George Royal Day Preview
Six classy boys go in the $50,000 George Royal Stakes, while eight of the best fillies and mares clash in the $50,000 Emerald Downs Stakes on a terrific seven-race card at Hastings
BLACK METAL drops in class here after being outgunned by Set to Shine and He’s Relentless last time. This represents a return to the level at which he won last September and he must be respected. Any doubts over TIZ VICIOUS’s ability to last out the 6½-furlongs were answered when he responded to the urging of rider Learie Seecharan to go down narrowly in a three-way shoot-out last time. A nose behind him was LAUGH WITH ME, who was making his season debut that day and should be spot on today.
Not much between FAMILY BIZ and STAY FANTASTIC, who finished 6th and 7th respectively behind the classy Sir Bregovic last month. The former was claimed out of Turf Paradise by WYN racing and has run well enough at this distance, without winning over it, to suggest he’s a threat. Stay Fantastic, meanwhile, is a Hastings’ stalwart who has mixed it with some big local names over the 8½-furlong course. SHOTGUN RIDER looks to follow up after beating Tiz Vicious last time, although this represents deeper water than he’s encountered for a while. FORT LANGLEY wasn’t beaten far over an insufficient 6 furlongs and he should relish a return to the ‘long’ course.
MATSQUI missed some pre-season with a minor issue but ran well enough on her season debut to suggest she can break her maiden following several useful efforts in top company last season. ARUNDEL CASTLE is a hold-up horse who should be rolling from the rear and she’s another who has run well in good company. SWANGIN hit the bord in both her starts last term and represents the on-fire Dino Condilenios barn.
KANDY KATIE was closest of the three she renews rivalry with here after chasing home Ima Daredevil last time. She’s hit the board in both her starts this term and, while she has dropped through the levels, rarely runs a bad race. ARIKARA won twice more last season after breaking her maiden and then won on her season debut when dropped to the same level she faces here. The mare has new connections after being claimed out of the Condilenios barn, but she remains a major threat. KOALA’s three wins and four second-place finishes from nine starts in 2022 make it easy to see why she was popular at the claims box last year. She’s one for the shortlist.
It may be a case of ‘fool me twice…’ with BAKKEN OVERDRIVE, who has rattled off two impressive front-running wins already this season. He’ll no doubt be monitored a little more carefully by his opponents this time but is clearly in terrific form. SET TO SHINE was impressive on his season debut, winning by nearly 8-lengths. He was a closing fifth in this last year and should be thereabouts again. CASCADE BILLY was fourth in last year’s George Royal and went down by just a head to SOARINGFORTHESUN when they met last month. Both have solid claims.
WE B THREE overcame traffic problems impressively to scoot clear of last year’s Emerald Downs Stakes winner SOLARITY and barn-mate RUN LOLA RUN when they clashed last month. The two she beat will be stronger opposition today; but they will need to be. SHAMRA caught the eye when making light work of the opposition on her season debut last month and several of her runs last term - in particular her win over U Did It and today’s rival MARYS TAPPIN SHOES in last June’s River Rock Casino Stakes - give her solid claims.
SILARONE, with today’s rival TEX TONIC just behind, was beaten a long way by the hugely impressive Lucky Force on his season debut last month. However, he should be sharper today and a repeat of his win over Matsqui last season puts him in the frame. SLOOP JOHN B sails in shallower waters than he’s previously experienced. He took them to the far turn on his debut last month, before the wind went out of his sails and he should be closer today in company that represents less choppy conditions. COUNTRY COWBOY is also dropping down a rung and a repeat of his fourth behind Klimtoglory last month could see him first to knock back the nightcap and ride off into Saturday’s sunset. Yee-ha!
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Randy Goulding: George Royal Stakes honours top B.C. thoroughbred
Saturday’s feature at Hastings Racecourse is the $50,000 George Royal Stakes for three-year-olds and upward.
George Royal was hands-down, without a doubt, by a mile, the best thoroughbred ever bred in B.C. After winning nine straight races in Vancouver, he went on to greater things, winning multiple Grade 1 races across North America…
… [click below for full article]
Hastings Racing Club
