Monday’s Racing Chatter – Oh What A Knight!

Ascot Likely To Be Charlton’s Choice

Roger Charlton, trainer of Decorated Knight (winner of the Tattersalls Gold Cup, at the Curragh on Sunday) says that he was not at all confident before the race. But following that victory, Ascot now looks a strong possibility.

“I was very worried when I saw the ground yesterday. I knew the forecast was for heavy showers, but not like an inch or whatever they had. People kept tactfully sending me photographs of flooded car parks and puddles everywhere and I thought it was getting bad.

“The surface was a bit dead, it’s good to soft, but the course is in fantastic condition. They’ve opened up a new strip. I walked the course and was very pleasantly surprised how good it was. He doesn’t have to have rattling quick ground. In Dubai it affected him quite badly.

“This horse has improved and improved. The Group One race he won in Meydan wouldn’t have been the strongest race and this is a stronger race. He keeps on improving. If Minding had turned up it would have been a different story, but he won with his ears pricked and was pulling up in front.

“He has a very classy pedigree. He’s a very close relation to Gleneagles and his dam is a half-sister to Giants Causeway, so he has a stallion career. We were looking to go abroad a bit but you would have to run at Ascot. It’s worked for us before so hopefully it will work again.”

O’Brien’s Sweet On Homesman

Ascot also looks a likely destination for Aidan O’Brien’s Homesman, following the colt’s win in the Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes. The trainer also paid his respects to jockey Ryan Moore.

“Ryan gave him a great ride. He’s a big, massive horse for a three-year-old and he was a little bit immature mentally but he’s coming. That’s why we put the blinkers on him, just to try to get him together.

“He’d probably prefer better ground and a mile and a quarter is probably his trip, but we could look at the Irish Derby. We could also look at the King Edward at Royal Ascot for him.”

Stack Piles In With Praise For Inmate

Commander Grigio, who looked promising on debut a fortnight ago, got tongues wagging at the Curragh by winning very handily at the 2nd time of asking. Trainer Fozzy Stack reckons he could be right on track for a strong performance in the Railway Stakes.

“He won well. Chris was kicking himself the last time because he said he couldn’t really get out on him. He won well today and he’s been working well at home. The owners might want to go to Royal Ascot, but I’ll try to persuade them to come back here for the Railway Stakes.

“He’s a smart horse and that’s only his third time on grass. On pedigree he should get further as it’s kind of a staying family. He’s from the same family as Salsabil and his grandmother was placed in the Guineas.

“I don’t think he wants it bottomless and fast ground here the last time didn’t really bother him. Chris thought he’d be better on fast ground – I hope he’s right.”

Happy Harry

Robin Of Navan just missed out to Mekhtaal, in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan, but Harry Dunlop was left feeling very upbeat. The Prix Daniel Wildenstein is now a target.

“We thought for a moment we had won, but he ran a great race and we’re delighted with him.

“He hurt himself quite badly in the French Derby last year and it’s taken a him a while, but he’s back to the sort of form he showed in his two-year-old days and he’s proved he is a genuine European Group One performer.

“I’m not quite sure where we will go now. He’s not in at Royal Ascot but we will be looking at all the top mile-and-a-quarter races in Europe and see where we go. The Prix Daniel Wildenstein could be one to think about later in the year.