Back in your Arms Back to Defend Queen Ascot
The Queen Ascot Stakes has been conducted annually here at
2001 – Tough
2002 – Pgpg’s Filly – pgpg – 1.34.4 – 116 – retired winning $2.6 million
2003 – Storm Dog – amandas – 1.34.0 – 120 – retired winning $4.3 million –
2004 – Crimson Pirate – jockeymax – 1.34.8 – 111 – retired winning $1.8 million – Dam of stakeswinners Northern Pirate (Belong to Me) and Mambo Wildcat (Forest Wildcat)
2005 – Back in Your Arms – iant4 – 1.34.4 – 108 – active winner of $1.6 million
Let’s work through the formguide for this year’s renewal:
Deputy Hunter has drawn the inside gate and about the only thing that that can be said against her chances is the fact that she’s yet to prove herself against Grade 1 opposition. On the credit side of the ledger is her current form. A recent winner of five in a row, 2006 has seen her greet the judge seven times from her ten outings, including in her most recent five starts, wins in The Frank’s Love Stakes – G2 and The Colder Here BB Handicap – G3. Bred by current owner barn25dog, she’s a result of a mating of Deputy Minister with the breeder’s exclusive mare, the superbly bred but moderately performed Taliban Hunter (A.P. Indy / Mt Livermore). Taliban Hunter, from her four progeny, is also the dam of stakes placed Big Cat Hunter (Storm Cat), but Deputy Hunter is clearly the standout of her breeding results thus far. With twelve wins from 27 and almost half a million in earnings, this filly has never raced in better form. She didn’t draw from the top of the jockey pile, but has the perfect starting post to maximize early opportunities. There are many chances in this top notch race, and Deputy Hunter is definitely one of them.
Coolrunner alights from stall 2. She’s the longest priced runner in the field, at it’s not hard to see why. The only three year old taking on a crack field of more experienced runners, she’s won no higher than at stakes level, which she accomplished in a small field in her juvenile season. At her only other run against open aged opposition, she ran seventh of nine in The Underscore Stakes – G3, albeit beaten less than six lengths. Coolrunner is a daughter of Sakhee from kona’s top quality Grade 1 winning mare Royal Runner (Daylami / Kingmambo), and with only fourteen starts under her belt, she’s plenty of time to try and close in on her dam’s record. She looks to be tilting at windmills this weekend, however.
Drawn in barrier three is The Aus Boss, and this lightly raced five year old is being treated by the bookmakers with the respect she deserves, despite the fact that she hasn’t posted a win in over sixteen months. She’s been off the scene for the last six months since running second in her only race this year, The Long Live
Back in Your Arms will line up in barrier 4 as she returns to the scene of her greatest victory, in an attempt to defend her crown. The early market has her marked as favourite to re-write the history books and she’ll also carry the hopes of the true thoroughbred lovers who enjoy nothing more than cheering on a returning star undertaking such challenges. A winner of fifteen, just shy of 50% of her 31 lifetime starts, this is unquestionably the most significant project of her lifetime. A magnificently put together scratchbred daughter of Kingmambo / Nijinsky / Roberto, breeder trainer iant4 has enjoyed a remarkably run with the mare, since she put away the conventional maiden, allowance, stakes triple to begin her career. From there on the money has kept rolling in. Winning three from ten as a three year old, she was also runner up four times, with all starts black type. 2005 was the pinnacle to date, six from twelve including four in a row, with last year’s renewal of this race, the third of that four. Once again this year, Back in your Arms put four consecutive wins together, before a returning a triple digit speed figure in running fifth at her most recent appearance four weeks ago. She’s really has nothing left to prove, but still has plenty of excitement to offer. Her appearance adds a dimension to an already outstanding event, and no runner will be given more support from the stands.
Devil’s Slide occupies gate 5 and gives the punters more to ponder as she drops back in distance looking to reignite the spark which had her regularly in the winners circle in top class events a year or so ago. There can be no doubting the class of this four year old filly. Three Grade 1 wins can be achieved by only the cream of the racing pool, and she fits firmly into that category. Her current form is a trifle disconcerting for connections, as her only victory from nine starts thus far in 2006, has come in an ungraded stake. However, the rest of her racing this year has been done at a higher level, and she’s brought home a cheque in six of those eight starts, as well as running second in The Rich and Famous Handicap – G1, just four starts back. Devils Slide was scratchbred by current trainer afc and carries the blood of Kingmambo / Seattle Slew / Nijinsky. She’s a winner of twelve from thirty and almost two and a half million dollars in total earnings. A graded stakes winner on both surfaces, she has proven her versatility and although she returns to the mile after a year of racing at longer trips, it should be remembered that her last run at this trip resulted in a second in The Cremation Stakes – G1. Devil’s Slide will be given every possible chance by top jockey M. Day. A win will not surprise. A top effort is virtually assured.
Krazy Momma, from Gate 6 lines up with current good form, being a last start black type winner and a winner of four stakes races in calendar 2006. Fillies don’t come much more consistent than this girl, as she’s failed to take home a cheque just three times in her 26 start career to date. The race which would have most influence on her chances this week, is the one five starts ago when she was second in
From 7 jumps Bingo’s Ransom, racing in career best form, having returned triple digit speed figures at her last five outings, and having taken home a cheque at each of her last seven. Bingo’s Ransom is a daughter of Cozzene, based on Redhead Bingo, a Grade 3 winning son of Red Ransom / Mr. Prospector. As a juvenile, she looked to have the world at her feet, with top three finishes in all eight starts, two stakes victories and rounding the year out with a strong second, beaten a head in Longchamp’s GSR Diamond – G1. Sadly, she has not been able to recapture that early spark and consistency until just recently, managing just a single ungraded win at three, before putting together two restricted allowance wins to begin 2006. It’s the last four starts, however, which have given breeder, owner, trainer punter41 the confidence to revisit the top of the scale. Two ungraded stakes wins have been followed up with a third, one length behind the extra smart Bella Figura, in The Other Spa BB Stakes – G3 and a solid fifth last start in The KY Horsemen Mint Julep Distaff – G1. With so much proven Grade 1 talent lining up against Bingo’s Ransom, it’s hard to recommend her with great confidence in this, but if the breaks go her way, she could well be in the mix, and cannot be discounted.
Gate 8 will be occupied by Triple Crown Hopes, one of only two long priced runners in the race, and realistically, one of only two needing a minor miracle to stage an upset. Her greatest claim to fame is the fact that she has a Grade 1 victory on the CV, so perhaps minor miracle is a tad too harsh an assessment. The pinnacle of her career came on a cold, wet wintry day in
Spicegirl will line up in stall 9. She’s clearly peaked at the right time, coming off a resounding victory in the Pepperton Mile – G2 in
Stall 10 is the starting position for Smackdown, a filly of extraordinary early promise who continues to race competitively, but who sadly has been unable to live up to the outstanding expectations generated through her first three runs as a juvenile. Scratchbred by peeps5 using Rock of Gibraltar / Peintre Celebre / The Minstrel, Smackdown had three runs as a two year old and finished 2004 with the world at her feet. Winning all three, she bagged two stakes victories before taking out the GSR Diamond – G1. Although stumbling slightly at the start of her three year old campaign with a third in The Triangular Stakes – G3, she quickly rebounded when second in The Train Yard Special – G1 before winning The How Are You Gentlemen Cup – G1. Although racing competitively since, that was her last major victory, her only other coming in an ungraded stake earlier this season. She’s one of several runners carrying serious question marks. She’s proven she has the class and the ability, but she cannot afford to put a step wrong, as several of her opponents have not only the class and the ability, but also more consistent form.
Goodbye Kiss draws 11, as she looks to go one better than last year when she finished runner up to Back in your Arms in this event. She deserves her price high up on the betting boards as she simply never runs a bad race. A winner of 10 from 29 and almost $800,000 in prizemoney, she’s finished ITM in all but five of the races she’s ever contested, and she’s taken home consolation cheques in three of those. A slight concern for connections is the fact that she faces the cream of her peer group this weekend without ever having tasted success at Graded level. She’s a stakes monster, with six victories at the ungraded standard, and although she has five Graded ITM’s on the scorecard, she’s never been able to greet the judge at that higher mark. Goodbye Kiss is owned and trained by donut, who bred the five year old mare from scratch, utilizing the bloodlines of Sadler’s Wells, Blushing Groom and Nijinsky. She prepped for this race with a strong second behind Spicegirl in
Alberta Gold, from gate 12, fulfils the conditions we are looking for here, in that she’s a Grade 1 winner over the mile on the grass, covering the trip in under 1.35, so on that score alone she deserves plenty of respect. The worry surrounds this years form, which has seen her winless since taking the Trash Can Mile – G2 in
Perhaps appropriately, barrier 13 is the starting position for Thirteenth Date, a four year old model of consistency who looks set to run yet another in the apparent endless stream of top class efforts being strung together by this filly. Ten consecutive runs since this time last year have seen her finish no further back than third, and her only sub triple figure speed in that time was registered in a winning effort, rendering the three figures unnecessary. There is a handicapping philosophy which states that current form is the best form, and on that score, she’s at least the equal of any of the peer group she lines up against this weekend. The market agrees, having installed her as clear second in the betting, and she may have been even shorter were it not for her last start ‘aberration’, when third in The Pepperton Mile – G2, behind Spice Girl and Goodbye Kiss. That’s the only time she’s finished outside the top two in the aforementioned ten runs, which were highlighted by victory in The Sexy Muffins – G1, and seconds in three other Grade 1 appearances. Thirteenth Date is a daughter of Gone West, bred by owner congie5 from his Grade 3 winning, Grade1 placed mare Dynacat Form (Dynaformer / Storm Cat), Dynacat Form is already the head of a most impressive dynasty, dam herself to three stakes performed progeny while her first daughter Dancewithatigress (Kingmambo) is dam to a stakeswinner and two other stakes placed offspring. Thirteenth Date will be ridden by premier jockey P. Harzheim, who will give her every chance to add substantially to the $1.3 million earned thus far.
Drawn the outside stall in this full field is Pop Culture, yet another coming into this via Newmarket’s Pepperton Mile – G2, four weeks ago. She was beaten just two and a half lengths after giving away an enormous start and although she again meets the three who finished ahead of her, a slightly better timed finishing burst would be sure to have her well in the mix. She’s the longest priced runner among those regarded as genuine chances, and may have slipped under the radar a tad, due to most of her racing taking place at a lower level. Pop Culture is a scratchbred five year old, bred by lenny11 using Rahy / Lyphard / Roberto. A winner of eight from twenty six and over $350,000, most of her success has come at allowance level with, until two starts ago, the only black type victory coming in an owner restricted stakes. It is the three most recent runs which arouse the most interest, again focusing on the ‘current form is best form’ ideology. Three starts back Pop Culture won comfortably, albeit only at allowance level. She followed that up with an equally impressive victory, her first in unrestricted stakes competition, and in a time which should see her competitive in this class. It’s that most recent start though which has me refusing to underestimate her chances. She’s facing quality opposition, but she’s in there with a solid chance.
The Odds Makers opinion:
5/1 – Back in your Arms
6/1 – Thirteenth Date
7/1 – Spicegirl, Goodbye Kiss
9/1 – Deputy Hunter
The Computer opinion:
Thirteenth Date – 2
Devil’s Slide – 5
Krazy Momma – 8
Back in your Arms – 10