Todd has Melbourne Cup on the radar for Tasman Bay
Britain and Australia’s best Flat handicaps are the prizes Tasman Bay (Le Havre) could be aimed at by his connections, who have put a firm line through his comeback run at Royal Ascot.
Owned by Sir Peter Vela and trained by Sir Mark Todd, Tasman Bay developed into a smart performer last season when he was placed in two Group 2s and a Group 3.
The well-made four-year-old was keen when 12th of 15 in the Wolferton Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) at Royal Ascot, although that came against the backdrop of a quiet spell for Todd’s yard, which was affected by coughing.
He looked on good terms with himself when working under the trainer on Friday morning, however.
“He never seemed to have it and we blood tested and scoped him,” said the former Kiwi eventer, who won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.
“I thought he was a gallop or two short, but the owner was up from New Zealand and we had to start somewhere.
“James McDonald had never ridden him before and I told him that the horse was always quick out of the barriers and can latch on a bit, and I don’t think James realised quite how much.
“The horse bounded out and James said he couldn’t hold him. I don’t think James did anything wrong, but I know how strong the horse can be and in a lot of his races last year we ended up making the pace and didn’t want to. He’s so quick from the stalls for a big horse.
“He took off and then there was another horse [Palavecino] on his outside. The pair went hard at it, so he had every right not to be able to finish the race off.”
The Steventon Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) at Newbury on Saturday and the Glorious Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 4f) at Goodwood are among the options before a possible crack at the next month’s Ebor (1m 6f) which has a prize fund of £500,000 (approx. AU$883,250).
Beyond that, the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), which Vela landed with Ethereal (Rhythm) in 2001, is on the radar.
“I think we’ll run at Newbury and then maybe we’ll step him up to a mile and a half at Glorious Goodwood, and then he’s entered for the Ebor,” added Todd, who trains a string of 20 at his Wiltshire base.
“He’s going to have to do something at either Newbury or Goodwood to warrant a run in the Ebor, but he’d be worth his place if he came up as good as he did last year when he kept running into the likes of Hurricane Lane, Alenquer and Baaeed.
“He’s more mature this year and feels as good as he did last year. He’s also been gelded and had a bone chip removed from a fetlock, so providing those things haven’t affected him I can’t see any reason why he can’t get back.
“Sir Peter has already won the Melbourne Cup and it’s something to think about. His future will probably be in Australia because the money down there for staying races is so much better than here.
“We’ve had plenty of offers from there, and to go hurdling, but I think he has the qualities to shape up well in that race. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him.”
Five Europeans to look out for
Cleveland
Regarded as an Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) hope by connections when winning a Curragh maiden over one mile and a furlong as a two-year-old, Cleveland (Camelot) subsequently suffered a setback which ruled him out of his entire Classic season. Returning at four, he won the fiendishly difficult Chester Cup (2m 2.5f) on just his fifth start. He then went to Royal Ascot where, as the well backed favourite, he found just Get Shirty (Teofilo), who has since won off a mark of 105, too good. It was revealed last week that Cleveland has left Aidan O’Brien, to be trained by his son Joseph, having been purchased by Lloyd Williams.
Coltrane
Having finished a neck second behind Cleveland at Chester, the Andrew Balding–trained Coltrane (Mastercraftsman) went one better at Royal Ascot when winning the Ascot Stakes (2m 4f). He then went to Sandown and stepped up into Listed company, slamming his six rivals in a two-mile contest by an eased down ten lengths. Owner Mick Mariscotti said after the five-year-old’s romp that it was his dream to own a Melbourne Cup winner.
Deauville Legend
Another with low mileage on the clock, the James Ferguson-trained three-year-old Deauville Legend (Sea The Stars) registered his second win in five starts when taking out Newmarket’s Group 3 Bahrain Trophy over a mile and five last week. Connections said they had a trip to Melbourne in mind afterwards, with the Cup also nominated as a potential target for the second home Al Qareem (Awtaad) who was beaten just a head. The Bahrain Trophy has been won by the likes of Hartnell (Authorized) and Spanish Mission (Noble Mission) in recent years.
Without A Fight
Without A Fight (Teofilo) lived up to his name when easily dispatching his two rivals in the Group 3 Silver Cup at York on Saturday. That was his second win over the Ebor course and distance (1m 6f) this year so it came as something of a surprise he has not been entered in next month’s valuable handicap. When quizzed on the matter after, co-trainer Ed Crisford said they had already decided before last weekend’s race to give the five-year-old a break now to freshen him up for an Australian campaign later in the year.