World Traveler Rebel's Romance Headlines Hardwicke

As group 2 races go, the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) is the best in Britain and perhaps among the best in the world. The average winning Racing Post Rating is 120, the sort of figure handed to the winner of a modest open-company group 1. The latest renewal at Royal Ascot takes place June 21. The Jockey Club Stakes (G2) and Princess of Wales's Stakes (G2) are the only other 1 1/2-mile group 2s open to older horses from both genders in Britain. Rebel's Romance (IRE)'s third-place behind Goliath (GER) and 2024 Prix de l'Arc de Tromphe (G1) winner Bluestocking (GB) in last season's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) was still a top-notch effort. What we saw at York last month takes a little more explaining. While Rebel's Romance was embarking on a new trip, the steady fractions should have played into his hands as the class horse facing stayers who lack his turn of foot. The race turned into a sprint and win over Epic Poet (IRE). The Rebel's Romance with seven group 1 successes in four different nations failed to show his true talent on the Knavesmire. Perhaps time is catching up with this brilliant 7-year-old. Ghostwriter (IRE) came up short at the highest level over a mile and a quarter and this new trip is a roll of the dice from a potentially troublesome draw in stall 2, a box higher than last season's King Edward VII Stakes (G2) runner-up Space Legend (IRE). Al Aasy (IRE) is a mile-and-a-half specialist at a lower level, albeit one with something to prove after a lackluster display in the Aston Park Stakes (G3). Improving 4-year-old Tabletalk (IRE) holds Al Aasy on that form and should be suited by this more demanding trip as a Melrose winner. The combination of a drop in class and longer trip are reasons to expect more from Al Riffa (FR), the logical threat. Al Riffa has long shaped as if a mile and a half is what he needs and he won the Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) by five lengths on his first attempt at the distance before falling short in the Arc. That's the sort of profile you want for Britain's best group 2. If ever there was a horse for the big occasion, it must be Rebel's Romance, who seems to turn up at more of the greatest days around the world than Nick Luck. The remarkably resilient 7-year-old has won two runnings of the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) and landed both the 2021 UAE Derby (G2) and 2024 Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T) on Dubai World Cup nights at Meydan Racecourse. He's carried Godolphin's colors to group 1 wins in Germany three times and in Hong Kong and also triumphed at Glorious Goodwood and in Qatar, pocketing more than $12.6 million in prize money. As Godolphin managing director Hugh Anderson said: "He's a genuinely top-quality, globetrotting superstar for us." Success for William Buick's mount would make him the oldest Hardwicke winner in history and would put him equal with Australian star Anamoe (AUS) as Godolphin's most prolific group-race scorer on 13 apiece. "Rebel's Romance has been there and done it many times before," trainer Charlie Appleby said. "He looks in great shape and William will be a lot more comfortable coming back to the mile and a half after his Yorkshire Cup win." Kia Joorabchian clearly fancied Ghostwriter's chance in the Hardwicke and backed his judgement with hard cash—plenty of it. Ghostwriter is racing over a mile and a half for the first time here, having been there or thereabouts in a string of top 1 1/4-mile races, notably finishing third in the Coral Eclipse (G1) and Juddmonte International (G1) stakes last season. "He's come back really well from the Tattersalls Gold Cup and we're looking forward to him stepping up to a mile and a half," trainer Clive Cox said. "I hope that will suit him. It's a competitive race, but I hope he can play a strong hand and run well for his new connections." Remmooz Leads Jersey Stakes A couple of races after the Hardwicke is the seven-furlong Jersey Stakes (G3), where Remmooz (GB) is expected to start as a tepid favorite for trainer Owen Burrows and owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum. Remmooz, a 3-year-old son of Blue Point (IRE), is unbeaten in two starts against lesser competition. Other contenders include Comanche Brave (IRE) for trainer Donnacha O’Brien, Marvelman (IRE) for Andrew Balding, California Dreamer (GB) for Adrian Murray, and Saracen (FR) for Joseph O’Brien. U.S.-bred Juveniles in Chesham Stakes Two horses bred in the United States—Moments of Joy and Tailgunner Joe—are in action in the Saturday opener, the seven-furlong Chesham Stakes. Moments of Joy, by Justify, is expected to vie for favoritism with Godolphin’s Treanmor (IRE) in the race for 2-year-olds, while Tailgunner Joe, an unraced son of Knicks Go will be a longshot. Moments of Joy, trained by Aidan O’Brien for Coolmore interests Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, won his only start June 5 at Leopardstown by a half-length. Out of the Galileo mare Shell House (IRE), Moments of Joy is a half brother to Hudson Ridge, winner of the Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita Park in 2021.