Royallieu repeat on Princess Yaiza’s radar

PA Sport Reporters
April 15, 2020 9:45 am

Gavin Cromwell hoping to head to ParisLongchamp in the autumn.

A repeat victory in the Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend is trainer Gavin Cromwell’s ultimate aim for Princess Yaiza.

The five-year-old struck gold in the race back in 2018 before going on to finish unplaced at the Breeders’ Cup meeting, with the daughter of Casamento subsequently switching to the care of Christophe Clement.

However, she failed to make the track during her American spell and returned to Cromwell’s care, finishing second at Dundalk in Janaury on her first outing.

Princess Yaiza home safe and sound after her big win at #Longchamp Paris pic.twitter.com/6SQICOn5mQ
— Mick Cromwell (@mickcromwell) October 8, 2018

Cromwell said: “Princess Yaiza was great for us the season before last when she won the Group Two in Longchamp. She went to the Breeders’ Cup and stayed in America then.

“We were happy enough with the run (at Dundalk) and she came out of it good, so we are looking forward to her for the season.

“I had planned to run her in the Listed Noblesse Stakes at Cork and she had entries in the Vintage Crop (at Navan) and the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup.

“She also has other options in Group Threes like the Munster Oaks and the Challenge Stakes at Leopardstown, depending on when racing returns.

“If travel restrictions ease, the race she won on Arc weekend in 2018 is now a Group One, so that would be the aim. She could take in the Listed Oyster Stakes at Galway in September if that goes ahead.

“She ran on good to firm for us before without a problem, but probably good or a little on the easier side is her ground. Not having to train on that fast surface every day is probably a big part of it.

“(Owner) Lindsay Laroche also has Come September with me and we are looking forward to her as well. Some black type would be the plan with her and I think she is definitely up to getting that.”

Innamorare (left) finished second at Galway last season (Niall Carson/PA)

Jukebox Jive won the Naas November Handicap last term and is another to note later in the year, but Cromwell reports a number of his inmates to be on a break as racing remains on hold.

He said: “I’m giving Jukebox Jive a good, long break until the autumn and he could go back for some of those staying handicaps again.

“Innamorare is back after a break and will be ready to go in a few weeks. She was second in the big mile handicap at Galway and also ran well at the Curragh and Leopardstown.

“We’ve turned a lot out to grass and even the summer jumpers are all out at the moment. We’ll give them a break for a few weeks until we see what is going to happen.

“We have a few Flat horses ticking over and are just waiting for that to start. We won’t have as many this year as we had last year.”