4
AUGUST BIG RACES
RACING AHEADISSUE 178Paul Fergusonfancies one for the Great
Voltigeur at York plus other horses to follow
CONSTANTINOPLE
VERY MUCH ONE
TO FOLLOW
F
ollowing his hugely promis-
ing effort – under
top-weight – in the King
George V Stakes at Royal
Ascot, CONSTANTINOPLE is
very much a three-year-old who I want
onside for the remainder of the season
and he will be of huge interest wherev-
er he turns up in the coming weeks.
Aidan O’Brien’s Galileo colt travelled
supremely well at Ascot and probably
would have won, had he been taken
into the race for longer.
He had little trouble in seeing out
the 1m4f trip and gives the impression
that he will get even further.
In fact, my immediate thought after
the race was that he had the look of a
St Leger horse, although stable-mate
Japan seemed to overshadow him the
following day.
The Great Voltigeur at York (21st
August) would seem the logical place
to go with Constantinople, as this
would give his powerful connections –
who clearly have numerous options for
this race and the final Classic of the
season itself – a good indication of
where he sits at this Group 2 level.
Already a winner of a Group 3, he
also has the option of the Irish St
Leger Trial at the Curragh five days
earlier, whilst the most fascinating of
his upcoming entries is in the Good-
wood Cup.
Clearly, stepping from a handicap
into Group 1 company is a massive
leap and he could well clash with
Stradivarius if heading to Sussex and
the leading stayer himself won this
race at three.
He would receive a massive 15lbs
from his elders and main protagonists,
so would warrant serious respect, if
being pitched in deep.
Stradivarius was actually beaten in a
handicap just two starts before win-
ning his first Goodwood Cup as a
three-year-old (I actually managed to
get him beat that day, thinking he was
a ‘good thing’ off 90 at Chester) so the
step can be made and I certainly don’t
think that he would be out of place at
this stage in his career.
Constantinople is a 20-1 shot with
several firms (at the time of writing)
and I will be backing him each-way,
should he line up.
I do think, however, that he will be
heading to York to contest the most
recognised St Leger trial, the Great
Voltigeur.
Literally as I put this month’s feature
together, the aforementioned Japan –
who had won the King Edward VII
Stakes in taking fashion at Ascot – won
his first Group 1, in the shape of the
Grand Prix de Paris, at Longchamp.
Third in the Derby, he swept wide to
record an authoritative success at the
Royal meeting and was a dominant
winner in France, after which Aidan
O’Brien hinted that he could be given
a break ahead of an Arc bid.
This could now open things up for
Constantinople in terms of the StLeger, for which he is available at 12-
(Bet 365).
That price seems more than fair at
this stage and if he does indeed head
down the Great Voltigeur route, I
would be very tempted to take those
odds prior to the York race.
Another horse who I want to keep
onside in the closing months of the
Flat season is the Hughie Morrison-
trained Buzz.
A smart handicapper, the five-year-
old grey travelled really strongly in
Listed company at York in mid-June,
when he failed to get home over the
extended 1m5f trip.
He was due to be dropped in dis-
tance for the John Smith’s Diamond
Jubilee Cup Handicap, but – for a
second successive year – he was a
non-runner in that event due to the
ground.
His biggest success to date came in
Newbury’s Dubai Duty Free Stakes last
September and if his trainer can’t find
him a suitable opportunity for him on
suitable ground beforehand, it could
be that he returns to the Berkshire
track for another tilt at that same race.
If the rain arrives in August, keep him
very much in mind for a handicap over
1m2f (or a shade further) as he defi-
nitely appears to have the ability to
land another nice prize.
Work is well underway on the 2019-
20 edition of Jumpers To Follow, so
I’m very much still (as always) as much
in jumps mode as Flat mode, but I did