Trainer William Haggas wary of last year’s winner Mishriff as Baaeed puts his unbeaten record on line in £1m Juddmonte International

Baaeed will face six rivals as he switches up in distance for tomorrow’s Juddmonte International Stakes at York – on the opening day of this year’s £6m Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
Unbeaten: Jockey Jim Crowley celebrates with Baaeed after winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last year - one of nine straight wins for the horse. Picture: Steven Paston/PAUnbeaten: Jockey Jim Crowley celebrates with Baaeed after winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last year - one of nine straight wins for the horse. Picture: Steven Paston/PA
Unbeaten: Jockey Jim Crowley celebrates with Baaeed after winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last year - one of nine straight wins for the horse. Picture: Steven Paston/PA

Baaeed will face six rivals as he switches up in distance for tomorrow’s Juddmonte International Stakes at York – on the opening day of this year’s £6m Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

The William Haggas-trained four-year-old is unbeaten in nine runs to date, racking up Group One triumphs on his last five starts with all those runs coming over a mile.

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He tackles 10 furlongs for the first time in a bid to win the £567,000 first prize on the Knavesmire and he will count defending champion Mishriff among his challengers.

Champion: Mishriff and David Egan win last year's Juddmonte International Stakes at York. Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire.Champion: Mishriff and David Egan win last year's Juddmonte International Stakes at York. Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire.
Champion: Mishriff and David Egan win last year's Juddmonte International Stakes at York. Picture: Nigel French/PA Wire.

John and Thady Gosden’s charge hacked up by six lengths in the race last year, but has failed to strike in four subsequent runs, most recently coming home a distant third in the King George at Ascot.

Skipton-born Haggas is well aware of Mishriff’s credentials, but is eager to test his stable star in the £1m event that is part of the Qipco British Champions Series ahead of his likely retirement at the end of the year.

He said: “I’m looking forward to it. We’ve always felt he’d be better over further, but we’ve got a few people emailing us and casting doubt on whether we should be doing it. But Sheikha Hissa is up for the challenge and I think it would be remiss of us not to give it a go.

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“There’s nothing I can do about the competition on the day, and if the Mishriff of last year comes to York in the same form he’ll be incredibly difficult to beat, as he was unbelievably impressive that day.

Worried: Baaeed's trainer William Haggas is wary of last year's winner Mishriff.  (Photo by Edward Whitaker/Pool via Getty Images)Worried: Baaeed's trainer William Haggas is wary of last year's winner Mishriff.  (Photo by Edward Whitaker/Pool via Getty Images)
Worried: Baaeed's trainer William Haggas is wary of last year's winner Mishriff. (Photo by Edward Whitaker/Pool via Getty Images)

“Mishriff ran a very, very good race in the Eclipse and a little bit of a lacklustre race in the King George, so who knows which one will turn up.

“But he’ll be a danger, as will lots of others.”

Haggas’ Alenquer was second to Mishriff last year and he tries his luck again with the trainer having a third string to his bow in Dubai Honour, who was edged out by the reopposing Sir Busker, ridden by Thirsk’s Ben Curtis, at York last month.

Native Trail, winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas, represents Charlie Appleby and the Godolphin team after finishing a close-up third in the Eclipse on his first try at 10 furlongs, while Aidan O’Brien fields High Definition, who is seeking a first win in nearly two years.

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Appleby’s four-time winner Secret State heads six for the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes – the race which precedes the Juddmonte – taking a step up from handicap level to tackle this Group Two trial for the St Leger. He will be joined by stablemate and Bahrain Trophy third Walk Of Stars.

James Ferguson is also doubled handed with Deauville Legend, winner of the Bahrain Trophy and second in the Gordon Stakes, and juvenile Group One winner El Bodegon.

O’Brien’s Aikhal and the Charlie Fellowes-trained Grand Alliance complete the field.

Nine runners tackle the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, with Chaldean, Hectic and Local Dynasty key names.

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Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista will bid to claim a fifth successive Group One title in the £500,000 Darley Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday.

The grey is a Group One winner in both France and Germany, taking a trio of top-flight races in the latter country last season when landing the Grosser Preis von Berlin, the Preis von Europa and the Grosser Preis Von Bayern.

The first race in that sequence was later subject to a high-profile form boost as the runner-up, Marcel Weiss’ Torquator Tasso, went on to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at the end of the term.

Alpinista began this season later than intended, but her return to action proved worth the wait when she was a ready winner of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in early July, prevailing by a length and a quarter from a competitive field of nine.

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“We’ve had some great days with this filly and hopefully we can have another one on Thursday,” said William Butler, assistant trainer to Prescott.

“People knocked her German form until we got to the Arc and people woke up then! She got real credit for how she won at Saint-Cloud, she really caught everyone’s imagination there.”

With the forecast looking unpredictable, butler is sure the horse can cope with whatever the ground is like at York.

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