Catcher out to star at Ascot on Champions Day
Star Catcher is a hot favourite to supply Anthony Oppenheimer using a Champions Day success in as many years when she bids to crown an outstanding effort.
The has seen that his colors carried to success by the colorful Cracksman in the previous two renewals of the Champion Stakes – and can go back to Ascot hopeful of glory.
Star Catcher has won four of the five starts to date this year – by landing the Irish Oaks at the Curragh the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and the Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp completing a big-race hat-trick.
Sea The Stars girl is well fancied to add a Group One to her CV that weekend, however with her Epsom companion Anapurna among her rivals, Oppenheimer is taking nothing for granted.
He said:I expect she has got a good chance, but youve got the Oaks winner in there, who won a Group One last time, so it is no pushover.
Im told she functioned well earlier in the week. The floor isnt going to be soft on the inner course because it is. She moves on the floor that is good and soft, but wouldnt need it thick.
She remains in practice next year, so shell only run if Mr Gosden is pleased with the ground.
It would be wonderful to have yet another winner on Champions Day. Lets see what happens.
Anapurna will only finish seventh behind Star Catcher after encountering traffic problems along with her comeback run at the Vermeille and was away from the track for over three months after her Classic victory at Epsom.
When enrolling a clear-cut triumph she showed her true colours in her return to Paris a fortnight ago.
Mark Weinfeld of owners Helena Springfield Ltd said:Its nice to be heading there on the back of a triumph after what happened to her at the Vermeille. The Vermeille was a non-event for her, therefore that she did well to bounce back time back into France.
What she showed there was that she handles soft earth well and has plenty of endurance, so that is not an issue, but what might be is that she is coming back fairly fast.
She did have a mid-summer break, however.
Gosden has a third string.
That this trophy has been maintained by aidan OBrien in each of the past two seasons with Hydrangea and Magical respectively.
This year the Ballydoyle handler starts a four-pronged assault, with Fleeting (Donnacha OBrien) and Delphinia (Seamie Heffernan) seemingly his two chief contenders, before South Sea Pearl (Sean Levey) along with Pink Dogwood (Pierre-Charles Boudot).
OBrien explained:Both Fleeting and Delphina were next in Group Ones on their last starts. Its pretty unbelievable that Fleeting has not won one yet. Shes in good form and ran a terrific race in Longchamp (second in Prix de lOpera). She seems well, although we havent done much since.
Delphina also ran a terrific race at Longchamp the last day (second to Anapurna) over a small bit further, but she seems to be in great shape as well.
We are a tiny bit lost with Pink Dogwood and we can not put our hands on why her form has gone backwards, but she is working well and was second in the Oaks.
Few coaches have their series in better form. Since asserting a Recorded prize at Newbury in 18, the three-year-old has not yet been seen in competitive action.
She did a great bit of work in Kempton a week and we think she is ready, said Beckett.
The floor will probably be right up her alley – it could not rain enough for her.
I am hopeful shell run nicely. The attraction (10) isnt ideal, but we can not help that.
Shes very under-raced and I am hopeful theres a bit more to come. She moves nice and fresh.
Beckett had five winners last Saturday, and added:We had a tricky spring, so it was not going well and after we struck a small blip in July if they werent running nicely. Saturday gave us a joy and its almost always a good idea to finish off your season
The William Haggas-trained Klassique is an interesting outsider, having just once completed in 10 starts from the initial three.
She had been seen placing third in a Group 2.
Klassique conducted well in France the past time, but was somewhat flat. She loves the soft and we intentionally set her off, explained Haggas.
She is an outsider, and it has got a bit to find online form. If she can complete in the first four months, then we will be delighted.
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