MAWJ is back in the US on Saturday – I bet my news editor didn’t expect this week’s column would start with that!
But I’m not here to be predictable.
PAOur 1000 Guineas winner Mawj finally returns under Murphy on Saturday night[/caption]
Mawj is important. Firstly she’s just about a forgotten horse since beating the talented Tahiyra in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.
Secondly, her trainer Saeed bin Suroor is on the verge of banging in his 500th Group/Graded race.
He might do that on Saturday afternoon at HQ but if not has another chance with his star filly.
And thirdly the Classic heroine drags Oisin Murphy to Keeneland for the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup en route to what we all hope is a challenge at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships of horse racing.
It’s a big decision by Murphy to keep the faith with Mawj, as he has had to give up partnering Array – owned by powerhouse Juddmonte and the horse he landed the Mill Reef on at Newbury – in the Group 1 Native Trail’s Dewhurst as well as probably leading hope Aztec Empire in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch.
Mawj made just about all the running to take the Guineas but hasn’t been seen since and missed Royal Ascot due to coughing and a dirty scope.
“She is looking good, is in good form and happy, and we are looking forward to running her Saturday,” bin Suroor said.
“She has done her main work in Newmarket and Oisin rode her in her last piece of work on the Limekilns round gallop. We’re hoping we will see good results from her again.
“She will have to be in a good position in the race, but as usual I like to have my horses handy and if she is somewhere close I would be happy. Oisin knows her well and so far so good.”
If Mawj comes through Saturday’s return unscathed, then a trip to Santa Anita looks highly likely and Bin Suroor has two possible assignments in mind for his stable star at the Breeders’ Cup.
“She could go for the Mile or the Filly & Mare,” continued the trainer. “It is between the two races and we will see.”
Array will have to improve to land the Dewhurst, live on ITV and a belter which features the hugely impressive Justify offspring City of Troy.
The youngster is very well named, as many find it hard to justify whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War.
What we do know is that the equine City of Troy looked like a machine on debut at the Curragh and a monster in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket in July.
He’s been off the track a little while now for Aidan O’Brien, but is already been talked up as if he’s a wonder horse.
That is reflected in his price of about 5-2 for next year’s 2000 Guineas.
Ryan Moore’s mount will have to be decent, though, to thrash Champagne winner Iberian – who had subsequent French Group 1 hero Rosallion back in third at Doncaster – and a Group 3 scorer when last seen.
A mention also for the Eve Johnson Houghton-handled Indian Run, who looked very good at York in the Acomb Stakes.
The Bronte Collection 1 who own this horse have a few quid between them but might well have a proper animal on their hands.
Of course the big betting race of the day is the Cesarewitch, famous for taking in two counties over its extreme distance of two miles and two furlongs.
It says a lot that runners trained by mainly jumps people in Gordon Elliott (Pied Piper), Emmet Mullins (The Shunter) and Noel Meade (Jesse Evans) have leading contenders.
I’ll be stunned if Pied Piper stays – but I have been stunned before!
I’m hoping VINO VICTRIX goes one better than last year when he chased home Run for Oscar off a mark of 92.
Now it takes a leap of faith expecting him to score, as 12 months ago he was in cracking form and came into the race on the back of a win at Goodwood.
On the plus side he’s now 2lb lower off 90, once again has the talented Benoit de la Sayette on top and has a decent draw in stall 12.
Added to all that, his fourth last time in the same Goodwood event wasn’t totally hopeless and he plugged on a fashion that very much suggested it was a race of preparation.
Let’s hope Victrix conquers, just like some say the Greeks did in that Trojan War.
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