Straight course specialist Redkirk Warrior’s Royal Ascot goal will be the Group 1 £600,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) in England on June 23.
Redkirk Warrior, above, is set to run in The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in England. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig had been debating which race down the Royal Ascot straight would best suit Redkirk Warrior with the Group 1 £500,000 The King’s Stand Stakes (5 furlongs) on the first day of the Carnival on Tuesday also an option.
The dual Group 1 Newmarket Handicap winner will now concentrate on the last day of the five day Royal Ascot Carnival on the Saturday.
Ben Hayes has met up with Redkirk Warrior in England and is very happy with the way that the big chestnut has travelled half way around the world.
“Thrilled to meet up with this boy this morning, looks in fantastic condition,” Ben Hayes tweeted.
“With the weather appearing to be dry, the decision has been made to run in the Diamond Jubilee, not the King(’s) Stand Stakes.”
Redkirk Warrior was outstanding when he scored a first up win in the Group 1 $1.25m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight during the 2017 Melbourne Autumn Carnival and claimed a second Group 1 down the famous straight with his win in the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) during the 2018 Autumn Carnival.
The brilliant sprinter then headed back to Flemington three weeks later to claim a last stride win for back to back victories in the Newmarket Handicap beating Brave Smash and the Aaron Purcell trained Merchant Navy.
The Coolmore owned Merchant Navy was subsequently transferred to Aidan O’Brien in Ireland and is likely to clash again with Redkirk Warrior in The Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Betting for The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Redkirk Warrior on the third line at $5.50 behind Godolphin’s top line sprinter Harry Angel at $3.20 and Merchant Navy at $4.50.
The Clive Cox trained Harry Angel is the winner of two Group 1 races in England during 2017, the £500,000 Darley July Stakes (6 furlongs) at Newmarket and the £260,000 32Red Spring Cup Stakes (6 furlongs) at Haydock Park.
Harry Angel has had one run back from a spell for a first up win in the Group 2 £125,000 Duke Of York Clipper Logistics Stakes (6 furlongs) at York in England on May 16.
Merchant Navy has had one run for his new trainer Aidan O’Brien for a win in the Group 2 €120,000 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes (6 furlongs) at the Curragh in Ireland on May 26.
Early betting for the 2018 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.20 Harry Angel, $4.50 Merchant Navy, $5.50 Redkirk Warrior, $10 Bound For Nowhere, The Tin Man, $14 Librisa Breeze, Limato, Tasleet, City Light, $18 Blue Point, $21 Lady Aurelia, $26 Battaash, Dbai, Projection, Sir Dancealot, Spirit Of Valor, Top Score, $41 or better the rest.
