17th October 2014
I feel very lucky and privileged to have two runners on Ascot’s Champions Day tomorrow with Al Kazeem and Captain Cat running in Group One races.
Captain Cat
Captain Cat runs in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes having been supplemented by his owner’s Seasons Holidays. He deserves his chance to step up into Group One company having won three races this year and earning £210,000. The big question this weekend is which horses are going to handle the ground. At least half of the eleven runners have good form on soft or heavy ground and Captain Cat has only run on soft ground once and that was as a three year old when he was second over course and distance. In his favour he is now a much stronger horse and several of his relations acted well on heavy ground. His dam Mother of Pearl won a Group race on heavy ground in France and her half brother Turtle Island won the Irish 2000 Guineas by no less than fifteen lengths on heavy ground in 1994. Also his siblings Pearly King and Danehill Pearl loved the soft. It is fair to say that we are going into unknown territory but he is in great form and training well.
Al Kazeem
Al Kazeem runs in the Qipco Champion Stakes. He ran his best race in the Arc De Triomphe since returning from stud duties to finish less than six lengths behind Treve or two and a half lengths behind Taghrooda. He returned from France in terrific form and he is looking fantastic. Having finished upsides Ruler of the World (7-1) last time I see no reason why Al Kazeem (30-1) should not have a good chance tomorrow. He handled the soft ground well when he won the Jockey Club Stakes as a four year old by four and half lengths. He has had very few chances to run on slow ground since then and like most sons of Dubawi he should enjoy the conditions at Ascot and having plenty of stamina may be an advantage tomorrow.