EAGLE MOUNTAIN readied himself for his belated reappearance in the Group 3 Joel Stakes at Newmarket on October 3 when pleasing connections in a exercise spin on the little used Beacon Course in the town on Saturday morning.
The Mike de Kock-trained colt was beaten only a short head by Literato in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket last October when trained by Aidan O'Brien and has been in the town since the end of May but has been given plenty of time to come to himself and was accompanied in his work by Arlington Million runner-up Archipenko.
The pair work over a mile with Kevin Shea on Archipenko and Gavin Howes on Eagle Mountain and there was nothing between them in the closing stages with both working well within themselves.
Juan Ner, assistant to De Kock, said: "That was only Eagle Mountain's second piece of turf work since he arrived but he surprised us this morning and he's doing really well. He will run in the Joel Stakes and, depending on how he does there the Champion Stakes would be on the agenda again. "Archipenko is also in the Champion and that would also have to be seriously considered for him."
After a changeover, Shea took the leg up on Royal Vintage, who finished runner-up to stablemate Honour Devil in the UAE Derby runner-up at Nad Al Sheba in March, and he pleased connections when moving up strongly to finish in front of Lucky Find (Howes) in a spin over six furlongs.
Ner said: "Royal Vintage and Lucky Find had month off after busy campaign in Dubai but they are both coming along nicely now. Royal Vintage will run in the Dubai Duty Duty Free Cup at Newbury on Friday with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes as his target and Lucky Find will run in a nine furlong conditions event at Great Leighs at the end of the month."作者:
asiadragon 時間: 14/9/2008 02:05 AM
Eagle Mountain is set to make his first start in nearly a year in Wednesday's Foundation Stakes at Goodwood.
The four-year-old finished second in last year's Derby and third in the Irish equivalent but has not been seen since going down by just a short head in the Champion Stakes.
Subsequently transferred to the care of Mike de Kock after being sold out of the Aidan O'Brien yard, Eagle Mountain could make a low-key return in Sussex after pleasing in a racecourse gallop last weekend.
De Kock said: "We've entered Eagle Mountain in the Foundation Stakes and, at the moment, it is my gut feeling that he will go for the race.
"He will also be entered for a race at Great Leighs but I would prefer the Goodwood option.
"He had a gallop with Archipenko at Newmarket the other day and it actually went very well. I am very happy with him and he's got several options open to him throughout the autumn.
"We've got him entered in a Group One race in Milan and there is also the possibility of the Breeders' Cup in America.
"He could also run in a couple of races at Newmarket next month, including the Champion Stakes, but we will see how he comes out of his next race before making any firm plans.
"I think the Foundation Stakes, being a Listed race over 10 furlongs, would be a very good place for him to start his season. He's in very good form and I expect him to run well there."
Mike de Kock is preparing to unleash Eagle Mountain at Newmarket on Friday for his first run since a narrow defeat to Literato in the Champion Stakes nearly a year ago.
The Derby runner-up was sold by Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle operation for an undisclosed fee at the end of last season to owner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum but he fractured his pelvis when working in Dubai during the winter.
The South African trainer has excelled with other horses recruited from O'Brien with the most notable example being Archipenko, who has established himself as a solid global performer.
But Eagle Mountain is potentially even better, with a third in the Irish Derby and a fifth-place finish in the 2000 Guineas also to his credit.
"We are just getting him ready after the pelvis injury and I am looking to run him in the Joel Stakes next Friday," explained the trainer.
"It's over a mile, so we'll just see how he goes. After that I might have a look at the Breeders' Cup Marathon race. Otherwise there is the Darley Stakes and carrying on to Hong Kong."
Archipenko, last seen chasing home Spirit One in an eventful renewal of the Arlington Million, will also be in action on the Rowley Mile.
De Kock added: "He's going very well and is on target for the Champion Stakes."
Joel Stakes..Kock 有機會派這馬到香港跑 International Race:fff:作者:
asiadragon 時間: 2/10/2008 07:23 PM
