Sheila Lavery feels both “privileged and proud” to have trained New Energy as he prepares relocate to Australia for new connections.
The New Bay colt caught the eye when finishing second in last season’s Irish 2,000 Guineas at odds of 40-1.
He then flew the flag for the stable in a string of Group events across Ireland, England and France, coming home three lengths behind Coroebus in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and finishing second when beaten just a length in Doncaster’s Park Stakes.
This year the chestnut finished fourth in the Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown and was most recently seen placing third behind Cosmic Vega in the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes at Naas in late May.
Australian Bloodstock have followed New Energy’s movements for over a year and have now purchased the colt to be trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
The latter’s brother Harry, who trains in Newmarket, will house the horse until he sets sail for his new home and prepares for his ultimate target in the Cox Plate.
Lavery and her brother John, who owns the horse, have been fielding offers for some time now and eventually agreed to part with their stable star and let him shine in another racing jurisdiction.
“They’ve been trying to buy him for over a year and in the end it just made economical sense for the owner to sell him,” the trainer said.
“They’ve some very deep pockets and I was at a bit of a crossroads with him. It makes economical sense for the owner for him to go to Australia, so I’m delighted for John but heartbroken to see him go.
“I’m gutted. I didn’t think I’d be as upset as I am, but it’s the right thing and it’s the right business decision. I’ve been very privileged and proud to train him.”
Lavery expects New Energy to benefit from the style of racing out in Australia and is looking forward to seeing the horse campaigned at the top level in new colours in the future.
She said: “He’s a gorgeous, sound horse that needs pace to run at and I think the style of racing in Australia will really suit him, so I’ll really look forward to seeing him win his Group Ones there.
“We’ll have to move on to the next one, but I think he’s going to win a lot of money and a lot of races out there – more than he probably would have won in Europe.
“His best runs were in straightforward races where there was a lot of pace – the (Irish) Guineas and the Group Two in Doncaster – he just loved it and he thrives on that kind of racing.
“In fairness they have been trying to buy him from the get-go, since he won as a two-year-old almost.
“They’ve really had their eye on him and they’ve been watching his career very closely.”
John Ryan is eager to take on the overseas contenders in the King’s Stand Stakes with Manaccan – and hopes to have Frankie Dettori in the saddle at Royal Ascot.
The four-year-old ended last season in rude health, winning Listed races at Doncaster and Ascot, plus a Group Three at Dundalk.
He began this season conceding weight in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket under Dettori and having been drawn on the wrong side of a rain-softened track, ran admirably to be beaten just a length and a half by Vadream.
“I was delighted with him this morning and should all go well between now and then, the King’s Stand is where we are going and hopefully Frankie is going to ride him,” said Ryan.
“We were umming and ahhing over whether we should go to Newmarket or Haydock first time out and I wanted one run before the King’s Stand.
“We went for Newmarket, despite him having to carry a penalty, because Haydock’s Temple Stakes is usually run on soft ground but it wasn’t this year.
“Obviously, with the penalty, the way the ground went and being drawn on the wrong side, he ended up running a big race but crucially it also gave him more time to get over the run than Haydock would have done.”
The King’s Stand went the way of Australia last year with Nature Strip and this year his compatriot Coolangatta is towards the head of the betting, but Ryan is unperturbed.
“We’re in the situation where we’ve got a lot more in our favour than most,” he said.
“He’s already proved he likes Ascot having won there before, we know he wants fast ground and it’s looking like it should be that and while he might not have won at this level yet, he’s won a Listed and a Group Three as well as at the Shergar Cup and those races can be very competitive.
“He’s tough and he’s sharpened his teeth now, he’s certainly earned his place in the race. He’s tough and deserves to take them on.
“Whether the opposition comes from Australia or Kathmandu, it doesn’t bother me, he always gives his best and given some fortune with the draw, I’m sure he’ll run a good race.”
Pam Sly will consider an ambitious tilt at the Falmouth Stakes with Astral Beau after her stable star went down fighting at Epsom last week.
The four-year-old was rated in the mid-70s at this stage of last season, but has taken her game to another level this term, putting together three excellent runs.
After blowing her rivals away when landing a heavy ground Doncaster Mile on her April reappearance, Astral Beau proved that performance was no fluke when third in the Group Two Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on Guineas weekend.
She encountered much quicker conditions in the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday, but again performed with great credit to finish third, beaten just three-quarters of a length by the Frankie Dettori-ridden Prosperous Voyage.
Sly has not yet made any firm plans, but raised a step up to Group One level in Newmarket’s Falmouth Stakes on July 14 as a possibility.
“For us, she’s a diamond,” said Sly.
“We were well pleased with the run because the ground was pretty quick for her and I couldn’t understand it when the handicapper dropped her 2lb on Tuesday.
“There’s nothing for her really this month, so we’ve either got a Listed race at Pontefract (Pipalong Stakes, July 11) or we could be absolutely extreme and go for the Falmouth. That would be extreme, but there might be hellish thunderstorms or something at that time of the year, so we’ll see.
“We’re very pleased with her, she’ll have a couple of weeks out in the paddock now and we’ve got one or two Group races between now and September we might be able to have a go at. If we can keep picking up a bit of black type, it will be good.”
Disappointing Derby favourite Arrest could bid for redemption in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh next month.
With his partner Frankie Dettori having claimed the Oaks aboard stablemate Soul Sister the previous afternoon, John and Thady Gosden’s colt was the 4-1 market leader to provide the popular Italian with a dream victory in his final ride in the premier Classic.
But pre-race fears regarding the quickening ground and the idiosyncratic nature of the Epsom track proved well founded as after racing keenly on the front end, the Juddmonte-owned Arrest weakened out of contention and passed the post 10th of the 14 runners.
Connections of the impressive Chester Vase winner are keen to let the dust settle before committing to future plans, but Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon has confirmed another bid for Classic glory on July 2 is a possibility.
“I met John and Thady in France on Sunday and they said he was fine and I was talking to them last night and they said he came out of it in good shape,” he said.
“We’ll see how he does in the next couple of weeks and give the Curragh some consideration. I think the track would suit him, as I think John said pre-Epsom, that the Curragh would suit him better being a more conventional track.
“We saw early on the other day he had a leg going in every direction and he was very unbalanced, so on a track like that he probably wants a bit of ease in the ground.
“I think on a more conventional track he’ll be fine on faster ground, but we won’t make any plans until we see how he is.”
The Ralph Beckett-trained Bluestocking looked an obvious Oaks candidate for Juddmonte after winning on her Salisbury debut and being narrowly beaten on her reappearance in Listed company at Newbury.
But the team ultimately decided against a trip to Epsom and she will now either head for Royal Ascot or across the Channel for the French Oaks.
Mahon added: “She worked well on Tuesday morning and has the option of the Ribblesdale and she also has the option of the Prix de Diane as well.
“She’s a filly who probably won’t want rattling fast ground, so that will probably sway us as to where we end up going. If the forecast was mostly dry and Ascot was looking very quick, then we could consider going to France as I know there is rain forecast for there early next week.”
On the decision to sidestep Epsom, Mahon added: “It was purely down to a lack of experience. You need a bit of experience to handle a track like that.
“It would have been her third run and if you’re very street-wise and it’s your third run it’s fine, but we saw at Newbury she was quite green and looked inexperienced and cold.
“To be green on a conventional track like that I think didn’t bode well for Epsom, so we all felt we’d give her a bit more time and run her on a more conventional track.”
Courage Mon Ami has been given the go-ahead to contest the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in spite of his owner Anthony Oppenheimer’s concerns regarding his stamina for the testing trip.
As a late blooming three-year-old last year, he did not hit the track until mid-September, yet patience paid off as he won a pair of 12-furlong all-weather novice races at Kempton and Newcastle in great style for John and Thady Gosden.
Gelded over the winter, the son of Frankel stepped up to a mile and three-quarters for his handicap debut upon his return to action at Goodwood last month and justified favouritism with a two-and-three-quarter-length victory over Aggagio.
Following his impressive victory to remain unbeaten at the South Downs track, the lightly-raced four-year-old was cut to as short as 10-1 for the Gold Cup on June 22.
Oppenheimer is open-minded about whether Courage Mon Ami will stay the two and a half miles on what will be his first try in Group One company.
He said: “He’s a nice staying horse. I’m not sure he will stay that distance, but we are confident he will stay two miles, we’re just not sure about another four furlongs.”
He went on: “There are definitely possibilities he will stay, but without running we won’t see.
“He is a big, strong horse – a huge horse. We couldn’t really run him much last year because he was so big. With the firm ground, we had to wait and wait. It was a very nice, pleasant surprise when he did run. He strengthened up extremely well.”
With little rain in the forecast over the next week or so, it is a distinct possibility the ground will be on the fast side at Ascot.
“I don’t think the ground will be a problem,” added the owner. “He won the other day on good to firm. He is by Frankel and I don’t think there’s an issue there.
“But if it was heavy or a bit too soft, I’d not be too sure. Good to firm will be no problem at all.”
Brandon King and Johnson Charles both struck fifties as the West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead over the UAE with a 78-run win in the second ODI at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
The day started brilliantly for the West Indies as the opening pair of King and Charles put on 129 for the first wicket after West Indian captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bat first.
In the process, Charles brought up his fifth ODI half-century before being dismissed for a rapid 47-ball 63. The St. Lucian hit eight fours and three sixes in his knock.
King, who brought up a maiden ODI hundred on the way to a man of the match performance in the first encounter, continued his good form with 64 off 70 balls including four fours and as many sixes.
The tourists then got solid contributions from Odean Smith (37), Keacy Carty (32), Kavem Hodge (26) as they were eventually bowled out for 306 with one ball to spare.
Zahoor Khan led the way with the ball for the UAE with 3-44 from 9.5 overs while Aayan Khan (2-45), Ali Naseer (2-69) and Sanchit Sharma (2-69) also provided good contributions.
The UAE reply looked to be coming to an end quickly at 95-5 in the 24th over before a fighting 80-run partnership between Basil Hameed and Ali Naseer brought some respectability to proceedings.
Hameed batted valiantly, facing 84 balls before he fell for 49. He hit a boundary and three sixes in his knock.
Meanwhile, Naseer, who struck a fifty in the series opener, got his second straight half-century with a 53-ball 57 including six fours and three sixes.
Vriitya Aravind also contributed 36 and Aayan Khan 23* as the UAE eventually made 227-7 off their 50 overs.
Kavem Hodge (2-46 from 8) and Roston Chase (2-49 from 10) were the day’s best bowlers for the West Indies while debutant, Akeem Jordan, Odean Smith and Yannic Cariah were the other wicket-takers.
Jhaniele Fowler, one of the most imposing and skillful shooters in Netball, headlines a strong 15-member Sunshine Girls squad to the highly anticipated Vitality Netball World Cup in South Africa later this year.
The Jamaicans, ranked number four in the world, will be hoping to improve on their disappointing fifth-place finish at the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool, with 10 players from that squad being retained for this year’s showpiece, scheduled for July 28 to August 6.
Expectations are high that the formidable mix of seasoned veterans, including Romelda Aiken-George, who recently returned from giving birth, and rising stars, such as Crystal Plummer, Kimone Shaw, Abigale Sutherland and Latanya Wilson, who have proven their mettle on previous occasions, will deliver exceptional results.
They will seek to add a gold or silver to the country’s three World Cup bronze medals won in 1991, 2003 and 2007.
Head coach Connie Francis, who will be assisted by Keyan Murdock, is anticipating a successful campaign with her team.
“All the players have been doing their work and are presenting well. The strength in depth of quality of players we now have at our disposal, fighting to get on court for the Sunshine Girls makes the selectors job very challenging and makes Jamaica a big threat to the top three countries going into the World Cup this summer,” said Francis.
“We have seven ladies currently playing in the Suncorp League and dominating the statistics at both ends of the court and locally we have our attacking core which includes three players who are making their third World Cup appearance,” she noted.
Specialist Coach Rob Wright, who will spearhead the team's strategic preparations, is also a part of the coaching staff.
Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson expressed sincere gratitude to all sponsors for their invaluable contributions in ensuring $41 million of the required $51 million for the team’s participation, is already in the bag.
This, she said emphasizes the critical role they play in helping Jamaica's netball team prepare for the World Cup.
“The support of our sponsors enables the team to focus on achieving greatness and represents our collective effort to elevate the sport to its rightful status with an elite world ranked team within the Nation’s sporting greats,” said Robinson.
The team will depart for their final training camp in South Africa on July 14, before bowing into World Cup action on July 28.
Squad: Romelda Aiken-George, Shanice Beckford, Jhaniele Fowler, Shimona Nelson, Rebecca Robinson, Nicole Dixon-Rochester, Crystal Plummer, Abigale Sutherland, Adean Thomas, Khadijah Williams, Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Kimone Shaw, Shamera Sterling, Jodi-Ann Ward, Latanya Wilson
Joe Saumarez Smith will continue in his role as British Horseracing Authority chair after announcing he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will start treatment later this month.
Saumarez Smith took on the role in June 2022 after previously joining the BHA board as an independent director in December 2014.
“In the interest of transparency and openness from the BHA, we thought it was best to confirm this news publicly,” said Saumarez Smith.
“It is obviously not ideal to have this diagnosis, but I am confident I can keep working with all our stakeholders to deliver the strategic priorities that were agreed last September.”
Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said: “While we are of course concerned for our friend and colleague, we know Joe will fight this illness with all the determination and resilience that has been a feature of his career to date.
“It is testament to him that he is keen to continue in his role for as long as the treatment allows. He has the full support and best wishes of everyone on the BHA board in doing so.
“I am sure I can speak for everyone at the BHA and across the industry in wishing him good luck during his treatment.”
David Jones, the senior independent director of the BHA, will be available to substitute for Saumarez Smith at industry events if he is unable to attend, as well as other BHA board members if required.
Nashwa looks set to bypass Royal Ascot, with a debut trip to Ireland on the cards for the dual Group One winner.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained filly enjoyed a remarkable three-year-old campaign, in which she claimed Classic honours in the Prix de Diane and added further Group One riches in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
Brave efforts in defeat in both the Prix de l’Opera and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf followed for the Imad Al Sagar-owned four-year-old.
However, she was beaten on her return to action in the Group Two Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud, finishing over four lengths behind Above The Curve.
Al Sagar’s racing manager, Teddy Grimthorpe, believes she will miss the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and seek a third top-level prize against her own sex at the Curragh instead.
“She has come out the Prix Corrida fine. She needed it and had a good blow afterwards,” he said.
“Sometimes these older horses do take a little more time to come than we think. It wasn’t quite what we were hoping for, but the main thing is she has come out of it well.”
Though plans are still to be finalised, the daughter of Frankel looks set to go on her travels again, with the possibility of locking horns once more with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Above The Curve over 10 furlongs on July 1.
Grimthorpe added: “The Prince of Wales’s is an option but I would say, at the moment, talking to Imad this morning and to John (Gosden), the preferred option would be the Pretty Polly.
“I hope it might be easier to win! There are going to be other opportunities for her to take on colts, but if I think we can try to get her back on track for the Pretty Polly, I think that would be definitely the preferred option. John and Imad are both happy with that, so I think we will probably aim there.”
Although Nashwa ran well over a mile and a half when placed in last season’s Oaks, she has not subsequently gone beyond an extended 10 furlongs and connections are keen to keep her at similar trips this summer.
“There are some nice problems to have. She is obviously already a dual Group One, Classic-winning filly, so we have to chase those similar big prizes,” added Grimthorpe.
“There is the likes of the Eclipse, the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion, but equally so there’s the Romanet, the Opera and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at the end of it, so there are quite a few good options for her, mainly over 10 furlongs and everyone seems pretty comfortable with that (trip) at the moment.
“Obviously, these things can change, but I think a mile and a quarter seems to be her best.”
Heartache Tonight will be given a break following her sixth-placed finish to Soul Sister in Betfred Oaks, with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe her ultimate aim in the autumn.
The David Menuisier-trained daughter of Recorder has shown a penchant for softer surfaces in the past, but encountered quick ground for the first time in her career at Epsom.
Chris Wright owns the filly with Andy MacDonald and she is a half-sister to Wright’s dual Group One winner Wonderful Tonight.
Having finished a close-up fourth to Jannah Rose on her first attempt against Group One opposition in the Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp last month, the Pulborough-based handler was far from disappointed with her latest run under Cristian Demuro.
“I can’t say she didn’t handle the course or the ground, because she came down the hill beautifully and what have you. She is not jarred up or anything,” said Menuisier.
“She is like her sister – when they run on that ground, they don’t find the gears that do they when running on soft.
“They do quicken, but they don’t quicken as much as the rest of them. On soft they do find the gears, on this (good to firm) ground, you can’t say they don’t handle it, they are just a stone below. Cristian looked after her as well.”
Heartache Tonight will bypass Royal Ascot, where she holds an entry in the Ribblesdale Stakes, and will now be campaigned towards Europe’s biggest all-aged middle-distance prize.
“She won’t go to the Ribblesdale, she will have a mini-break and we will prepare her for the autumn,” added Menuisier.
“It’s always been the plan. The Oaks we needed to try, just in case. But we have always said she is a filly for the autumn really.
“The main thing we are focussed on is the Arc. She will have to prove she is worthy of that. She has always looked like she needs a mile and a half. She is bred for an Arc – and I’m due one as well!”
The handler’s Royal Ascot team will be a small one this year and much will depend on the ground, with recent runaway Nottingham maiden winner Mysterious Love under consideration for the Sandringham Handicap.
Menuisier said: “If they get a little bit of rain we might run her. We think she is a black type filly, but she wants slow ground, so we will have to be patient with her.
“It is a matter of being patient. It is too easy to do the wrong thing, especially at this time of the year. We could also potentially run Belloccio in the Duke of Edinburgh as well.”
The 2023 edition of the Women's CPL will feature seven matches, as opposed to four in the inaugural season last year. The league will host will get underway on August 30, with the final taking place on September 10 in Trinidad and Tobago.
As was the case last year, the sides taking part are Trinbago Knight Riders, Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors. Barbados will serve as the other venue for the tournament.
In 2022, each side played one group game, before TKR, led by Deandra Dottin, beat Barbados Royals, who were captained by current West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews, in the final in St Kitts.
This time around, the group stage will feature a double round-robin format, with the top two qualifying for the final.
"We are hugely excited to have an expanded WCPL schedule for 2023 and we are grateful to the government of Trinidad & Tobago for their support in helping to grow the tournament in 2023," Pete Russell, the CPL CEO, said.
Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe said: "Once again, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is pleased to partner with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as we get ready to host the final match of the 2023 Women's CPL. The hosting of this game comes at an opportune time as it strategically aligns with the goal of the Ministry's ongoing Pink Reign TT campaign, which speaks to promoting women and girls in sport."
The scheduling of the WCPL means the tournament avoids a clash with the Women's Hundred this year, with that competition running from August 1 to 27. It allows Matthews and Dottin to be available for the entirety of the Hundred before the WCPL starts, and frees other players signed up to both tournaments to play each in full. There was a significant overlap last year, with the final of the Women's Hundred on September 3 and the WCPL final the following day.
Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Chamari Athapaththu, Hayley Jensen and Fatima Sana were the overseas players at the 2022 WCPL.
Brian Meehan’s French 2,000 Guineas runner-up Isaac Shelby is on course for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20.
Winner of the Group Two Superlative Stakes at Newmarket last July, the Night Of Thunder colt began his three-year-old campaign with a three-length success in the Greenham at Newbury, before being short-headed by Marhaba Ya Sanafi in France.
The St James’s Palace is shaping up into one of the races of the meeting with English and Irish Guineas winners Chaldean and Paddington as well as Charlie Hills’ unbeaten Cicero’s Gift lying in wait.
Though Isaac Shelby initially held an entry in the 10-furlong Coral-Eclipse at Sandown, the Manton handler is keen to keep him at a mile for now.
Meehan said: “He is heading to Ascot and he’s in great form. We have been very happy with him. He goes to the St James’s Palace, but he won’t go to the Eclipse.
“We’ll see how he comes out of Ascot before making any plans. He is in everything, but we’ll play it by ear.
“He’s in good form, we couldn’t be happier with him really.”
Shericka Jackson knows that her many fans in Jamaica and around the world hold her to high regard each time she touches the track. But as an athlete who has had her fair share of ups and downs throughout a now sizzling career, Jackson is also aware that there are those that stand ready to badmouth her when things don't go according to plan.
It is for that reason why the reigning 200m world champion and the second-fastest woman of all time over the distance, unburdened herself of the high expectations from others by virtue of focusing on her mental health, while trusting her body and coach.
"I am not a person who cracks under pressure in terms of what people expect of me. I know what I am capable of, coach knows what I am capable of, and I think we are a good combination to achieve what I want to achieve, it is just for me to stay focus," Jackson said.
"I said this before, I think 2021 Olympics when I never made it in the 200m, I think that broke me mentally and I had to go back to the drawing board and know that people will talk but you just have to focus on the goals that you want.
"It took the hard way for me to actually learn that, but coach and I have been working on things. Mental health is very important to me so definitely, I try to stay grounded as best as possible, if I feel like I'm not in it for training on any given day, I go to coach and talk to him or I go to a therapist. So, I am grounded right now, I am happy, and I am definitely looking forward to great things," she added.
Jackson's declaration followed another electrifying performance over 100m, as she clocked a meet record 10.78s at the Racers Grand Prix inside the National Stadium last Saturday.
The margin of victory and the fact that Jackson had a slight stumble close to the end of the race, underlines the impressive form she currently enjoys, and the 28-year-old believes she is on course to possibly achieving more than she did last year.
This, as she reflected on the fact that she didn't hit the 10.7s mark until late June last year when she won the national championship.
"I think I made a little misstep at the ending of the race which I think coach and I will definitely go back to the drawing board about because it happened last year at the World Championships, and it happened at the trials. So, coach and I will figure out how to correct those, but I am super excited, 10.78 at the early part of June, I can't complain," she said.
"I wanted to run 10.75 but I said OK then I'll take 10.78, I actually wrote it down on a piece of paper because coach and I talk about writing what you want to achieve and tell yourself that it is achievable, so this time early June I am super excited for the season," Jackson, who has a personal best of 10.71s over 100m, noted.
Having clocked 10.73s for the 100m silver medal in Oregon last season, Jackson is no doubt highly motivated to better that performance and secure her first World Championships 100m title, as well as to successful defend her 200m crown.
The 21.45s she ran to win the gold medal in Eugene, Oregon, was a new national and championship record. Only Florence Griffith-Joyner of the USA (21.34s) has run faster.
"One of my aims is to make it at the 100m because I already have a mind for the 200m. So, I am definitely motivated, I do not have a 100m World Championships title and that is one of my goals this year to achieve, it's just for me to stay focused.
"I am confident, and I am healthy once I stay healthy anything is possible. I know I definitely can go faster, and I am working to go faster so it's just to stay focused," Jackson reasoned.
Though her spot in the 100m for the August 19-27 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, seems safe, Jackson stressed the need for an efficient execution at upcoming National Trials.
"I just want to run a solid 100m at the Jamaica trials because anything can happen, so I just want to ensure that on the day of competition I am ready and focused. So right now, it's just to work on certain aspect of the race," she ended.
Andrew Balding has no concerns about the prospect of Chaldean tackling quicker ground at Royal Ascot.
The Dewhurst and 2000 Guineas winner remains on target for what looks a stellar renewal of the St James’s Palace Stakes on the first day of the meeting, June 20.
For Balding, with the Guineas already in the bag, he can approach the meeting with the pressure slightly lifted.
“The Classics are a big deal, particularly the Guineas. To get it early in the season is a huge effort,” he said.
“Having won the Dewhurst, you spend the whole winter with high expectations. You then get there and it was more of a relief than a feeling of ecstasy. It was a great one to get on the board and everyone was rightfully very happy with themselves.
“The St James’s Palace is the intended target. Chances are he is going to have to encounter some faster ground at some stage. I haven’t got a concern myself; it was quite fast when he won at York and I think at Ascot, the round track there should really play to his strengths, we’re looking forward to it.”
Chaldean is one of two major chances for the trainer in two of the feature races as he will also saddle Coltrane, the Sagaro Stakes winner, in the Gold Cup on the Thursday.
Balding told Tattersalls: “He’s a bit of a star, he wasn’t an expensive yearling (50,000 guineas). He has been a pleasant surprise from day one in everything he’s done. He looked stone cold useless as a two-year-old to be honest. He could hardly get up to the top of the gallop and just improved and improved.
“He had improved with racing but had a setback at the beginning of his four-year-old career. He missed a lot and the way he’s come back is an absolute tribute to his steel. He’s just a fabulous horse to train and I thought he was very impressive in the Sagaro Stakes.
“If he can produce that sort of a performance at Ascot on Gold Cup day, then he’s got to be a player.
“I think the last run suggests he is better than ever. I thought he was very impressive. He put in a similar performance at Sandown last year where he looked very good, and we were just thrilled with the way he won at Ascot.
“It was obvious that we didn’t need to be running again before the Gold Cup because there’s a busy time after that as well so hopefully, if we can get him there in the same form, he should have a great chance.”
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