Godolphin last week confirmed the retirement of enduring gelding Cascadian, but Australian racing fans might not have to wait too long to see another member of the family in action.
English trainer George Scott has declared the Melbourne Cup firmly on the agenda for the dual Australian Cup winner’s brother Isle Of Jura.
Scott, 35, considers the four-year-old, a winner of six of his 11 starts on two continents, the right horse to realise a dream that has built over recent years.
“The Melbourne Cup is obviously the main target,” Scott said.
“How we get there? We’ll take it step by step. It’s a race I’ve always loved.
“I’ve seen lots of my friends go down and try and win it and they’ve enjoyed the experience.
“I want that experience and I feel this horse has got the qualities that might be required to be competitive.”
By New Approach out of the Street Cry mare Falls Of Lora, Isle Of Jura is not only a brother to Cascadian, but also a half-brother to Albahr, a son of Dubawi who won a Group 1 over 1609m in Canada.
“It’s not like this is a cheaply-bred horse that’s over achieving, he’s bred to do this job and race at the highest level,” Scott said.
Isle Of Jura, who was bred by Godolphin, had one start for Charlie Appleby before Scott paid £150,000 for him on behalf of owner Sheikh Nasser and he won back-to-back races over 1609m in England in July last year.
He then spelled before campaigning in Bahrain over summer, where he had five starts for four dominant wins and a second.
At his most recent start, on March 8, he became the first horse to complete the Bahrain Triple Crown when victorious in the Listed King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup (2400m).
Isle Of Jura has returned to Newmarket and is being set for a first-up tilt at the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes (2002m) at Sandown on May 23 before a possible tilt at the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes (2414m) at Royal Ascot in June.
“The Brigadier Gerard will answer a few questions about how he fits domestically, in that grade and against Group company,” Scott said.
“We’re very pleased with him, we feel like he’s only moving forward, but we’re very much aware that the Brigadier Gerard will be a step forward from anything he’s seen before.
“I’ll let him do the talking on the track, but we’re very pleased.”
