best horses in the world running. I think I’m lucky enough to be riding in them all – it’s a dream come true for me.
“It (Champion Stakes) looks like being a great race, all the big horses are there, So You Think, Snow Fairy, Nathaniel, Twice Over and Midday.
“I’d say I would be riding Dubai Prince. He’s a really lovely horse with lots of potential and is open to plenty of improvement as he’s only run once this year. He had an injury earlier in the year, but he’s come back and ran really well at Newbury.
“It should be an exciting race and a great day at Ascot.”
Meanwhile, Danedream has been ruled out of a Breeders’ Cup run with a crack at the Japan Cup more likely if she competes again this year.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner had been mentioned as a possible contender for either the Breeders’ Cup Turf or the Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs by trainer Peter Schiergen.
However, the handler has now reconsidered the options and with Danedream part-owned by prominent Japanese breeder Teruya Yoshida, a trip to Tokyo on November 27 is possible.
“We are not sure if she is going to race this year any more, but if she is going to race, she is going to Japan,” Schiergen’s wife Gisela told www.drf.com.
CAPE BLANCO is to stand at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky following his retirement.
The four-year-old, trained by Aidan O’Brien, just held Dean’s Kitten by a nose in the Joe Hirsch Classic Invitational at Belmont earlier this month, but sustained a career-ending injury in the process.
The son of Galileo was completing a hat-trick of Grade One victories in the United States, having previously won the Arlington Million and the Man O’War Stakes.
Ashford manager Dermot Ryan said: “Galileo is without doubt the hottest sire in the world right now. He sired two European Champion two-year-old colts from his first three crops and has no less than 10 different Group or Grade One winners including five European Classic winners this year alone.
“We’ve wanted to stand one of his top sons for some time but we thought we should wait for the right one, and in Cape Blanco we’re confident we’ve got him.”
KIEREN FALLON moved to within eight winners of Paul Hanagan in the jockeys’ championship after a double at Newcastle yesterday.
Although Hanagan struck once at Gosforth Park, aboard Saytara, Fallon made further inroads into the reigning champion’s lead.
Fallon hit the target with Damascus Symphony (13-2) and Flameoftheforest (9-2 favourite) to take his seasonal tally to 138 winners.
The six-times champion is, however, due to serve a two-day suspension today and tomorrow.
