Balios to spearhead York team

10 August 2015

TRAINER David Simcock has a clutch of exciting horses to chase the £3.8 million prize money at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival with – headed by Royal Ascot hero, Balios.

The Al Asayl Bloodstock-owned three-year-old colt delivered a superb performance to win the King Edward VII Stakes. His next start was the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris – but, according to Simcock, it proved “too messy” for the son of Shamardal. So Balios is now all set to contest the Group Two Betway Great Voltigeur Stakes on Wednesday, August 19 – the opening day of the four-day festival.
The chestnut colt will have to carry a 3lb penalty for his victory at the Royal meeting but Simcock believes his charge is still improving.
He said: “Balios is definitely due to run at York. The French race was too messy – it certainly didn’t suit him.
“He got struck into quite badly in France and I don’t think we saw him in his best light by any means.
“But I’d say he has come out of the race probably better than he came out of Ascot. He is going on to carry on improving but it isn’t going to be easy with a 3lb penalty, though.”
Simcock also has his fingers crossed that Curbyourenthusiasm beats the cut for the richest ever running of the Betfred Ebor when £275,000 is on offer for the feature of Saturday 22 August.
The four-year-old, who finished a neck second at York over 12 furlongs on his last start, is rated 95 – which is not necessarily high enough to guarantee a spot in Europe’s richest Flat handicap but his 20/1 price with the sponsors is in line with his handler’s assessment.
Simcock said: “We’ll see if Curbyourenthusiasm gets in the Ebor – if he does, he’s ‘live’. He is a horse on the upgrade, who stays well and is probably crying out for a mile and six furlongs now.
“I’m hopeful more than confident that he’ll get in. But he’d be the perfect type of horse – progressive and on a track we know that he acts at. I was disappointed that he didn’t win there last time but at the same time I was delighted with the improvement.”
Simcock looks likely to be represented in the famous race by at least one horse with 104-rated Felix Mendelssohn a probable runner. He was last seen out when finishing fourth in a 12-furlong Listed race at Goodwood in May.
His trainer said: “Felix Mendelssohn is very likely to run. He is a lovely horse, in good order. Is he handicapped to win an Ebor? It’s debateable. He probably hasn’t got the profile of Curbyourenthusiasm.” 
Madame Chiang, who won the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York last season, is entered in the Group One Darley Yorkshire Oaks. She ran respectably to finish fourth in the King George behind Postponed at Ascot last month. But she would be unlikely to line up on the Knavesmire if the ground was on the quick side.
Simcock said: “It’s all about rain. She has come out of her race a fitter and sharper horse. It was never the plan to go to the King George – it was an afterthought when the weather changed. She got very tired in the last furlong.”
It is more about the competition in defining whether The Corsican will take his chance in the £850,000 highlight of the week, the Group One Juddmonte International Stakes, also on Wednesday 19 August.
He was edged out by a neck in a Group 3 at Glorious Goodwood 10 days ago after coming fourth to Free Eagle in the Group One Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Assessing The Corsican’s York entry, David said: “We will see how it pans out, see what’s going there first. We’ll keep our options open – he’s a possible.
“We’ve gone to Royal Ascot and he has run so creditably in the Prince of Wales’s and he should have won last time out. Realistically, we would like to get his head back in front.”
Other potential Simcock-trained runners at the Festival include Barye (Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Stakes, 10f handicap), Oracolo and Halation (both in the Clipper Logistics Stakes, an £85,000 handicap over the mile trip).