Search

Campanelle seeking Ascot hat-trick in Platinum Jubilee

Campanelle bids to reverse the fortunes of trainer Wesley Ward by claiming her third Royal Ascot success in Saturday’s Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

CAMPANELLE(yellow) winning the Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series).
CAMPANELLE(yellow) winning the Commonwealth Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series). Picture: Megan Ridgwell

With a dozen winners at the showpiece meeting already under his belt and fast ground forecast, Ward returned to Berkshire with a small but select squad and high hopes of adding to his tally.

But the Washington-born trainer's week got off to a nightmare start, with team captain Golden Pal blowing his chance at the start in Tuesday's King's Stand, while the following afternoon the well-fancied Love Reigns had to make do with an honourable fourth in the Queen Mary.

Reflecting on Golden Pal's performance, Ward said: "You train them right down to the when the man says go and something like that happens and you're done, especially with a horse like that.

"We wanted to jump out and get two or three in front and then hopefully ease back and then it would have been a race home – that would have been great to see. But take nothing away from the winner (Nature Strip), who ran great – I have the utmost respect for him."

The difference with Campanelle, of course, is she has already proven her liking for Ascot – winning the Queen Mary two years ago and getting the Commonwealth Cup in the stewards' room 12 months ago after a pulsating duel with Dragon Symbol.

Ward, who won the 2015 renewal of this race, when it was run as the Diamond Jubilee, with Undrafted, is expecting the four-year-old to make her presence felt in the final day feature.

He said: "She's doing phenomenal, she's a dual winner here so we know she likes the course and all.

"Hopefully we can move on from previous bad luck and move forward with her."

The hot favourite for the Platinum Jubilee is Home Affairs, who will bid to complete a huge sprint double for Australian trainer Chris Waller following the stunning victory of Nature Strip in the King's Stand.

Home Affairs touched off his stablemate in the Group One Lightning Stakes in February and Waller is anticipating a bold showing, having saddled Brazen Beau to finish second to Undrafted seven years ago.

He said: "Brazen Beau was a good Australian sprinter, a young horse with a similar profile to Home Affairs. We almost got it right with Brazen Beau and we will try to get it right this time.

"I feel with Home Affairs, after his dominant win the Coolmore Stud Stakes, that he is very good over 1200 metres (six furlongs) provided he settles, and we have done a lot of work with him on that

"I loved his jump out at Flemington before getting on the plane – he relaxed very quickly, which is what he will have to do to win."

Home Affairs is one of two Australian-trained runners along with Artorius, who finished third behind his compatriot in October.

Sam Freedman, who trains Artorius in partnership with his father Anthony, expects his charge to be doing his best work at the finish.

He said: "He's a hold-up horse who doesn't have any early speed out of the gates really, he sort of falls out and it's been to his detriment in Australia because you want to be up with the pace generally to feature, particularly on the tight track.

"He's performed well from six to eight furlongs, he's got form over a mile which I think will stand him in good stead over a testing six furlongs at Ascot. He just needs good pace in the race and a fair track, in Australia you can have a bit of a bias where you need to be up with the pace.

"The tracks in Australia just probably don't suit him as he just needs a bit of time. I think he just lacks a bit of that tactical speed and when you watch his replays, he's always finishing hard but he just runs out of time.

"If he's going to win it, it won't be until late. We went for Jamie Spencer for a reason, as he has such a good record on backmarkers at Ascot."

One of the leading hopes for the home team is John Quinn's Highfield Princess, who won the Buckingham Palace Stakes at the Royal meeting 12 months ago and returns at the top of her game after winning the Duke of York last month.

Quinn said: "She's in very good form, obviously she's a course winner and her last run was very good.

"Obviously it's a very spicy race, but she's in good nick and we're hoping for a good run.

"She has form on all ground. You'd hope it wouldn't get rattling, but it looks like it's been very decent ground all week, so fingers crossed."

The William Haggas-trained Sacred has been off the track since winning Newbury's Hungerford Stakes in August, but connections are not too worried about the lack of a recent run.

Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud, said: "They are forecasting some potential rain on Saturday, which I'm hoping doesn't appear for her as she likes top of the ground.

"It's a tough race, but she's a filly that we believe will be suited by a fast pace and we'll learn a bit more about her – whether she can step up to a mile at some point in the future, we'll see.

"This has always been her target and she runs well fresh, that's always been our thought. When she won the Nell Gwyn she was fresh and she won first time out as a two-year-old."

Minzaal is fitted with cheek pieces for the first time by Owen Burrows after finishing third to Highfield Princess at York, while Ado McGuinness saddles dual Group One winner A Case Of You.

He said: "He's a great horse to travel, we're very happy with him and fingers crossed he'll put up a good show.

"We're drawn over in 27, so hopefully there'll be plenty of pace our side and we'll see what happens.

"We're happy we're running here instead of the King's Stand and we're looking forward to it."


Racing and Sports



Ascot Saturday, 18th June 2022

6f TURF GOOD FIRM
GBP £1,000,000

Platinum Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) (G1)

GBP £1,000,000
Age: 4yo and up Type: OPEN
6f TURF GOOD FIRM
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 17. NAVAL CROWN (GB) 4yo H
DUBAWI (IRE) - COME ALIVE (GB)
JAMES DOYLE
C APPLEBY
$34
131lbs
GODOLPHIN
2nd 3. CREATIVE FORCE (IRE) 4yo G
DUBAWI (IRE) - CHOOSE ME (IRE)
WILLIAM BUICK
C APPLEBY
$13
131lbs
GODOLPHIN

Sales Information

3rd 20. CAMPANELLE (IRE) 4yo F
KODIAC (GB) - JANINA (GB)
I ORTIZ JR
W A WARD
$11
128lbs
STONESTREET STABLES LLC

Sales Information

3rd 2. ARTORIUS (AUS) 3yo C
FLYING ARTIE (AUS) - GRACIE'S LASS (AUS)
JAMIE SPENCER
A & S FREEDMAN
$9.5
131lbs
NEWGATE, CHINA HORSE CLUB & PARTNERS

Sales Information

5th 24. SACRED (GB) 4yo F
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - SACRE CAROLINE (USA)
TOM MARQUAND
WILLIAM HAGGAS
$8.5
128lbs
6th 23. HIGHFIELD PRINCESS (FR) 5yo M
NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) - PURE ILLUSION (IRE)
JASON HART
J J QUINN
$8
128lbs

Sales Information

7th 22. HAPPY ROMANCE (IRE) 4yo F
DANDY MAN (IRE) - RUGGED UP (IRE)
SEAN LEVEY
RICHARD HANNON JR
$26
128lbs

Sales Information

8th 15. KINROSS (GB) 5yo G
KINGMAN (GB) - CEILIDH HOUSE (GB)
LANFRANCO DETTORI
R M BECKETT
$41
131lbs
9th 19. ALCOHOL FREE (IRE) 4yo F
NO NAY NEVER (USA) - PLYING (USA)
ROB HORNBY
ANDREW BALDING
$19
128lbs

Sales Information

10th 18. RUN TO FREEDOM (GB) 4yo H
MUHAARAR (GB) - TWILIGHT MISTRESS (GB)
DANE O'NEILL
HENRY CANDY
$101
131lbs
11th 21. DOUBLE OR BUBBLE (IRE) 5yo M
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - MANGO LADY (GB)
JACK MITCHELL
C F WALL
$29
128lbs
12th 4. DILIGENT HARRY (GB) 4yo H
DUE DILIGENCE (USA) - HARRYANA TO (GB)
ADAM KIRBY
C G COX
$51
131lbs

Sales Information

13th 16. MINZAAL (IRE) 4yo H
MEHMAS (IRE) - PARDOVEN (IRE)
JIM CROWLEY
OWEN BURROWS
$13
131lbs

Sales Information

14th 14. KING'S LYNN (GB) 5yo G
CABLE BAY (IRE) - KINEMATIC (GB)
DAVID PROBERT
ANDREW BALDING
$34
131lbs
15th 6. EMARAATY ANA (GB) 6yo G
SHAMARDAL (USA) - SPIRIT OF DUBAI (IRE)
ANDREA ATZENI
K A RYAN
$34
131lbs

Sales Information

16th 11. GUSTAVUS WESTON (IRE) 6yo G
EQUIANO (FR) - CHRISSYCROSS (IRE)
G F CARROLL
JOSEPH G MURPHY
$126
131lbs

Sales Information

17th 1. A CASE OF YOU (IRE) 4yo H
HOT STREAK (IRE) - KARJERA (IRE)
R P WHELAN
ADRIAN MCGUINNESS
$23
131lbs

Sales Information

18th 25. UMM KULTHUM (IRE) 4yo F
KODIAC (GB) - QUEEN'S CODE (IRE)
COLIN KEANE
R A FAHEY
$67
128lbs

Sales Information

19th 10. GRENADIER GUARDS (JPN) 4yo H
FRANKEL (GB) - WAVELL AVENUE (CAN)
CRISTIAN DEMURO
MITSUMASA NAKAUCHIDA
$51
131lbs
20th 13. HOME AFFAIRS (AUS) 3yo C
I AM INVINCIBLE (AUS) - MISS INTERIORS (AUS)
JAMES MCDONALD
CHRIS WALLER
$3.5
131lbs

Sales Information

21st 7. GARRUS (IRE) 6yo G
ACCLAMATION (GB) - QUEEN OF POWER (IRE)
RYAN MOORE
C HILLS
$67
131lbs

Sales Information

22nd 26. VADREAM (GB) 4yo F
BRAZEN BEAU (AUS) - HER HONOUR (IRE)
DANIEL TUDHOPE
CHARLIE FELLOWES
$41
128lbs
23rd 5. DRAGON SYMBOL (GB) 4yo H
CABLE BAY (IRE) - ARCAMIST (GB)
DAVID EGAN
ROGER VARIAN
$34
131lbs

Sales Information

24th 9. GREAT AMBASSADOR (GB) 5yo G
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - SNOQUALMIE GIRL (IRE)
RICHARD KINGSCOTE
EDWARD WALKER
$29
131lbs

Sales Information

today's racing

Error occured
{{disciplineGroup.DisciplineFullText}}
{{course.CountryName || course.Country}}