Charyn and Silvestre de Sousa© Photo Healy Racing
Silvestre de Sousa has been counting down the days of his recent lengthy suspension, with the prospect of riding Charyn in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot keeping him going.
The former champion jockey has enjoyed a good season on his return from Hong Kong, with a Classic victory on Elmalka and further Group One successes on Charyn.
But he was fortunate that a 24-day ban, eight of which were suspended, earned due to the totting-up procedure, finished just in time for him to return for Qipco British Champions Day.
“It was great to find a horse like Charyn to take me through the season,” said the Brazilian.
“He’s been improving since day one, when he started in a Listed race, and he has gone on to win a Group Two and the Group Ones at Royal Ascot and Deauville.
“You could say he’s unlucky not to be unbeaten this year, as things went against him in the Lockinge (second to Audience) and it was a similar story last time in the Moulin (runner-up to Tribalist).
“It’s been a good season apart from the recent suspension, and now I’m looking forward to Saturday. It’s been a long three weeks that I’ve been off and I don’t agree with it, as I’m being punished twice, but I’m back in time for Champions Day and I’m looking forward to Charyn.
“He had a racecourse gallop at Newmarket last week and I rode him again in his final bit of work on Tuesday morning. He’s very laid back and he only does what you ask him to do. You have to ask him questions at the right time, but he’s in very good form.”
The victory of Dylan Cunha’s Prague in Newmarket’s Joel Stakes was one of the feel-good stories of the season, as he was led up by his owner, Amedeo Dal Pos.
Bought for 10,000 guineas unraced out of Ballydoyle, he was supplemented on Monday.
“It’s been the plan since his win at Newmarket and we just needed to scope him and make sure everything was in tip-top condition after a gallop on Saturday. We are not Coolmore, so with £70,000 at stake (supplementary fee) we have to make sure, but the vet was happy. He’s in grand form,” said Cunha.
“The horse has earned the supplementary fee in prize money, so the money is sitting in Amedeo’s Weatherbys account. I said to him that his 10-grand horse was about to become an 80-grand horse, but if anyone could buy a runner in a Group One for 80 grand, they would spend that much, wouldn’t they.
“It’s the British Champions Series, so it’s a strong race and we go there under no illusions. Charyn is the horse to beat. We need to improve another 5lb to win it, but Prague is in flying form and on the up, so we’ve got to take our chance. We are respectful of everyone, but we are confident in our horse.”
Simon Crisford trains Quddwah with his son Ed and he met with his first career defeat when fourth to Charyn at Deauville on his most recent outing.
“Quddwah hasn’t run since the Jacques le Marois, so we are looking forward to seeing him back on the track. He’s been going well and a bit of soft ground will help him,” said Crisford senior.
“He’s obviously fairly lightly-raced, but he’s come a long way and he’s still learning. I thought it was a pleasing effort in the Marois, and he was just two heads off finishing second.
“We also run Poker Face and he’s in good form too. He was second (to Prague) at Newmarket last time and we are very pleased with him.”
Facteur Cheval loves the mud and finished second to Big Rock in this 12 months ago. The Dubai Turf winner was also a fine third to Notable Speech in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last time out.
“This is probably going to be it for this year for him, but we’re looking forward to this race,” said Barry Irwin of Team Valor, part-owners of the five-year-old.
“My trainer (Jerome Reynier) uses one of those smart saddles where they get all sorts of data and information – and his numbers for his big pre-race work were better than they were going into Dubai and that was previously his best work ever heading into a race.
“I wouldn’t say my trainer is over-confident, but I would say he is hoping for a big race.”
Reynier is expecting a bold show and added: “I think you can forget about his run in the Queen Anne Stakes (sixth behind Charyn), as he lost a shoe and raced on the wrong side of the track.
“I thought he ran a good race at Goodwood, even though the ground was a little bit too firm for him, and I think we have him in better shape now.”
French Guineas winner Metropolitan is back at Ascot having finished third behind Rosallion in the St James’s Palace Stakes. He was then second to Charyn in the Marois.
Trainer Mario Baratti expects him to get closer here and said: “Metropolitan has improved again since the Jacques le Marois. He is getting stronger all the time and I have been very happy with his preparation.
“I believe we can get closer to Charyn this time. Charyn was very impressive at Deauville but, in my opinion, he is better on good ground, whereas I think our horse is better on soft ground and that will help our chance.”
Aidan O’Brien’s Henry Longfellow is winless this year having gone unbeaten at two, but he has run several good races.
“Things haven’t really gone to plan for him this year, things have never fallen into place,” said O’Brien.
“We think we haven’t seen the best of him yet and we have him in good form.”
