Top
LIFE at Trillium Place never stands still – which means nobody here is sitting on laurels from Doncaster’s St Leger Festival.
This week attention switches to Woodbine in Canada where Majeed will aim to follow in the hoof-prints of Sheikhzayedroad who won the 2014 renewal of the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes.
Khalifa Dasmal’s has been running well all summer, finishing a short head second to Berkshire in a Listed race at Windsor towards the end of last month.
Trainer David Simcock said: “Our two options were £25,000 handicap at Doncaster or going to Canada. Being a sporting owner, Khalifa decided to roll the dice.”
While focus has shifted to new challenges, there is still a good deal of satisfaction within the stables after Sheikhzayedroad won the Doncaster Stakes and Breton Rock won the Park Stakes. It was a neat Group 2 double just on the eve of the Keeneland sales.
David said: “It was good - the timing was perfect. They’re good old boys – stable stalwarts who have done everyone proud. They don’t let you down.
“We’ll now look towards Ascot’s Champions Day with both horses. Sheikhzayedroad will be trained for the stayers’ race and Breton Rock is in the mile. We didn’t go last year and we wish we had.
“He is a Group 3 and 2 winner this year and will have to carry those penalties into next year, so we‘ll give it a bash and see what happens.”
At a more formative level, the wraps will be coming off plenty of juveniles in the next month or so.
David said: “With the two-year-olds, we’ve been a bit protective because it has been so dry but there are some lovely horses to run in maidens.”