Godolphin’s Crown Walk out to shine in G1 Sun Chariot

Four-year-old filly Crown Walk returns to G1 company for the Sun Chariot Stakes over a mile at Newmarket, UK, on Saturday.

The daughter of Dubawi enjoyed a hugely progressive 2018 campaign in France, winning the nine-furlong G3 Prix Chloe at Chantilly and taking second in the mile G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville.

She went on to finish her three-year-old season with a close fourth in the G1 First Lady Stakes over a mile at Keeneland, US, in October.

Crown Walk has made two appearances, both over a mile at G3 level, for trainer Henri-Alex Pantall this season, coming home fifth in the Prix Edmond Blanc at Saint-Cloud in March and fourth in Deauville’s Prix Quincey in August.

Vincent Cheminaud takes the ride on Crown Walk, who opposes eight other fillies including G1 winners Laurens, Veracious, Iridessa, Hermosa and Billesdon Brook.

Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin said: “On her best form of last year, Crown Walk will have a good chance of making the frame.

“She has been a little disappointing this year but comes into the race in great order. We have given her time to come back to her best and she needed the run in the Prix Quincey. We are hopeful of a good run, rather than confident.”

Meanwhile, Godolphin’s prospects in the world’s richest turf race, the $14 million The Everest should be made clearer by the performance of Osborne Bulls in Saturday’s G2 Premiere Stakes at Randwick.

Osborne Bulls (Hugh Bowman) makes one of this spring’s more eagerly-anticipated returns to racing in the Premiere, beginning a campaign it is hoped will make amends for a luckless spring and summer.

The son of Street Cry had the dubious distinction of finishing second in each of the five starts of his most recent preparation, each of them at G1 level.

With wet tracks having delayed his reappearance, trainer James Cummings is satisfied Osborne Bulls is ready to begin his Everest assault.

“We scratched him a couple of weeks ago because even though one of his best performances was on a heavy track in the Everest a year ago, I’d prefer his first-up run to be on good ground,” Cummings said.

“There’s no doubt that he’ll be better for the run, but I think he’s nearly there.”

He is joined in the race by stablemate Home Of The Brave, who was also being considered for a run in the G2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington.

“We’ve decided to keep him in Sydney and race in the Premiere. This looks a nice race for him and we expect him to improve sharply second up.”

Osborne Bulls finished third in last year’s Everest, making himself a natural candidate for the “slot” Godolphin purchased this year to give the stable rights to enter a runner.

While great interest is focussed on Osborne Bulls at Randwick, plenty of attention will also fall on the opening juvenile races of the season, the G3 Breeders’ Plate and the G3 Gimcrack Stakes.

In the Breeders’ Plate, Cummings will saddle Beyliks (Hugh Bowman), a son of Lonhro from the Exceed And Excel mare Ottoman.

The colt, who is closely-related to the G1 Caulfield Cup winner Mummify, is a barrier trial winner who his trainer said was a natural choice to make an early debut.

“He’s been a head-turner right from his earliest days in the stable,” Cummings said.

“His trial win was encouraging, he’s quite forward and has progressed well.”

In Flanders (Nash Rawiller), a filly by Exceed And Excel, runs in the Gimcrack off a trial win last month.

“I wouldn’t say she’s ready-made, but she’s a neat filly who is quite forward with the right amount of natural pace.,” Cummings said.

The Randwick Stakes team is completed by Tally (Josh Parr) who will have the second run of his preparation in the G2 Hill Stakes.