Grade Drop For Magical Memory
Frankie Dettori will ride Magical Memory in a confidence-boosting run in Bengough Stakes at Ascot next month with an ease in grade despite a carrying penalty of 6lb
MAGICAL Memory is set to be eased in grade for a confidence-boosting run in next month’s Bengough Stakes at Ascot.
The Charlie Hills-trained four-year-old is being lined up to tackle the six-furlong Group Three contest before taking on a potential trip to America for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
After winning his first two starts of the season, the son of Zebedee has finished out of the frame in three subsequent outings at Group One level, with the latest coming in Saturday’s Sprint Cup at Haydock Park where he trailed home last.
Sam Hoskins, racing manager to owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, said: “The plan is to drop Magical Memory in grade and give him a confidence-boosting run in the Bengough Stakes.
“He will carry a 6lb penalty but he has the class to do that. Hopefully the ground will remain decent as that seems important to him. He handles the slow side of good but not any softer.
“Frankie (Dettori) was easy with him once he was beaten at Haydock and he felt he was beaten after 100 yards as the horse hated the ground.
“He is such a smooth traveller but he could not travel the way he usually does on Saturday. The main thing is t
hat he didn’t have a hard race.
“We will see how he is after Ascot, but the one we have been talking about afterwards is the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. He would have to go pretty close at Ascot if we are going for that though.”
A drop in class is also being lined up for the Andrew Balding-trained Tullius with connections earmarking an outing in the Listed Foundation Stakes at Goodwood on September 21 before taking in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot on Qipco Champions Day next month.
Hoskins added: “We are planning on going for the Foundation Stakes at Goodwood, with a view to then going for the Balmoral Handicap.
“He would be near the top of the weights for that but one of Andrew’s apprentices would take some weight off. We are going down this route as it is something a bit different.
“He is in the Joel Stakes but he would need a deluge of rain to go for that.
“This could be his last season if he doesn’t run well on his next two starts, but it was only two starts ago he won a Group race at Epsom.
“The horse doesn’t owe us anything.”
