Reach For The Moon in Champagne Stakes picture

Ashley Iveson
September 3, 2021 1:38 pm

Connections of the Queen’s colt to have ‘good, hard look’ at Doncaster outing on Leger day.

Reach For The Moon looks likely to make his next appearance in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday week.

Runner-up to Aidan O’Brien’s star juvenile Point Lonsdale in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, John and Thady Gosden’s colt has since carried the colours of the Queen to impressive victories at Newbury and Sandown – most recently dominating in the Solario Stakes.

Speaking after Reach For The Moon’s stablemate Saga opened his account at Ascot on Friday, the Queen’s racing manager John Warren reported the son of Sea The Stars to be in rude health ahead of a potential outing on Town Moor.

He said: “Reach For The Moon is in really good form. He had a good blow yesterday (Thursday) and I think we’re all just getting our heads around his next start.

Reach For The Moon wins the Betway Solario Stakes at @Sandownpark
Is this a star of the future in the making?

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“He’s got an entry in the Champagne Stakes next week, so I think we’ll be looking strongly at that to see whether or not that’s where he ought to go next.

“He’s a horse that needs keeping on top of himself as he’s full of himself.

“I think John and Thady and Frankie (Dettori) think it wouldn’t do him any harm to come out again and get a bit streetwise if he’s going to be a Group One horse – the more education going into Group Ones the better.

“There’s a strong possibility that we’ll take a good, hard look at the Champagne.”

Reach For The Moon is second-favourite for next year’s Derby with most bookmakers, behind his Ascot conqueror Point Lonsdale.

The Queen and Frankie Dettori with Reach For The Moon at Royal Ascot (Andrew Matthews/PA)

While Warren admits it would be fantastic for Her Majesty to have another leading candidate for the Epsom showpiece, in what will be Platinum Jubilee year, he is keen not to look too far ahead at this stage.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “I think the horse is going to have to tell us. We can predict all day long what the horse might end up doing next year.

“The Queen will have an important input, but I think this year will give us a good indication whether he’s Group One class.

“We all want to get ahead of ourselves, but I suppose the Group Ones later in the year will tell us whether we’re on track for that (the Derby) and then next spring we’ll have to see if we’re a miler or a mile-and-a-quarter horse or a mile-and-a-half horse.”