FRIDAY, 18 JUNE 2021 FRIDAY FEAST AS ASCOT ROLLS ON SUBJECTIVIST IN After the drawn-out saga of Thursday=s G1 Gold Cup, Royal COMMAND IN GOLD CUP Ascot moves back toward speed on Friday with the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Commonwealth Cup acting as a dual focus on a day that is forecast to see an abundance of rain. In terms of prize money and its longstanding status, the Coronation holds sway and another typically fierce renewal sees the May 2 G1 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) bid to hold on to her title in a rematch with the compatriot in whose shadow she stayed throughout 2020. That is John Oxley=s >TDN Rising Star= Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), who had that Ballydoyle peer behind when taking the G2 Debutante S. at The Curragh in August, when runner-up in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. over the same track and trip the following month and when taking Newmarket=s G1 Fillies= Mile in October. While Pretty Gorgeous was delayed in her return to action by a bad scope prior to the 1000 Guineas, Mother Earth has made hay and can Subjectivist and Joe Fanning win the Gold Cup | racingfotos.com be said to have the jump on her old rival at present. Cont. p13 There was to be no fourth Gold Cup for Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on Thursday, as the King of Royal Ascot had to IN TDN AMERICA TODAY surrender his crown to the ultra-impressive Subjectivist (GB) MACLEAN’S MUSIC IS THE MODEL FOR VALIANT MINISTER (Teofilo {Ire}) in a renewal set to enter into the meeting=s In his latest Taking Stock column, Sid Fernando checks in with folklore. While Mark Johnston=s relentless galloper was a worthy Bridlewood Farm’s Valiant Minister (Candy Ride {Arg}). Click or tap winner and can justifiably be viewed as one of the race=s best, here to go straight to TDN America. the outcome was marred by the trouble-in-running that the three-times winner encountered as the fortune of the Gosden icon met an abrupt turn. Stuck in traffic on the inside with nowhere to go three out, the 5-6 favourite was too far adrift of his nemesis by the time he was freed at the top of the straight. Perfectly positioned by Joe Fanning shadowing the leader Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) throughout, the 13-2 second favourite Subjectivist who was coming here off a break having followed up his G1 Prix Royal-Oak win in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan Mar. 27 was more than willing as soon as the command was given. Out on his own as many eyes turned back to track the progress of the black-and-yellow in behind, it was Dr. Jim Walker and not Bjorn Nielsen who was able to relish the closing stages. Hitting the line hard to record a five-length verdict over Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}), he was confirming the form of the Royal-Oak in the process as the well- backed Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) finished half a length away in third. Stradivarius was left to pay late on for his frantic two-furlong pursuit and under tender handling from Dettori ended up 1 3/4 lengths further behind in fourth. Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 22 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 18 JUNE 2021 G1 Gold Cup Cont. from p1 If he was in danger of being pigeon-holed as a soft-ground AHe=s been a great horse and he keeps improving,@ the popular specialist, Subjectivist=s performance at Meydan meant that no and talented Kingsley House stalwart Fanning commented. AFive longer held sway and John Gosden had been keen to stress how out, I was able to get breathers into him and fill him up, so I respectful he was of the Johnston raider as Stradivarius=s day of thought it would take a very good one to get by. In Dubai on reckoning loomed. Things went smoothly the whole way for the good ground, he was doing his best work at the end and I never eventual winner here, who kept last year=s Derby third Amhran felt the distance was an issue. He goes on any ground and it=s Na Bhfiann honest up front with the champion tucked way back great for the yard and brilliant for the owner. He=s been with us on the rail. With Princess Zoe on the outer keeping him pinned, for years and even when they run bad, he=s very good with us.@ Frankie=s big problem was always going to be the presence of Subjectivist, who was ironically caught close home by the German runner Rip Van Lips (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) on Tuesday=s Listed Wolferton S. winner Juan Elcano (GB) (Frankel the rail and as his inexorable progress met with that rival=s {GB}) on his 2-year-old regression the inevitable debut, managed a second occurred. Turning into the in the Listed Stonehenge S. straight, horses were during that campaign but falling back on top of him was always going to be one and he lost vital for middle-distances and momentum there but not beyond. Third giving the race. Interestingly, the weight to Hukum (Ire) (Sea two 2020 rivals who came the Stars {Ire}) in the 12- back to take him on again furlong King George V S. at this year, Nayef Road (Ire) last year=s Royal Ascot, the (Galileo {Ire}) and Mekong bay captured the 11- (GB) (Frankel {GB}), were furlong Listed Glasgow S. at beaten around the same Hamilton and was third in margins suggesting that for the G3 Gordon S. back at a all he had a bump in the mile and a half at road he definitely met one Goodwood during July. better stayer and possibly Seventh in York=s G2 Great Subjectivist returns victorious | PA Media two others. Voltigeur S., he first served Mark Johnston had won notice that something was afoot when beating the useful this in 1995 with Double Trigger (Ire) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}) and Cabaletta (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) by 15 lengths upped to in 2001 and 2002 with Royal Rebel (GB) (Robellino) and had 14 furlongs in Goodwood=s G3 March S. in August. Seventh again since made no secret of how much he coveted another of these. in Doncaster=s G1 St Leger in September, he bounced back from Denied by Stradivarius with Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}) and that to make all and beat the smart Aga Khan filly Valia (Fr) (Sea Nayef Road in the past two years, he started 2021 with serious the Stars {Ire}), old-stager Holdthasigreen (Fr) (Hold That Tiger) ammunition in Subjectivist and his half-brother Sir Ron Priestley and Princess Zoe in the Royal-Oak staged on heavy ground over (GB) (Australia {GB}) and the chosen one duly brought the Cup 15 1/2 furlongs at ParisLongchamp. back to Middleham. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 22 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 18 JUNE 2021 G1 Gold Cup Cont. Pedigree Notes AI was more hopeful than confident beforehand, but I did think Subjectivist is the third foal out of the triple listed-placed he was the best horse I have taken Stradivarius on with,@ he Reckoning (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), with her second being said. AHe had a scare after Dubai and missed quite a bit of work the aforementioned Sir Ron Priestley who took this year=s G2 and then fell on the road the other day on his knees and hocks. Jockey Club S. having been runner-up in the 2019 St Leger. Also Normally he would have had another run in between, so it=s responsible for last year=s G2 Rockfel S. third Alba Rose (GB) probably good that the rain stayed off as you don=t see (Muhaarar {GB}), she is kin to the GIII My Charmer H. runner-up performances like that on soft ground.@ Hope Cross (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and a granddaughter of AIt=s a sad day for Stradivarius, but I know what that feels like Aspiration (Ire) (Sadler=s Wells) who is a full-sister to the G1 when a champion goes under and if his run had to end one day Gran Criterium hero and G1 Irish Derby runner-up Sholokhov I=m just glad it=s us that did it,@ Johnston added. AJoe deserved (Ire). That connects her to the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Coronation this a long time ago and I don=t think there is any better than Cup hero Soldier of Fortune (Ire) (Galileo {Ire), the G1 Dewhurst him on the lead. Of all the thousands of winners he=s ridden for S. winner Intense Focus (Giant=s Causeway) and the G1 us, we=ve never told him where to be in the field. He went the Moyglare Stud S. heroine Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy). perfect pace all the way round. You couldn=t necessarily say he Reckoning=s 2-year-old filly is by Ulysses (Ire), while she also has was a horse with better credentials than my recent runners like a yearling colt by Roaring Lion. Dee Ex Bee, who was second in the Derby, but what he did have in his favour was he is very much on the up with his last two races being his best. He was very much the young pretender Thursday, Royal Ascot, Britain against the old guard. This was his number one target and we=ll GOLD CUP-G1, ,375,625, Ascot, 6-17, 4yo/up, 19f 210yT, think about the [G1] Goodwood Cup now and he=ll come back 4:20.28, g/f.