Wesley Ward is ready for another centre-stage appearance at Royal Ascot when American Rascal bids to become the trainer’s third winner of the Norfolk Stakes – the fourth and final Breeders’ Cup Challenge ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier at the famous five-day stand.
Thursday’s G2 event for two-year-olds offers a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on November 3.
Considering the Norfolk’s status as Royal Ascot’s annual test of pure and precocious juvenile speed, it is hardly surprising that Ward always makes it one of his major targets. He has won the five-furlong dash twice, first with the top-class No Nay Never in 2013 and then five years later with Shang Shang Shang.
What is more, he plainly fancies his chances with Keeneland winner American Rascal, the first foal of his brilliant sprinter Lady Aurelia, who also carried the well-known yellow and cerise silks of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables.
No Nay Never’s season ended before the Breeders’ Cup, while Shang Shang Shang never raced again after Royal Ascot, but Santa Anita in November will make obvious appeal to Ward if this son of Curlin – another Stonestreet representative, now the world’s #1 dirt sire – proves as good as he looked on his sensational debut on dirt at Keeneland in April.
Lady Aurelia had made a similarly spectacular debut in a fillies’ maiden there almost exactly seven years earlier and then arrived at Royal Ascot with her trainer brimming with confidence. She won the Queen Mary – the fillies’ equivalent to this race – in blistering style by seven lengths and returned a year later to land the G1 King’s Stand Stakes in similar fashion.
However, while many are expecting American Rascal to do something similar, he is not the only US challenger as he is joined by George Weaver-trained No Nay Mets, a son of No Nay Never.
Having earned his place here in a qualifying event on grass first time out at Gulfstream, he changed hands for £800,000 at Goffs London Sale on Monday evening. His stablemate Crimson Advocate won the G2 Queen Mary Stakes on Wednesday's card.
Karl Burke will be doing his best to spoil the American party with likely favourite Elite Status, who sets a high standard for the visitors judged on his impressive Listed win at Sandown.
York winner Mon Na Slieve and Naas winner Devious are others who merit respect, while Amo Racing have tremendous strength in depth among their juveniles. After having the runners-up for the last two seasons, they might suggest they deserve a change of luck, either with recent Goodwood winner Thunder Blue or Curragh second Valiant Force.
Go Bears Go, second in 2021, went on to occupy the same position at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. Last year they also had the third (Crispy Cat), and to rub salt into the wound he was badly hampered and possibly unlucky in a controversial running won by 50-1 shot The Ridler.
Key horses
Elite Status (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) – clear-cut winner of maiden at Doncaster and National Stakes at Sandown, quickening five lengths clear of what looked a strong field in latter Listed race; clear pick of the domestic runners on that form and could well improve again; sire Havana Grey went onto G1 success over 5f after winning same race at Sandown but was well beaten here, though trainer has suggested this colt is in a different class.
American Rascal (Wesley Ward/Joel Rosario) – made a spectacular debut when winning a 4½f maiden on dirt at Keeneland in April by 10¼ lengths eased down, cruising up to the long-time leader and then quickening effortlessly clear.
No Nay Mets (George Weaver/Frankie Dettori) – impressive debut in Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes, a new ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifier on grass at Gulfstream; made the trip with Wednesday’s Queen Mary heroine Crimson Advocate, who won on the same card.
Devious (Donnacha O’Brien/Gavin Ryan) – targeted for this since winning over this trip at Naas on debut, where he travelled strongly throughout and won comfortably.
His Majesty (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) – looked useful when overcoming inexperience to win 5f Listed race on soft ground at the Curragh on debut; improved on that form when close third in G3 over 6f on better ground on same course.
Mon Na Slieve (Kevin Ryan/Tom Eaves) – good impression on debut at York and was immediately earmarked for this; looks all speed.
Thunder Blue (Dominic Ffrench Davis/Kevin Stott) – learned a lot when beaten at Haydock on his debut and made no mistake next time at Goodwood over 6f, travelling easily throughout and pulling clear in a decent novice event.
Shall we talk about it?
Karl Burke, trainer of Elite Status: “I think Elite Status has the potential to be very good – I am very excited about him. He is a very talented horse with a lot of scope. He’s been working exceptionally well and looks in fantastic shape. The bookies make him favourite and rightly so. I think there’s more in the tank.”
Wesley Ward, trainer of American Rascal:“He looks like he has taken after Lady Aurelia. He is really something. He’s always been a high-quality colt and came to the barn with great expectations as far as his breeding is concerned, by a champion sire out of Lady Aurelia. You are always nervous when you come to Ascot to take on the most precocious two-year-olds in Europe but he is the best of what we have in America right now.”
Blair Golen, assistant to George Weaver, trainer of No Nay Mets: “No Nay Mets has settled in nicely. We have come here to win. In American racing, there is very rarely a big field, so that is a big challenge. Luckily, we have Frankie Dettori riding him and, if anybody knows how to ride the course, it is definitely him. It means everything to have him riding and, if that makes Wesley Ward jealous, then even better!”
Donnacha O’Brien, trainer of Devious: “We have nothing that can take him off the bridle at home, he's just natural. He's got so much boot.”
Aidan O’Brien, trainer of His Majesty: “He won first time out at the Curragh and wasn’t beaten far in the Marble Hill.”
Kevin Ryan, trainer of Mon Na Slieve: “He’s so laid-back and for a breezer he’s got a great mind. He was bought to go to Ascot, he’s really sharp and he’s all five furlongs, but he relaxes. He could have been dropped in at York, but he’s so professional he was able to make it.”
Graham Dench’s verdict
Karl Burke, who does especially well with sprinters, regards Elite Status as very much the pick of his strong Royal Ascot team and the colt is very hard to fault, but Wesley Ward is every bit as bullish about AMERICAN RASCAL and it’s impossible to forget how sensational his dam Lady Aurelia was when she first raced here at two. The pair stand out in a big field of precociously fast youngsters, with slight preference for the wide-margin Gulfstream winner.
• The annual Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge is an international series of 80 stakes races whose winners receive automatic qualifying positions, with fees paid, into a corresponding race at the 40th edition of America’s end-of-season championships, held this year on November 3-4 at Santa Anita.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders’ Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America. A total of 39 international races are part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge for 2023, among them races in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France, Ireland, Japan, Peru, and South Africa.
• Visit the Breeders’ Cup website and the Breeders’ Cup Challenge web page
Royal Ascot: Adayar seeking to stamp Derby class on Prince of Wales’s Stakes
Seb Sanders: As a pundit I am not as hard on others as I was on myself
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires