Clive Cox facing exciting couple of weeks as Heartache and Perfect Clarity go for big-race glory
CLIVE COX faces some real Heart-stopping moments at Epsom next week.
But before he attempts to win his first Classic with Perfect Clarity in the Investec Oaks he unleashes Heartache in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock (3.25).
Last year’s star juvenile gave the 75-strong Hot To Trot syndicate a dream day when winning the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer before adding a second Group 2 to her haul in the Flying Childers at Doncaster.
Today she steps up to six furlongs for the first time with a return to the Royal meeting for the Commonwealth Cup the aim.
Cox, 53, told me: “Heartache has done especially well over the winter. She has pleased us in her work and she’s also stronger than she was as a two-year-old.
“She’s bang up there so we’re looking forward to getting going.
“We trained her dam Place In My Heart as well. She got better with age and I’ve every hope and belief Heartache can continue to thrive as a three-year-old.
“She’s taking a step up in trip but I’m confident it is within her reach.”
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The Lambourn trainer is no stranger to big sprint successes with Lethal Force, Profitable and Harry Angel all landing Group 1s.
But My Dream Boat showed this is no one-trick speed specialist when winning the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot a couple of years ago.
Now Cox has next Friday’s Oaks in his sights with Perfect Clarity. Having comfortably won a Nottingham maiden on her sole start last season she burst on to the Classic scene with an impressive victory in Lingfield’s Oaks Trial two weeks ago.
And Cox’s team — based at John Francome’s Beechdown Stables on the edge of Lambourn Downs for nearly 20 years — has really hit form in recent weeks.
Perfect Clarity is one of 11 winners already fired in this month.
Oaks day won’t be her first taste of the unique Epsom track. On Wednesday she had a look at the course at the popular Breakfast With The Stars gallops.
After watching Perfect Clarity, like last year’s winner Enable a daughter of top stallion Nathaniel, work at Epsom Cox said he thought the bookies were being a bit brave offering 20-1.
They were clearly up early that morning as her odds were immediately trimmed. She is now a 10-1 shot with Sun Bets for the Oaks after favourite Lah Ti Dar was ruled out.
Cox said: “She did well at Lingfield and the trials are a stepping stone. She is still very much in the early stages of her career.
“It was only her second start and we needn’t have taken a step that bold if we hadn’t had been confident in her ability.
“She had less experience than some of the other runners at Lingfield and the Breakfast With The Stars was another opportunity to take another small step forward.
“She is a filly that I have enormous confidence in. I think she will really equip herself very well.
“She is from a very nice family and ticks a lot of boxes. She’s the best middle-distance filly I have had anything to do with.”
Heartache and Perfect Clarity have no doubt earned their place in Group 1 contests but stablemate Harry Angel, one of the stars of last season, will take some shifting at the head of the top table.
He burst on to the scene with a stunning four-and-a-half-length victory in Haydock’s Sandy Lane Stakes 12 months ago.
Although he was narrowly beaten by Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot he got his revenge in style when bagging the July Cup and Haydock’s Sprint Cup later in the season.
The Godolphin star made a winning return at York last week and now heads to Royal Ascot for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
If all goes well he’s likely to defend his Group 1 crowns at Newmarket and Haydock. Cox believes he has improved over the winter and that spells trouble for any pretenders to his sprinting title.
He said: “Harry has come out of York very well. For a seasonal debut with a 5lbs penalty we couldn’t be more pleased.
“He’ll go straight to Royal Ascot for the Diamond Jubilee, the time between York and Ascot is perfect. He has matured into a stronger horse again — that’s visible.
“To have the opportunity to show that on the track is great so I’m extremely grateful to Sheikh Mohammed for keeping him in training.
“I am very proud to be in charge of Harry Angel. We’re really looking forward to the rest of the summer with him.”
It could be some summer for former jump jockey Cox. With star sprinters and Classic contenders there is plenty of depth in Cox’s team. But with the call of the breeders enticing to Flat racing’s top stars it’s crucial to keep the conveyor belt rolling.
The early signs from Cox’s two-year-olds are promising.
Getchagetchagetcha and Shades Of Blue both won on their debuts at Ascot. Konchek was successful at Newmarket before finishing a close third in a Sandown Listed race on Thursday night.
It gives the yard a wide-range of talent heading towards Royal Ascot next month.
Zonderland, well beaten in the Lockinge Stakes last week, heads for the Queen Anne to strengthen the older horses heading to the Royal meeting.
Cox revealed: “Shades Of Blue won very well at Ascot. She’ll go straight back there for the Queen Mary. She’s a filly we’re very excited about.
“Getchagetchagetcha and Konchek are two very nice horses to have on board and it does adds a lot of flavour to the two-year-old generation.
“I would expect Zonderland to come forward for the run at Newbury last week. To be fair we had a difficult spring and I’m still full of confidence in his ability.
“Hopefully he’ll show his real form in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.”