Doyle has eye on Sandown success

Doyle, victorious on the Roger Charlton-trained colt on the Dubai World Cup undercard, has been one of Flat racing’s success stories of 2012, even though his best friend William Buick continues to monopolise many of the major prizes.

So You Think has been retired to stud in Australia after lameness ruled him out at Sandown.

The horse had been in outstanding form this season with consecutive Group One victories in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

O’Brien said: “So You Think is an extraordinary horse and it was a real privilege to have had him here at Ballydoyle on loan from Australia.”

With So You Think absent and doubts about Buick’s mount Nathaniel, who has not been raced since last October, Doyle is hopeful of landing the biggest domestic success of a burgeoning career.

Indeed, Doyle is prepared to excuse Cityscape’s below-par run in Hong Kong after the horse’s spectacular triumph in the Group One Dubai Duty Free at Meydan.

Owned by Khalid Abdullah, the classy six-year-old only missed Royal Ascot because of the presence of the unbeaten Frankel, who is also owned by the Saudi prince. “It’s his first run at a mile and a quarter, and Sandown is quite a stiff track, so there has to be a question mark.

“However, he relaxes so well in his races, and certainly wasn’t stopping at the end in Dubai after one mile, one furlong,” said Doyle last night.

“It’s a good race, featuring some good horses with proven Group One-winning form, but if I can get him nice and relaxed I’d be hopeful of finishing in the first three. He does act well with some give in the ground. I’m very much looking forward to the race.”

Doyle certainly knows what it is like to win major races; he spent the whole of Royal Ascot sat next to the aforementioned Buick in the weighing room as the Northern Racing College graduate won five major races. He was the first to rib his pal when he was denied leading rider honours by Ryan Moore in the finale.

Yet Doyle has previously told the Yorkshire Post about how Buick’s rise to prominence has helped to galvanise his own career. “He’s an inspiration,” he added.

Some of the prestige of the Coral-Eclipse, part of the Qipco British Champions Series, has been lost by the absence of So You Think, who was reported lame by the O’Brien stable.

However Sandown’s feature, which has attracted 10 runners, sees the return to the track of Dante Stakes scorer Bonfire, who was disappointing in the Epsom Derby, and Godolphin’s Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso, who will again be ridden by Mickael Barzalona.

Monterosso’s trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni is also responsible for City Style while Sheikh Mohammed’s powerful outfit have also supplemented the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Farhh, who was a slightly unlucky third behind So You Think at Royal Ascot after coming to prominence in the Thirsk Hunt Cup.

He will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Nathaniel, last season’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, is still in line to make his belated seasonal bow for the in-form Buick. However, trainer John Gosden has warned the four-year-old colt will only run if the ground is suitable.

The Newmarket handler is wary of giving Nathaniel too hard a race before he heads back to Ascot for the King George on July 21 – the horse’s primary target.

He said yesterday: “Normally there is three weeks between the Eclipse and the King George, but this year there is only two.

“That is the big factor playing on my mind because if you get a hard race in the Eclipse on your first run of the year it’s a little tough to say, ‘I’ll be back for the King George’.

“ We might decide not to run, we may have a racecourse gallop and go straight to the King George.”

Meanwhile dual champion jockey Paul Hanagan will return to the saddle at Sandown tomorrow.

Hanagan had a nasty spill at Newmarket last weekend when riding No Dominion, who clipped heels with another runner and came down in the £150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3-Y-O Cup won by Gosden’s Michelangelo.

He was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for X-rays on an arm and a leg but was given the all-clear. He has two rides at Sandown and he will just ease back in gently.

“With the July meeting next week it’s important he’s right for that,” said agent Richard Hale.

Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has been summoned to appear at a British Horseracing Authority hearing after two of his horses tested positive for a banned substance.

The BHA will hold an inquiry on August 16 after urine samples taken from Mariner’s Cross and Lyric Of Light were found to have contained traces of the prohibited propoxyphene.

Mariner’s Cross’s sample was taken after he won the Wood Ditton Stakes at Newmarket on April 19, while Lyric Of Light tested positive after finishing last in the 1000 Guineas on May 6.

The BHA must now determine whether Al Zarooni, who could face a hefty fine, breached racing rules. Both horses could also face disqualification from their respective races.

Jockey Frankie Dettori, so synonymous with Godolphin’s iconic blue colours, will carry the Olympic flame when it reaches Ascot next Tuesday.

The Italian rider said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be invited to carry the Olympic flame, especially at a track that holds such happy memories for me.

“I’ll be watching when the flame reaches its final destination and the Olympic Games can begin.”

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney enjoyed his first taste of victory as a racehorse owner as Yourartisonfire scored at Haydock yesterday.

Rooney owns the Elaine Burke-trained two-year-old in partnership with Sunderland defender John O’Shea, among others.

Sent off the 6-4 favourite, the Dutch Art colt built on his debut fourth at Nottingham, staying on strongly to win going away by two and a quarter lengths under Michael Metcalfe.

Meanwhile Set To Music is the star name among the nine declared fillies for tomorrow’s bet365 Lancashire Oaks at the same venue.

Waterlogging has forced Leicester to abandon tomorrow’s Flat card.

Tomorrow night’s meeting at Carlisle, which is also due to be a benefit fundraiser for Northallerton-born jockey Phil Kinsella, who has had to quit racing because of a head injury, is subject to a 1pm inspection today.