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Skybet York Stakes |
Blue Bajan Bids for Group Two Glory in Skybet York Stakes 27/07/07
Tough and consistent five-year-old Blue Bajan will try and record
his first success in Pattern company in the £100,000 Group Two Skybet
York Stakes (3.15pm), run over an extended 10 furlongs at York this Saturday,
July 28.
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Take A Bow Aiming To Upstage Rivals In Skybet York Stakes
24/07/07
Take A Bow, who gained a long overdue first Pattern race success in the Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on May 31, will make his next start in the £100,000 Group Two Skybet York Stakes (3.15pm), run over an extended 10 furlongs at York on Saturday, July 28.
The ultra-game six-year-old, placed in the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket in 2004 and 2006 and only twice out of the first four in 24 career starts, prevailed in a thrilling three-way photo from Mighty and Mashaahed on his latest outing and is now out to make his mark in Group Two company in Saturday’s very valuable prize.
Trainer Patrick Chamings revealed today: “Take A Bow is going
to run in the Skybet York Stakes on Saturday. He’s in very good
order and has been super this year.
“He ran the race of his life in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes last
time and we were absolutely thrilled. I think he took a bit of time to
recover from an injury, which counted against him last season, although
he still ran some very good races.
“There haven’t been any ideal races for him to run in since Sandown, so that’s why he hasn’t been out. Very soft ground would be a concern at the weekend. He has run well on testing ground before, although he doesn’t really enjoy it.”
With the recent inclement weather causing havoc to a number of yards,
training racehorses has proved a real challenge, and Chamings is certainly
one handler hoping to see the back of the heavy downpours that have hit
the country over the past few weeks.
“The conditions here are unbelievable at the moment and life is
not easy. There is two foot of water at the bottom of the gallops and
it’s a nightmare, although a lot of other trainers around these
parts are in the same boat.
“As long as we can get to the races, Take A Bow will take his chance in the Skybet York Stakes. He’s in great form and we’re looking for him to give a really good account. I’m hoping Jim Crowley will be able to take the ride although that has not been confirmed.”
The Skybet York Stakes has attracted a superb 25-strong entry, and includes
the Aidan O’Brien-trained Eagle Mountain, runner-up to Authorized
in the Epsom Derby on June 2, Pressing, a Group Three winner in Italy
now trained by Michael Jarvis and fifth to Manduro in the Group One Prince
of Wales’s Stakes on his British debut, plus Royal Ascot Listed
winners Zaham and Championship Point, successful in the Hampton Court
Stakes and Wolferton Handicap respectively.
Godolphin has six horses to choose from, among them Group Two winner
Echo Of Light, fourth in the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot on July 14
on his latest start, last year’s Cambridgeshire hero Formal Decree
and Winged Cupid, who made a successful return after 20 months on the
sidelines in a mile Listed event at Windsor on June 30.
A field of 12 will go to post for the £50,000 Skybet Dash (3.15pm) over six furlongs, with three-year-old El Bosque, the seven-length winner of a six-furlong Ripon handicap on July 9, the current market leader at 7/2 with Sky Bet .
