Mark Johnston’s Elarqam has a couple of options at Royal Ascot

ELARQAM is likely to break new ground at Royal Ascot by racing over a mile and a half for the first time in the Hardwicke Stakes next Friday.
Mark Johnston's stable star Elarqam is due to line up at Royal Ascot next week.Mark Johnston's stable star Elarqam is due to line up at Royal Ascot next week.
Mark Johnston's stable star Elarqam is due to line up at Royal Ascot next week.

ELARQAM is likely to break new ground at Royal Ascot by racing over a mile and a half for the first time in the Hardwicke Stakes next Friday.

The Mark Johnston-trained son of Frankel is being lined up for a tilt at the Group Two contest, although a return to the top table in the Group One Prince of Wales’s Stakes earlier at the meeting has not been ruled out.

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Victorious in last year’s Sky Bet York Stakes on the Knavesmire, Middleham-based Johnston is convinced that a Group One race is within the scope of the five-year-old.

Action from yesterday's behind closed doors meeting at Beverley, the first since the Covid-19 lockdown.Action from yesterday's behind closed doors meeting at Beverley, the first since the Covid-19 lockdown.
Action from yesterday's behind closed doors meeting at Beverley, the first since the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt found only Lord North too strong on his return to action in the re-arranged Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Haydock on Sunday.

Charlie Johnston, son and assistant trainer, said: “We’ve spoken to Sheikh Hamdan this morning and he is happy leaving things up to us, which is great for him to do.

“At this moment in time Plan A would be the Hardwicke, but we will keep an eye on the Prince of Wales’s and see what turns up.

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“It will be interesting to see him going up to a mile and a half and there is a strong possibility it will bring out more improvement.

“Obviously it is a slightly shorter than normal turnaround, but we are not too concerned about that for him.

“He will definitely come forward for the run like he did last year after his comeback in the Earl of Sefton.”

Despite the defeat, Johnston believes there are plenty of positives to take out of the race.

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Johnston added: “He was only beaten a short head on Sunday, so it is easy to take the positives out of the race, but at the same time you want to win. He could have easily folded a furlong out and finished third beaten a few lengths, but once he had the winner in sight, he knuckled down and stayed all the way to the line so it was a good solid run.”

Johnston confirmed Frankie Dettori will continue his partnership with Norfolk Stakes favourite Eye Of Heaven at the Royal meeting after steering the Exceed And Excel colt to glory on his debut at Newmarket.

Meanwhile, stablemate Raffle Prize will miss the meeting after finishing last in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

However, Tim Easterby is weighing up two options for Art Power who won at Newcastle on June 1 – the first day of racing’s resumption.

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The Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap next Friday or the Group One Commonwealth Cup on the same day are in the frame for the grey.

“He’ll run in either the handicap over five furlongs or we’ll head for the Commonwealth Cup over six,” said the Great Habton trainer.

“He was very impressive at Newcastle, he’s a good horse.

“I think it’s a case of the softer the better for him, though. The Group One looks a bit open this year so we’ve got to have a good think.”

In other news, Annangel was a pleasantly surprising 80-1 winner at Beverley for North Yorkshire trainer Nigel Tinkler and jockey Rowan Scott.

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Their first winners since racing returned after the shutdown, Tinkler said: “We’re pleased to be back racing!

“We’re chuffed to bits that she won and she’ll probably go to the sales now.”

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