Royal Ascot Preview: Crisfords’ Runners Aim to Shine
As the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting draws near, the Newmarket-based Gainsborough Stables, led by the training duo of Simon and Ed Crisford, is gearing up to showcase its talented string of racehorses on the world-famous Berkshire turf.
One of the yard’s leading contenders is Quddwah, a winner at Salisbury and Newmarket last season, who recently completed his hat-trick with a victory in the Paradise Stakes over the Queen Anne course and distance. However, the Crisford team has revealed that the son of Kingman will not be saddled for the traditional royal meeting curtain-raiser, the Queen Anne Stakes, due to a “bad blood (test result) and a bad scope.”
“It was all systems go until yesterday, which was a bit of a shame, but these things happen with horses and we’ll have to aim him somewhere else, maybe the Summer Mile (at Ascot in July) or something,” explained Ed Crisford.
Despite Quddwah’s absence, the stable will still be represented in the Queen Anne Stakes, with the five-year-old Poker Face set to take his chance. Crisford is confident that Poker Face can bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Lockinge Stakes last month, stating, “He’s in good order and hopefully he can bounce back. It was a little bit of an odd race the Lockinge, just the way it worked out, it wasn’t just us the race didn’t suit, so I think you’ve got to slightly put a line through it and see how he goes next time.”
The yard’s biggest hope of the meeting may well be Vandeek, who will look to bounce back from his first career defeat in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock when he lines up as a leading contender for the Commonwealth Cup on Friday week. Unbeaten in four starts as a juvenile, including Group One wins in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes, Vandeek was third behind the impressive Inisherin at Haydock, but Crisford is expecting a fitter version of his stable star to turn up at Ascot.
“Vandeek is super well, we’re very pleased with him and at the moment it’s all systems go,” said Crisford. “We’re looking forward to getting him to Ascot and he’s sure to improve from that first run. I’m not too concerned about the ground, he won on soft ground at Goodwood last year and heavy ground in France. He goes on the ground, but at Haydock was he was running against fit horses first time out and I think that’s what caught him out, it wasn’t necessarily the ground.”
Another horse set to be part of the Crisfords’ Royal Ascot squad is Meydaan, the Cocked Hat Stakes winner, although a decision has yet to made on whether he will contest the King Edward VII Stakes or step up in trip for the Queen’s Vase.
As the racing world turns its attention to the glamour and excitement of Royal Ascot, the Gainsborough Stables team will be hoping to make a significant impact, with their talented runners aiming to shine on the biggest stage in Flat racing.
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