ALI-ROYAL can donate £13,392 to the Henry Cecil Trainers' Title Fund by lifting the Listed City of York Stakes today. It was bound to happen sooner or later, with Cecil and Saeed bin Suroor, the man who took Sheikh Mohammed's business away from him, vying for the championship honours.
Both are undisputed masters of their trade, but the events of last summer, when the Sheikh removed all his horses from Warren Place, will add that extra bit of interest to the season as it approaches its final weeks. The prizemoney today is unlikely to decide the destination of the title, but every little helps.
Ali-Royal has had something of a mixed season, showing himself to be a very useful performer at around seven furlongs but having only one victory to show from his four starts. He began his campaign in the Thirsk Classic Trial in April but failed to justify odds on favouritism behind Ben Hanbury's Ramooz.
However, he was a different proposition altogether at Newmarket next time, turning the Listed King Charles II Stakes into a one horse race. Held up in the seven runner field by Willie Ryan, the Royal Academy colt hit the front approaching the final quarter mile, and the race ended there.
By the line he had put eight lengths between his backside and Rabican's nostrils, looking a natural for Royal Ascot's Jersey Stakes in the process.
Sadly things did not go as planned at the Royal meeting. Just as Ali Royal was beginning to make his move three from home, the door closed. It remained shut until the furlong pole, at which point Ali Royal swept past all but four of his rivals, around four and a quarter lengths down at the post.
The ride must have been agonising for Ryan, as there is little doubt his mount would have gone very close had he not had to encounter an obstacle course during the second half of the race.
Last time out Ali Royal was highly tried in Goodwood's Group One Sussex Stakes. He was not up to the task in hand. finishing a well beaten seventh to First Island. But, with his nets cast in easier waters, there seems no reason why he should not be able show to much better advantage. Conditions will suit him well, and Ali-Royal is a confident nap to regain winning form.
Of the eight horses which meet in the Group One Nunthorpe stakes, five ran against each other in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. That day Sir Mark Prescott's Pivotal, who was making his seasonal reappearance. did best of the quintet. beating Mind Games by half a length, with Hever Golf Rose almost six lengths back in fourth, Eveningperformance 10th and Struggler, 16th of the 17 runners.
Pivotal disappointed when sixth to Anabaa in the July Cup at Newmarket's July meeting 20 days later, holding every chance passing the two furlong marker but unable to summon a change of pace soon after.
It is difficult to know what went wrong, but suffice it to say that the Polar Falcon colt did not produce his form. It is possible the Ascot race took more out of him than his trainer had imagined, but whatever the explanation, Prescott reports Pivotal back to his best now.
With only five career starts to date, he may be capable of better, and Pivotal is taken to restore his reputation.
Ian Balding's promising Seebe can complete a hat trick in the Group Two Stakis Casinos Lowther Stakes, while the ultracompetitive Bradford and Bingley Rated Stakes can go to the John Gosden trained Intidab.
