Jessica Harrington looks forward to seeing her horse, Hotazhell, compete in the final Group One of the season at Doncaster, Britain. Following in the footsteps of the successful Beresford Stakes’ contenders, Harrington hopes the race to be a good indicator for the upcoming William Hill Futurity. Hotazhell, a recent triumphant competitor at the Beresford, beat Tennessee Stud by just under a length. He’s in good shape after his last run, according to Harrington, expressing confidence in another excellent performance from the youngster with the help of jockey Shane Foley.
The last four winners of the Beresford race, trained by legendary Aidan O’Brien, including Luxembourg in 2021, have all gone on to secure a victory at Futurity. Similarly, Michael Halford’s Casamento managed to achieve the same feat in 2010.
The venue at Doncaster boasts a large, wide-open track. Harrington points to Hotazhell’s success at Curragh – a similar setting – as reason enough for optimism. She also notes that the expected soft ground conditions should suit him fine.
Cheltenham festival’s main races have been rescheduled to begin at 4pm in 2025, and a ruling to restrict the whip-use by jockeys has also been announced, demanding a specific number of strikes.
Aidan O’Brien’s sole Ballydoyle runner for the upcoming event is Delacroix. Unlike his past successful horses such as Luxembourg, Saxo Warrior, St Nicholas Abbey and Saratoga Springs, Delacroix prepared for the eminent trophy with a Newmarket Group Three win. Previously, he had been bested by another notable Harrington youngster, Green Impact.
Wimbledon Hawkeye looks to be the strongest local contender, having won his latest race, the Royal Lodge. Other entrants worth noting are Detain and Nebras, trained by John & Thady Gosden, with Nebras having been supplemented as Nashwa’s half-brother.
This season has seen numerous impressive performances from two-year-old fillies, and there’s still scope for a colt to dominate and secure European juvenile championship honours.
This weekend, the final three Group One awards of 2024 for two-year-old horses in Europe, including the Futurity, will be up for grabs. The action takes place in Paris on Sunday, showcasing races like the Criterium International and the Criterium De Saint-Cloud, both sparking considerable Irish interest due to Aidan O’Brien’s past successes. O’Brien has previously won the €250,000 Saint-Cloud awards five times and has again added his horses to both races.
In the 10-furlong competition, which was won by Los Angeles last year and has just four contenders this year with none from France, the mare Ballet Slippers will take part alongside Tennessee Stud, trained by Joseph O’Brien and runner-up at Beresford.
The promising colt Twain, who triumphed last weekend at Leopardstown by six lengths, will be competing in the one-mile Criterium International at 12.23 Irish time. Despite overcoming odds of 28/1 in his initial race, he now has to step up in a six-horse race which includes Apples And Bananas, another of Joseph O’Brien’s charges and former Goffs Million victor.
However, the standout racehorse could be the undefeated French colt Maranoa Charlie. Trained by Christopher Head, this son of Wootton Bassett has won his past two races by a staggering eight lengths. He left Peter Chapple-Hyam’s Harvey in his wake at Saint-Cloud earlier this month, causing Chapple-Hyam to compare his skill with that of racing legend Arazi.
The Saint-Cloud line-up for Sunday features another major event – the €350,000 Group One Prix Royal Oak over virtually two miles. Here, Aidan O’Brien aims to add another victory to his solitary past win in this race with Grosvenor Square. Grosvenor Square is one of just two three-year-olds taking on a challenging mix of six seasoned racers. Among them is home-grown talent Sevenna’s Knight who secured a fifth place at the Arc earlier in the month.
The duo of Harrington-Foley will also be present at Saint-Cloud for Group Two tasks, with contenders such as Bay Of Sanibel and Curvature. Concurrently, other engagements of Joseph O’Brien extend till Rome this Sunday. At the Capanelle circuit, Declan McDonogh is commissioned, with Trustyourinstinct and Je Zous. Both these stellar steeds have clinched victories at Group Three levels in their preceding local beginnings.