Amo Racing and Peter Waney’s Go Bears Go heads a strong challenge for trainer David Loughnane at next week’s Royal Ascot.
Purchased at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale for 150,000 guineas by Amo Racing and Alex Elliott from Aguiar Bloodstock, Go Bears Go is set to line up in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on Friday of the Royal Meeting.
The three-year-old was a recent winner of the Group 3 Commonwealth Cup Trial over course and distance, before finishing an unlucky fourth when stumbling out of the stalls in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock last time out.
David Loughnane told Tattersalls: “He was very good at the beginning of the year. Delighted with him in the Commonwealth Cup Trial. He’s two from three at Ascot now.’
“He had every excuse the other day at Haydock – a wheel spin coming out and he went down on his nose. Rossa was lucky to stay on him. He flew home from where he was. We will hopefully have our redemption at Ascot in the Commonwealth.”
Connections came close to Royal Ascot victory and the £125,000 Tattersalls Craven Royal Ascot Bonus last year when the son of Kodiac finished second in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes, a head behind winner Perfect Power. The pair are likely to go head-to-head again in the Commonwealth Cup next Friday.
Reflecting on the Norfolk Stakes, Loughnane added “I’d be lying if I didn’t say it wasn’t heart-breaking at the time. I went in there thinking we were the best horse, I walked out thinking we were the best horse.’
“I know Perfect Power went on to be a very good horse and I’m not taking anything away from him, but on the day if something came our way and came up the right side with us, I still think we’d have won.”
A winner of the Group 2 Railway Stakes at The Curragh, before returning to the course to finish third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, Go Bears Go completed a highly competitive two-year-old campaign as runner-up in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
“We bought him at the Craven Breeze Ups at Tattersalls last year. He was the first horse we trained for Amo Racing and Peter Waney, who owns fifty per cent.’
“From the minute he arrived at the yard I loved him – great attitude, natural racehorse, loves what he does.”
The £125,000 Tattersalls Craven Royal Ascot Bonus will be awarded to the first Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up winner of any of the six two- year-old races at this year's Royal Meeting. Loughnane has two major hopes in collecting this valuable bonus prize, with stablemates Omniqueen and Walbank both set to line up at Royal Ascot in the colours of owner Amo Racing.
Purchased at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale for 200,000 guineas by owner Amo Racing and Kerri Radcliffe from Aguiar Bloodstock, Omniqueen will be aimed at the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes over 5 furlongs after an impressive winning debut over course and distance.
Loughnane said: “Omniqueen is a very nice Tasleet filly. She was very impressive first time out at Ascot. She was only ever going to improve from the run. She put them to the sword and put them to bed. She will most likely head to the Queen Mary now.’
“She’s come out of her last race and seems to have taken a big step forward mentally and physically. She’s a real exciting filly and hopefully she’ll be one of our chances to win the £125,000 Craven Bonus.”
She will be joined by another exciting Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up purchase – Walbank, who was purchased from Tally-Ho Stud for a sale-topping 525,000 guineas. Runner-up on debut at Ascot, the son of Kodiac was last seen when powering home to win a Novice Stakes at York by seven lengths.
Loughnane added: “He put in a great performance at Ascot, we bumped into a very good horse of Godolphin’s in Noble Style. Rossa didn’t knock him about that day. He then went to York and was ultra-impressive.’
“To win a race on your second start at York; it’s a big, daunting track, no more than Ascot, and to do it under a hands and heels ride and be within a couple of seconds of the last six winners of the Nunthorpe - it is impressive to do that on dead ground.’
“He’ll have entries in the Windsor Castle and the Norfolk. The Norfolk is the obvious choice with how impressive he was at York, but a £125,000 Craven Bonus, if the Windsor Castle looks an easier race - there is no such thing as an easy race at Royal Ascot, but he’s certainly got a lot of speed and it could play to his strengths.”
The £250,000 Tattersalls Craven Royal Ascot/Group 1 Bonus will offer a £125,000 bonus for the first Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up winner of any of the six two-year-old races at this year’s Royal Meeting, with £100,000 being paid to the owner and £25,000 to the vendor of the horse.