3 minute read
A horse who will soon join Tony Gollan runs on Day 3 at Royal Ascot.
No Australian trainer will saddle a runner on Day 3 at Royal Ascot, but there's a strong chance several who do go around will end up Down Under.
Day 3 feature's the week's signature event, the Group 1 Gold Cup (4014m), which over its two-and-a-quarter-century lifespan has hosted many who had either previously raced in Australia or were bound for the antipodes.
One horse engaged on Thursday's undercard that Australians should start developing a form profile on is Hey Tru Blue.
The two-year old colt goes around well before the Gold Cup, which is Race 4, set to contest the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes that kicks off the 'Ladies Day' program.
Hey Tru Blue will carry the colours of successful Aussie syndicators First Light Racing, which paid for 175,000 Guineas (AU$380,000) for the son of Blue Point at this year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale.
He runs for George Boughey on Thursday but will then start an migration process that will see him take up residence with Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan.
Hey Tru Blue is a Northern Hemisphere product of Darley stallion Blue Point and Anahita, who was a Group 2 placegetter on the track.
He is one of four to race from that Turtle Bowl mare whose other three to race are all winners.
The pick of them is Night Of Thunder three-year-old Aurora Majesty, who has won two his four starts.
The only time Hey True Blue has been to the races was in a 1207m maiden at Leicester on May 27, when he finished a 1-1/4-length second to Rock On Thunder.
He will jump from barrier 10 in Thursday's 16-horse field, for which he is a $34 chance, with Billy Loughnane to ride.
Several horses engaged on Day 3 have a connection to horses Australians are familiar with, including a couple in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes (2012m).
Tornado Alert is a half-brother to Just Fine, the MyRacehorse import who won the Group 1 The Metropolitan in 2023, while also in that race is Sea Scout, whose half-brother is the Chris Waller-trained Al Aabir.
In the final event is Array, a half-brother to Doomben Cup and Turnbull Stakes runner-up Maximal runs, along with Lou Lou's Gift, whose half-brother Mighty Ulysses won last year's Group 3 Moonga Stakes at Caulfield.
