2016 Royal Ascot News: Ward ways up double bid for Acapulco
Published:
David Metcalf | June 9, 2016
Wesley Ward contemplating double Royal Ascot raid Acapulco
American trainer Wesley Ward is contemplating running his superstar filly Acapulco twice at Royal Ascot next week.
Ward has not ruled out running with the Coolmore-owned three-year-old speedball in both the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday, June 14th, and the Commonwealth Cup on Friday, June 17th, for which she is 8/1 and 9/2 respectively with Coral.
He said: “I will talk it over with Coolmore and we will make a decision in a day or two. There is a possibility for both races.”
The daughter of Scat Daddy won the Queen Mary Stakes at the Royal meeting 12 months ago in scintillating fashion, after which she finished second a cracking second to older rival Mecca’s Angel in the Group 1 Nunthorpe at York.
Ryan Moore would ride Acapulco at Royal Ascot.
Palmer issues ground warning over star filly Covert Love
Covert Love will not run in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on Wednesday, June 15th, if the ground is “softer than good”, trainer Hugo Palmer revealed today.
Last year’s Irish Oaks heroine is currently 12/1 with Coral for the 1m 2f contest in which she will take on the boys.
The four-year-old is reported to be ready for her first run of the season, but Palmer will only let her take her chance if the ground is suitable.
He said: “The plan is very much to go to the Prince of Wales’s on Wednesday.
“We had a discussion with the syndicate of owners and there was a feeling maybe she could go a mile and a half.
“She has been beaten twice over that trip but when it was soft ground. If the ground is softer than good she won’t run in the Prince of Wales’s.
“She’s in very good heart for her first run of the year and it will be the first time she’s taken on the boys since winning her maiden last year.”
Motion expecting big run from Miss Temple City
Graham Motion is bullish about the prospects of Miss Temple City ahead of her second appearance at Royal Ascot next week.
The filly is 6/1 second-favourite for the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes on Wednesday, June 15th, having out-run her odds of 50/1 when only beaten two lengths into fourth place in the Coronation Stakes 12 months ago. She will be partnered by Ryan Moore.
Since that performance a return visit has been firmly on the agenda, and Miss Temple City comes into the contest on the back of an impressive seasonal reappearance success in a Grade 1 at Keeneland against the boys.
American trainer Motion, who was born in Cambridge, said: “I thought she ran very well last year and we felt if she was doing well we’d like to come back.
“She needed to run well first time out and she did. We thought the boys’ race looked a bit easier and we rolled the dice and she did it very nicely.
“We wanted to put her in a race where she had the best chance and I feel she is getting more respect than last year, when she was 50/1. I feel really good about running her.”
Usherette is 2/1 favourite with Coral for the Duke Of Cambridge, which is confined to fillies and mares.
Mongolian Saturday team hoping to realise a dream
Trainer Enebish Ganbat feels Mongolian Saturday has the necessary speed to make an impact in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, June 14th, for which he is currently 20/1 with Coral.
The six-year-old won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint over 5 1/2f at Keeneland in October but has since suffered two defeats over 6f in Hong Kong.
American-based Ganbat said today: “We are very happy. It was a long-term dream to come to England to run our horse and now that dream is really happening. We are very happy to be running at the home of the thoroughbred horse.
“Winning the Breeders’ Cup was of course a very special day as we wanted to win the race and we did.
“Usually the horse is very nervous over shipping, but now he is OK. We did a breeze with him and it seems he is very fast and the King’s Stand for him is his first race.”
Mongolian also holds an entry in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes over 6f on Saturday week, and is 25/1 with Coral for that Group 1 contest.
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