The unbeaten Quddwah is aiming to make up for a lost opportunity at Royal Ascot when he runs in the Anne Cowley Memorial Summer Mile Stakes on Saturday.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the four-year-old looked to have solid claims in the Queen Anne but, just like stablemate Vandeek, a problem with his blood count forced him to miss the meeting.
Connections were then left wondering what might have been as Docklands, who Quddwah beat in May, finished second to Charyn in the meeting’s opener.
“He’s another one that came down with an abnormal blood count, so he obviously missed the Queen Anne, which was unfortunate,” said Ed Crisford.
“He won well at Ascot in early May and the second and third obviously ran well in the Queen Anne. We’ll never know what would have happened and he’s another one that needs to get out and racing.
“He’s doing extremely well and the race should suit him. It’s a competitive race, but it looks a suitable target for him.”
At the top of the betting along with Quddwah is the Ralph Beckett-trained Sonny Liston.
He ran in the Derby in his days with Charlie Hills but has become a specialist miler with Beckett in all the major handicaps, going close off topweight in the Hunt Cup when last seen.
“He’s earned a crack at something like this, his performance in the Hunt Cup was incredible, I think it was recorded as one of the best handicap weight-carrying runs at Royal Ascot for 25 years,” said Emma Spencer, racing manager for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, which owns Sonny Liston.
“He’s rated 114 now, so he’s definitely out of handicaps but obviously this is a different kettle of fish now in a smaller field and going round a bend.
“He did win his maiden at Sandown going round one but since then I think he’s only been round one once at York in the John Smith’s Cup, which he didn’t enjoy.
“So that’s a bit of an unknown but I can’t see why it should be much of an issue. It’s the same race Jimi Hendrix” – formerly owned by Chelsea Thoroughbreds – “ran in last year after he won the Hunt Cup and he was third.
“He has form on all ground, probably he’s best on quicker ground but he has run well on soft, so he’s pretty versatile. I don’t think the ground will be bad anyway.”
She went on: “It’s a competitive race, as you’d expect, and the Sussex Stakes is an option 2½ weeks later. We’ll see, this just looked a very obvious race to target given it was back at Ascot.
“Jimi Hendrix is now in Australia but I think he was a bit more complicated than Sonny because he could be a little bit claustrophobic and he had his own little ways, whereas Sonny seems to be pretty straightforward.
“Talent-wise it’s difficult to rate them, as Sonny is a better horse this year, his Newbury run was great and his Hunt Cup run was a step up again, so it’s really hard to tell how good he is, to be honest.
“It’s a good little race and the top two set a good standard, Quddwah hasn’t done a lot wrong, he could be anything, but Sonny is officially top rated. Crucially for us, there looks to be a lot of pace in the race, as he likes to be dropped in.
“It would be nice to run well and then go on to the Sussex.”
Marco Botti’s Royal Dubai ran well last time out at Epsom when second in the Diomed Stakes and a return to Dubai is on his agenda.
“The stiff finish at Ascot should really suit him. A mile is his trip, he’s not short of speed but he is a strong stayer at a mile. We think a mile or a mile and one is his best trip, a mile and a quarter just stretches him a bit,” said the Italian.
“The plan is to go back to Dubai with him, so he’ll only have one or two more races here. His next target could be York, the Strensall Stakes, and then we’ll freshen him up before the Carnival, that’s the plan.”
