PLANS FOR Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Again are fluid, with trainer David Wachman eyeing an autumn campaign for his star filly.
After battling through atrocious conditions to take Classic glory at the Curragh in May, the daughter of Danehill Dancer ran no sort of race when seventh of the 10 run- ners in the Coronation Stakes.
“She came back from Ascot a little bit under the weather so we have no real plans at the minute, but she will be in all those races in the autumn,” saidWachman.
“She ran poorly in Ascot and since then I’ve had very few run- ners asmy horses have been under the weather and she falls into that category as well.
“She missed the Irish Oaks for that reason. There isn’t really a timescale on it and it’s really a question of how long is a piece of string?We’ll just have to play it by ear.”
Wachman’s dual Group One winner Bushranger is in a similar position, having failed to get com- petitive on his latest outing in the Golden Jubilee.
“Like Again, he came back from Ascot a little bit under the weather and that kind of manifested itself over the couple of weeks after- wards,” the trainer continued. “He’s just ready to crank up again now, so we’ll see how he is and where we go.”
- Nine-time championtrainer Michael Stoute is as short as 4 to 7 to win a fourth King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
The master of Freemason Lodge has struck gold in the summer showpiece with Shergar (1981), Opera House (1993) and Golan (2002), and this year the trainer has three strings to his bow.
Topping the bill is last year’s St Leger and Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Conduit, and he is set to be joined by Tartan Bearer, second in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last time, and Corona- tion Cup winner Ask.
Aidan O’Brien is searching for a third consecutive success in the Group One heat following victo- ries for Dylan Thomas and Duke Of Marmalade, but Sky Bet’s Mat- thew Doyle expects the Stoute team to prevent the hat-trick.
“The latest renewal is not the strongest we have ever seen and Sir Michael Stoute is long odds-on with us to stop Aidan O’Brien landing a third consecutive King George,” said Doyle.
Conduit and Tartan Bearer are owned by Ballymacoll Stud, and while no final decision will be made until later in the week, racing manager Peter Reynolds expects champion jockey Ryan Moore to partner the former.
“A final decision hasn’t been made, but it looks as though Ryan is going to stick with Conduit and Mick Kinane will ride the other horse, Tartan Bearer,” said Reynolds.
O’Brien has left in Frozen Fire, Freemantle, Golden Sword and Rockhampton, while Luca Cuma- ni’s Cima De Triomphe, Scintillo, Alwaary and Look Here complete the field.
Burke disqualified for 12 months
KARL BURKE has been disqualified for 12months following a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) inquiry into alleged race-fixing.
The Middleham trainer has been enjoying a fine season and recently saddled Lord Shanakill to Group One success in France.
And former owner Miles Rodgers has been warned off for life, the BHA confirmed.
The BHA disciplinary panel decided to postpone the start of Burke’s penalty until the day after the time allowed for lodging an appeal – July 28th – because “it would be wrong to cause what may be irreparable damage to Burke’s business in that time if he does intend to appeal.
“It will be for the appeal board to decide whether to extend that stay of the penalty if he does in fact appeal.
“It will also enable Burke to make the application his counsel foreshadowed at the hearing for some formof dispensation from the full effects of a disqualification if he still wishes to do so.
“As the panel does not know of the grounds for such an application, this should not be seen as any encouragement to make it or to think that itmight be granted, but it is right to identify that Burke has the opportunity.”
