Blue Bolt all poised to strike in Prix Rothschild

DEAUVILLE – Blue Bolt seeks to continue her stable’s sizzling summer in the €300,000 (S$443,000) Group 1 Prix Rothschild (1,600m) at Deauville on Aug 2.

Blue Bolt arrives with a mighty spring in her step, the four-year-old bringing up a three-timer this year culminating in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes (1,600m) at Newmarket on July 10.

Trainer Andrew Balding, who has a healthy 20 per cent winners’ strike rate in the past fortnight, is enjoying a purple patch topped by Kalpana’s triumph in last weekend’s Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,414m).

Connections elected to target the Rothschild with their upwardly mobile daughter of Blue Point rather than tackle the colts in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes (1,600m) at Goodwood on July 29 or in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois later in the month on the same straight mile.

That plan looks set to pay dividends, especially with regular partner Colin Keane, who has ridden Blue Bolt to five of her six career wins.

“To give top-class three-year-olds weight like she did in the Falmouth was not an easy thing to do,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager to owners Juddmonte.

“She has probably developed a good bit from three to four and is a big, strong unit now and I thought she was very good at Royal Ascot and then even better in the Falmouth. It’s exciting.”

Blue Bolt faces seven rivals headed by Precise, one of the flag bearers for the classic generation.

Aidan O’Brien’s Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas (1,600m) and Group 1 Coronation Stakes (1,594m) winner is out for revenge after finishing a two-length runner-up to Blue Bolt in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on her last start.

Karl Burke, who saddled Fallen Angel to win the Prix Rothschild 12 months ago, sends over his Group 1 1000 Guineas (1,600m) runner-up Evolutionist.

The Night Of Thunder two-time winner has run twice since, well beaten over further in the Group 1 Prix de Diane (2,100m) at Chantilly on June 14 before taking the lead briefly only to run out of steam when fourth in the Falmouth.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-winning trainer Sir Mark Prescott (Alpinista in 2022) saddles Moon Target, who made a mockery of her 33-1 odds when putting in a notable performance in fourth, two lengths behind Precise in the Coronation Stakes on her delayed seasonal debut on June 19.

“Moon Target is fine after her run in the Coronation Stakes,” reported Prescott. “The team’s decision was not to run her back quickly, which we did as a two-year-old.

“It was a very a good run at Royal Ascot. She was third on merit as she got into a fight. You would have been happy to settle for that on her comeback, so it was a good run.”

Jockey Luke Morrris, the Cracksman filly’s regular partner, was astride at one of her two wins, in a Restricted Novice at Yarmouth, but anticipates bigger and better things now.

“It’s nice to see she looks a genuine Group 1 filly going forward,” said Morris.

Andre Fabre relies on the beautifully-bred Anakova to register a third success in four years for her master French trainer.

She booked her ticket when gamely holding off Gaga Girl in a ParisLongchamp Listed contest (1,600m) on far softer ground than she is expected to encounter here.

Jockey-turned-trainer Gerald Mosse, who rode with success in Singapore in 2016 and 2017, expects Gaga Girl to be in with a say, even if uncertain whether the three-time winner by The Grey Gatsby can measure up.

“She’s kept improving with each and every race she ran in. She’s a powerful mare and is mentally very strong, too,” said Mosse.

“We may be a little behind in terms of quality, but I think we should have a go as we don’t know her limits.”

Godspeed bids to better last year’s fourth with the field completed by Green Spirit who was running on in eye-catching style when third in the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas (1,600m) at ParisLongchamp on May 10, but was out of luck in the Prix de Diane.

The Prix Rothschild is slated as Race 5 on the Singapore Pools France race card and will be run at 10.40pm (Singapore time) on Aug 2. HKJC