Chapple-Hyam hoping for Claymore resurgence at Haydock

Simon Milham
July 9, 2023 2:38 pm

Last year’s Royal Ascot hero failed to show his best on return to action.

Claymore, who gave Jane Chapple-Hyam a notable Royal Ascot success in last season’s Hampton Court Stakes, will head to Haydock for the Rose of Lancaster Stakes in a fortnight’s time.

The lightly-raced four-year-old had been off the track since last July when reappearing in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May.

However, he was last of six, beaten some 49 lengths by Hukum, and reportedly bled.

What a week for @JaneChappleHyam! Claymore follows up Saffron Beach’s win yesterday with victory in the Hampton Court under Adam Kirby at #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/VK2DVYHYTK
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 16, 2022

But Chapple-Hyam is confident he is nearing a return to action and said: “Claymore had a little hiccup at Sandown, but he is back in full training now.

“We will look maybe at Haydock. We’ll see how he performs over the next fortnight, but he’s been doing OK.”

While the Newmarket handler has been held up by a bug which has affected her juveniles in particular, the well-touted El Bodon, who was beaten narrowly on debut at Yarmouth, got off the mark at Lingfield and will now face a step up in class at Newmarket.

“El Bodon had the mucky lungs, just like Born To Rock (fifth of seven to Kylian on his return in the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown on Friday), so we went for the penalty kick at Lingfield, because we had a fit horse.

“He will run in the July Stakes at Newmarket on the Thursday. It is a Group race and he is where we think he is.”

Meanwhile Quatre Bras, who was beaten half a length when third to Lightning Leo on his Yarmouth seven-furlong debut, will also face tougher company.

Chapple-Hyam said: “The other one I liked, Quatre Bras, is in the Superlative. He was second-favourite on the Saturday in the seven-furlong race at Royal Ascot (Chesham), but we had to scratch him too, because he had a mucky lung.

“He’s in the Superlative on Saturday, as we think he’s good enough to be there.

“I’d say this bug swept through Newmarket. It hasn’t touched my older horses – as you could see, I had a 40-1 shot when Streaky Bay won at Yarmouth (on Thursday) – but it has gone through my two-year-olds.

“I’ve got colts in one yard and fillies and mares in the other. It is just unfortunate that the young ones are getting it and the older ones have have a stronger immune system. That’s all it is.”