TUESDAY, 15 JUNE 2021 ZINC WHITE HEADS GOFFS LONDON SALE FRANKIE LOOKING FOR A Selectivity was the watchword for the Goffs London Sale, FLYING START which returned after an absence in 2020 and was held online for the first time. While Royal Ascot will be able to welcome 12,000 racegoers daily this year, the week will have nothing like the normal buzz about it, with most international travellers prevented from attending. It is impossible to reproduce virtually the garden party atmosphere of the London Sale which, over the previous six years at Kensington Palace, has provided an enjoyable warm up to the most sociable week of racing in the calendar. The sale's unique selling point has always been the inclusion of horses entered to race during the Royal Meeting. Just three of the 11 lots were sold this year, but there was still an international feel to proceedings with the buyers hailing from Australia, France and Britain. Cont. p5 Frankie Dettori | Francesca Altoft IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Frankie Dettori left it late to win his second consecutive BAFFERT FILES SUIT AGAINST NYRA jockey=s title at Royal Ascot in 2020, so this time he will be Trainer Bob Baffert has filed a lawsuit against the New York looking for an instant boost via Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) Racing Association (NYRA), alleging NYRA violated his due in the opening G1 Queen Anne S. on Tuesday. If form is any process rights. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. guide, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum=s >TDN Rising Star= can be fully expected to hand the Italian a 74th winner at the meeting, having been his 73rd on the Saturday of the last renewal when causing a minor surprise in the G1 St James=s Palace S. Since that breakthrough success, the John and Thady Gosden-trained bay has enjoyed an almost fault-free run garnering the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 15, with his sole reversal when third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. due to a combination of deep ground and a lost fore shoe. At this juncture, he is one of those priceless commodities to kick off the Royal meeting; an already-high-class miler probably still only nearing his prime dominating his division. It was in this race in 1990 that Frankie first signalled his arrival on the main stage with Markofdistinction (GB) and there is an argument that the 31-year-older version is as good as any of his profession in recent memory. AI=m no different to an actor going on stage at the theatre,@ he said. AEverybody knows that I=m quite lucky at Ascot. The crowd gets behind me and I love it. I need the crowd, I need the atmosphere. I can smell it, I can breathe it, I can taste it. It=s part of me, I=m sorry! I=m addicted to it.@ Cont. p2 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 13 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 15 JUNE 2021 Royal Ascot Preview Day 1 Cont. from p1 clearly steps up markedly in grade, but he is a horse we like. He The Italian added, AYou need at least six to win the title, but is classy and should go well, albeit this is a big field made up of they=re hard to win. Last year, I had three winners going into similarly unexposed juveniles.@ Saturday. I had a couple of chances but then Campanelle goes Also in the Coventry, Al Shaqab Racing=s impressive Listed in, the filly Alpine Star wins and I had Palace Pier. When that National S. scorer Ebro River (Ire) bids to give his promising first- won, great, leading rider again. The one that means the most is season sire Galileo Gold (GB) an early highlight. Also under the the first one. Now that I=m 50, I=m looking back to what I was care of the Tally Ho Stud=s resident=s past trainer Hugo Palmer, like. It was sheer excitement. It means everything.@ the chestnut was a commanding presence when scoring by 3 1/4 Aidan O=Brien=s day one representation is not as strong as it lengths in that five-furlong Sandown contest May 27 and has a can be, with no favourites vital experience edge. AHe among the six colts he sends to seems to be growing up all the the fixture he has excelled at time,@ Palmer told the since his opening salvo in the Independent. AWe=re very 1997 G3 Coventry S. It is in that excited to run him.@ race, long since upgraded to In opposition is Michael Group 2 status, that he may Kerr-Dineen and Martin have his best chance of an Hughes=s >TDN Rising Star= opening day winner in The Gisburn (Ire) by another first- Acropolis (Ire) by Coolmore=s season sire in Kildangan Stud=s first-season sire Churchill (Ire). Ribchester (Ire). He impressed A son of the 2012 G2 Queen by 6 1/2 lengths over this trip at Mary S. third Hairy Rocket (GB) Newbury May 14 and trainer (Pivotal {GB}), the impressive- Richard Hannon has his sights on looking bay made giant strides a first win in this prestigious from his debut fourth at The Kaufymaker and Mike Clark | Emma Berry affair his father won on three Curragh May 22 to his occasions. AIt is a race where you authoritative win at Listowel June 6 and it is noteworthy that he find out exactly where you are. You hope that you have got a goes it alone from a stable that has done better than normal good horse, but this will tell us,@ he said. AI hope we do, he with its early 2-year-old runners. Drawn alongside the first certainly looked like one, but the Coventry will tell us.@ Wesley Ward runner of the 2021 meeting in Gregory Kaufman=s In the G1 King=s Stand S., Shadwell=s Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel Kaufymaker (Jimmy Creed), he will have to be sharper still to {Ire}) is a welcome sight following his well-documented setback stay within hailing distance of the impressive Apr. 15 Keeneland and it remains the case that the only sprinter to have mastered maiden special weight scorer who has ground to suit. him in three renewals of this five-furlong dash is Blue Point (Ire) Ryan Moore is keen on The Acropolis and said, AHe had been (Shamardal). Making it third time lucky 12 months ago in the going well at home before making his debut at The Curragh last absence of that Godolphin luminary, the star of Charlie Hills=s month, but the ground was very bad that day and that was no establishment may only need to repeat that performance to add reflection of his true ability. We got a better look at what a a fifth top-level contest to his tally. AHe came in a couple of promising horse he was when winning impressively at Listowel weeks later than usual this year, so we were never going to fit in last week and this son of Churchill and a Queen Mary third a prep run but I couldn=t be happier with him,@ his trainer promises to be even better on this quicker ground still. He commented. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM TUESDAY • 15 JUNE 2021 Royal Ascot Preview Day 1 Cont. Hills continued, AThey found a tiny hairline fracture in a sesamoid when he had his usual MOT at the end of last year, but that was attended to in December. They=ve done a great job with him at Shadwell over the winter and spring was so awful that coming back later has probably helped him. We=ve taken Senior Vice President Gary King our time and he hasn=t missed a beat.@ Twitter: @garykingTDN While Battaash was vulnerable to the strong closer Blue Point, [email protected] he has pace pressure this time from a new challenger in King + 1.732.320.0975 Power Racing=s exciting 3-year-old filly Winter Power (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). While her emphatic success in International Editor Newmarket=s G3 Cornwallis S. in October was a step forward on Kelsey Riley some largely unconvincing juvenile form, it was the manner of Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN her trail-blazing display on her return in the Listed Westow S. [email protected] over this trip at York May 13 that suggested this was a realistic European Editor target. Trainer Tim Easterby knows what it takes to win one of Emma Berry these major sprints and compared his latest stable star with the Twitter: @collingsberry likes of Pipalong (Ire) (Pips Pride {GB}) after her three-length [email protected] defeat of the subsequent Listed Scurry S. winner Atalis Bay (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}). AShe=s in good form. She has a good draw and Associate International Editor will handle the track, so she should run well,@ Easterby said. Heather Anderson Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen Twitter: @AlaynaCullen [email protected] Contributing Editors Alan Carasso Christina Bossinakis Cafe Racing Sean Cronin Tom Frary [email protected] Battaash | Scoop Dyga Irish Correspondent Daithi Harvey As with most of the major 3-year-old races run so far this term, Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | John Berry | Kevin Blake the G1 St James=s Palace S. is wide-open with very little Amy Lynam | Melissa Steele separating the Classic class and the up-and-comers. One who fits into the latter category is Shadwell=s Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), a half-brother to Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who made such rapid strides last season beginning with a win in the G2 Duke of Cambridge S.