THE sprint superstars of Great Britain and Ireland normally fight it out for the honours in the Group One Coolmore Nunthorpe on day three of York Ebor Festival, but this year it’s the potential of an overseas clash that is whetting the appetite.
Wesley Ward is planning to bring Golden Pal over from the States for the five-furlong full-throttle affair on the Knavesmire to face the French raider, Suesa, winner of the recent King George Qatar Stakes.
Suesa’s turn of foot was clear for all to see at Goodwood, with a crushing win over her competitors which included the horse that was expected to make a bid to claim a third Nunthorpe in succession, Battaash, the Charles Hill-trained seven-year-old hanging up his racing plates in the aftermath of his seventh-placed finish, reports BBC Sport
But Suesa is going from strength to strength and has been working on the all-weather track at Deauville and on the beach, with connections of trainer Francois Rohaut hinting that a tilt at the £350K feature of the York Festival is very much on the cards.
While the Prix de l’Abbaye is the priority for the three-year-old filly, any softening of the surface at the Yorkshire track will be in the French horse’s favour, and may persuade Rohaut that it is too good an opportunity to ignore, despite coming just 21 days after her Goodwood win.
Among those expected on the field in York will be a few horses that have followed the French raider in King George, so the main competition will likely come from opponents who did not make it to Goodwood.
Golden Pal falls into that category and while an easing of the ground at the Knavesmire may play into Suesa’s hands, or hooves if you prefer, the reverse is the case for Wesley Ward’s three-year-old.
The flamboyant trainer is still sore about his last entry in the Nunthorpe, Lady Aurelia, who looked to have won the race in 2017 only to lose it by a nose to Marsha. Jockey Frankie Dettori was on board Lady Aurelia that day, and the Italian will ride Golden Pal for the first time at York, reports Wacky Races.
Ward said: “I’m relying on my old buddy Frankie Dettori again so we can right Lady Aurelia’s defeat. He’s (Dettori) had so much success for me in the past, is a great friend and an unbelievable talent.
“With the French filly in there too it makes it a truly great race.”
It won’t be the first time Golden Pal has made the trip to English shores, the colt was runner-up to Lir Jet in a tight finish to the Norfolk Stakes last year. However, he followed that by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland in November, and only an early-season injury prevented him returning to Royal Ascot in July.
Ward is clearly keen to test a horse he says is the “best I’ve ever trained” against Europe’s finest sprinters, and both Golden Pal are hovering around the 3/1 mark on current betting.
The British challenge is led by Archie Watson-trained Dragon Symbol, who finished runner-up to Suesa at Goodwood, who is trading at odds of 5/1 with some horse racing sites.