Byword and Twice Over face rematch
August 15, 2010 12:42:00 UK
Byword gets the better of Twice Over in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. Khalid Abdullah will be represented by Byword and Twice Over in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Tuesday.
Abdullah sponsors the Group One race and the owner-breeder is yet to win the race that his Juddmonte Farms have backed since 1989, but he has strong claims this year in the declared field of nine.
Rip Van Winkle is the pre-race fancy for the Juddmonte International at 2.75, but Byword at 3.75 and Twice Over at 7.00 are both more than capable of landing victory for Abdullah.
The pair fought out to the finish of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot with the Andre Fabre-trained Byword beating Henry Cecil's Twice Over by half a length.
Aidan O'Brien saddles Rip Van Winkle, who has shown signs of a return to form in the Sussex Stakes when runner-up to Richard Hannon's Canford Cliffs.
Dick Turpin (7.00), who was supplemented at a cost of £50,000 at the confirmation stage, tackles an extended mile and a quarter for the first time after his win in the Prix Jean Prat.
Godolphin enters two into the race with Cavalryman (34.00) and Cutlass Bay (26.00), while David Simcock's Bushman (26.00), Italian challenger Jakkalberry (26.00) and Stimulation (51.00), trained by Hughie Morrison, complete the line-up.
Cavalryman, third to Sea The Stars in last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, is yet to hit top form this season but will be ridden by Frankie Dettori while Kieren Fallon will ride Cutlass Bay.
"The horse needs to race, he's crying out for a run now," Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford told At The Races.
"He had a disappointing run at Ascot where he pulled a muscle coming out of the stalls and never got involved in the race.
"Prior to that he'd run very well in the Coronation Cup. He was a little bit unlucky not to make the frame.
"He needed to run pretty soon, so we've had him well entered up and we're just thinking the Juddmonte is probably the right race for him.
"He was third in the Arc last year but we haven't seen that level of form since. He keeps it all up his sleeve and you don't ever see it at home.
"A lot of his work is just routine work. He's healthy, he's well in himself, he's fit and he'll run a good race."
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