Connections of New Century are optimistic that the talented two-year-old will be “the one to beat” in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf after his impressive Grade One victory in Canada over the weekend.
Having previously bested subsequent Champagne Stakes winner Luther at Salisbury, Andrew Balding’s colt travelled to Woodbine, where he triumphed in the Grade One Summer Stakes, defeating familiar rival Al Qudra, trained by Charlie Appleby, with Oisin Murphy in the saddle.
Although New Century has yet to return to Britain due to travel issues, his owners, Qatar Racing, are excited about his potential following his first top-level win, making him the first Group One-winning two-year-old by his 2000 Guineas-winning sire, Kameko. They are now looking forward to another trip across the Atlantic, this time to Del Mar in early November.
“It was an incredibly well-planned and executed strategy by Andrew Balding’s team to take him to Woodbine, and Oisin rode superbly, making him the only Group One-winning two-year-old by a first-season sire in Europe,” said David Redvers of Qatar Racing.
“The exciting aspect is that the Summer Stakes was a win-and-you’re-in for Del Mar, although getting him home has been quite tricky. He had to travel from Woodbine to Kentucky and is currently at Churchill Downs, waiting for a flight back.”
“He’s such a professional horse with an outstanding temperament, and he seems to be handling the journey well.”
While the focus is on the Californian race, Redvers is also eyeing a potential Classic bid in the spring.
“All of his form this season has been rock-solid. It’s great to see those he’s beaten coming out and reinforcing his form consistently. He’s been rated highly; I believe he’s the top-rated turf two-year-old in North America and ranks right up there here as well.”
“He’s a tough competitor, and Andrew is very much considering him a genuine Guineas prospect for next year, following nicely in his father’s footsteps. Del Mar will present a different challenge than Woodbine, but he’ll have plenty of experience by the time he arrives. As long as the travel doesn’t take too much out of him, we’re all hopeful he’ll be the one they’ll have to beat.”