International entry of 32 for Coronation Cup (From Sutton Guardian)

International entry of 32 for Coronation Cup

11:48am Wednesday 8th April 2009 in Sport

German trainer Peter Schiergen is aiming for more glory in the Coronation Cup after a superb entry of 32 was revealed today for the Group One contest, run over a mile and a half at Epsom Downs on Ladies Day, Friday, June 6, day one of the 2009 Derby Festival.

The Cologne-based handler, successful with his only previous runner in the Coronation Cup when Boreal took the spoils in 2002, could this year be represented by multiple Group One winner Kamsin and Quijano, who has run with great credit in several of the world’s top middle-distance contests.

Kamsin proved himself to be one of the leading performers in Europe last year with three Group One victories, beginning with an impressive success in the Deutsches Derby at Hamburg in July. The Samum colt followed up with victories in the Rheinland-Pokal at Cologne in August and the Preis von Baden the following month prior to a disappointing effort when 11th in the Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.

Schiergen commented: “We have given both Kamsin and Quijano entries in the Coronation Cup and the race is certainly a possibility for either horse at the moment.

“Kamsin will start his season in the Group Two Gerling-Preis at Cologne on April 26. He has wintered very well and I am hopeful that he will run a good race there and then possibly go on to Epsom afterwards.

“I think that you can forgive his run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe a little because it was his seventh start of the season and I didn’t think that he was 100% on the day. He was perhaps settled too far back as well and he needs to be ridden nearer to the front to be seen at his best.

“He had some very good form in Germany prior to that, including when beating older horses in the Preis von Baden. I think that he copes well with a decent surface but he is a better horse with some give in the ground.

“I would expect him to be capable of running in some of the top European middle distance races throughout the season and we will start him off at Cologne and take it from there.”

Schiergen’s other potential runner in the Coronation Cup, the globe-trotting Quijano, has raced in six different countries throughout a glittering career that has so far yielded Group One victories in the Preis von Baden in September, 2007, and the Gran Premio di Milano at San Siro, Italy, in June, 2008. He has also been placed at the highest level in Canada and was second to Doctor Dino in the 2007 Hong Kong Vase.

The seven-year-old, who racked up a sequence of 10 successive victories in 2006 and 2007, started the current campaign in Dubai, following up a staying-on second in the Group Two Dubai City Of Gold with sixth in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic at the end of March.

Schiergen continued: “Quijano is also a possibility for the Coronation Cup but I don’t like to run my horses against each other and he could be targeted elsewhere. He’s been a very good horse for us over the seasons and I think he still retains all of his ability at the age of seven.

“I thought he ran all right in the Dubai Sheema Classic but the race wasn’t run to suit him - he needs a stronger pace to be most effective. He’s come out of that in good order and we will decide nearer the time whether to let him take his chance at Epsom.”

The other German-trained entry in the 2009 Coronation Cup, worth £225,000, is the Jens Hirscherger-trained Adlerflug, who triumphed at the highest level in the 2007 Deutsches Derby and beat Quijano in the Deutschland Pries at Dusseldorf in July. The five-year-old races in the colours of Gestut Schlenderhan, whose owner Baron Georg Von Ullman triumphed in the 2006 Coronation Cup with Sirocco.

Aida O’Brien has an enviable record in the Coronation Cup, having saddled Yeats (2005), Scorpion (2007) and Soldier Of Fortune (2008) to victory in the past four years. This year, the maestro of Ballydoyle has entered Irish Derby victor Frozen Fire, last season’s Tattersall Gold Cup third Red Rock Canyon and Poet, while fellow Irish handler Dermot Weld may be represented by Casual Conquest, who was third to New Approach in last year’s Derby prior to chasing home Frozen Fire in the Irish equivalent.

Another prolific winner of the Coronation Cup, Andre Fabre, may seek an incredible seventh victory in the race, following on from Saint Estephe (1986), In The Wings (1990), Apple Tree (1994), Sunshack (1995), Swain (1996) and Shirocco (2006). A trio of entries from the 21-time French champion trainer is headed by dual Group Two scorer Coastal Path, who was third to Yeats in last year’s Ascot Gold Cup. The Chantilly-based handler has also entered Listed winner Ideal World and Crossharbour, who landed a Group Two contest at Longchamp on his latest start in October.

The other French-trained entry is The Bogberry, who was second on his seasonal reappearance for Alain de Royer Dupre in the Group Two Prix D’Harcourt at Longchamp on April 5.

The home challenge includes the Ralph Beckett-trained Look Here, who provided her trainer with a first English Classic success in the Oaks at Epsom Downs in 2008 and went on to be third in the St Leger at Doncaster, while Mick Channon may saddle the 2008 runner-up Youmzain, who has also finished second in the last two renewals of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Sir Michael Stoute has entered Doctor Fremantle and Tajaaweed, fourth and eighth respectively in last year’s Derby, alongside multiple Group Three winner Ask as he bids for a fifth success in the Coronation Cup, following on from Saddler’s Hall (1992), Opera House (1993), Singspiel (1997) and Daliapour (2000).

The eight entries from the Godolphin stable of Saeed bin Suroor includes recent Dubai Sheema Classic winner Eastern Anthem, Australian Group One scorer All The Good, Group Two King Edward VII Stakes victor Campanologist and Schiaparelli, who won three Group One contests in a row for previous handler Peter Schiergen. Group One Hong Kong Cup runner-up Balius, Veracity, Kirklees and Sagara could also try and follow in the footsteps of Godolphin’s two previous Coronation Cup winners, Daylami (1999) and Mutafaweq (2001).

John Gosden has yet to have a runner in the Coronation Cup but the Newmarket handler has entered recent Lincoln Handicap winner Expresso Star and dual Group One runner-up Dar Re Mi, while Michael Jarvis, successful with his only previous Coronation Cup runner, Easter Sun in 1982, may be represented by the unexposed All The Aces.

The entry is completed by Italian Group One winners Scintillo and Cima de Triomphe, the progressive Hawaass, and Foolin Myself, who got the better of subsequent Derby runner-up Tartan Bearer in a Newmarket maiden on his latest start in November, 2007.

For further information, please contact: Nick Blofeld, Managing Director at Epsom Downs Racecourse, on 01372 726311 Andrew Cooper, Director of Racing at Epsom Downs Racecourse, on 07774 230850 Johnno Spence at JSC Sport on 07860 583307 THE CORONATION CUP Class One, Group One, £225,000 Total Prize Fund. Epsom Downs, Friday, June 5, 2009. For four-year-olds and upwards, one mile & four furlongs. Entries closed April 7, entries revealed April 8 (32 entries), first scratchings deadline May 19, five-day confirmation & £20,000 supplementary stage May 30, final declaration stage 10.00am, June 3. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing of Monday, April 6.

Form Horse Age Owner Trainer 12/0312- ADLERFLUG (GER) 5 Gestut Schlenderhan Jens Hirschberger GER 32(1)/124- ALL THE ACES (IRE) 4 Alan Spence Michael Jarvis 41/4011- ALL THE GOOD (IRE) 6 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 2/15560- ASK 6 Patrick Fahey Sir Michael Stoute 2312-10 BALIUS (IRE) 6 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 514116- BUCCELLATI 5 Mr & Mrs P McMahon & Mr & Mrs R Gorell Andrew Balding (1)13142- CAMPANOLOGIST (USA) 4 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 1/132- CASUAL CONQUEST (IRE) 4 Moyglare Stud Farms Ltd Dermot Weld IRE 110100- CIMA DE TRIOMPHE (IRE) 4 Teruya Yoshida Luca Cumani 11/1133- COASTAL PATH 5 Khalid Abdulla Andre Fabre FR 116251- CROSSHARBOUR 5 Khalid Abdulla Andre Fabre FR 311223- DAR RE MI 4 Lord Lloyd-Webber John Gosden 1/21440- DOCTOR FREMANTLE 4 Khalid Abdulla Sir Michael Stoute 316-111 EASTERN ANTHEM (IRE) 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 42111-1 EXPRESSO STAR (USA) 4 H R H Princess Haya of Jordan John Gosden 51/- FOOLIN MYSELF 4 Bill Gredley Michael Bell 10/2010- FROZEN FIRE (GER) 4 Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier Aidan O'Brien IRE 01/1- HAWAASS (USA) 4 Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum Mark Johnston 321142- IDEAL WORLD (USA) 4 Khalid Abdulla Andre Fabre FR 141110- KAMSIN (GER) 4 Stall Blankenses Peter Schiergen GER 32-31(4)0 KIRKLEES (IRE) 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 1/213- LOOK HERE 4 Julian Richmond-Watson Ralph Beckett 43/132-5 POET 4 Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor Aidan O'Brien IRE 1220-26 QUIJANO (GER) 7 Stifung Gestut Fahrhof Peter Schiergen GER 040606- RED ROCK CANYON (IRE) 5 Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith, Diane Nagle Aidan O'Brien IRE 553632- SAGARA (USA) 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 1111/20- SCHIAPARELLI (GER) 6 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor (3)(0)(5)-(3)(1)(1) SCINTILLO 4 White Beech Farm Richard Hannon 10/105- TAJAAWEED (USA) 4 Hamdan Al Maktoum Sir Michael Stoute 35134-2 THE BOGBERRY (USA) 4 S Efros Alain de Royer Dupre FR 5113-21 VERACITY 5 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 52132-4 YOUMZAIN (IRE) 6 Jaber Abdullah Mick Channon