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Gilded Prize Skips French Oaks for Royal Ascot Bid
9 Jun
Summary
- Gilded Prize rerouted to Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.
- Connections opted to skip the Prix de Diane for the filly.
- Trainer expects Gilded Prize to rebound from last performance.
Gilded Prize will bypass the French Oaks to race in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot. The Juddmonte homebred had won her first three races, including a Group Three success in mid-April. However, a shock defeat in the Group Two Prix Saint-Alary last month led to the decision to skip the French Classic.
Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard's charge is expected to perform better at Royal Ascot. Racing manager Barry Mahon expressed confidence, stating that the filly's recent work has been very good and that her previous poor run was uncharacteristic. The team is hopeful she will perform well on good ground over the mile-and-a-half distance.
Juddmonte will have a select team at Ascot, with other potential runners including Blue Bolt in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes and Jolivette in the Albany Stakes. Kalpana is also slated for the Hardwicke Stakes on Saturday.
