Shuttle career on the line for ‘stronger’ Artorius ahead of Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes

Artorius will put a potentially lucrative shuttle stallion career on the line in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday, with part-owners Newgate Farm having already received interest from European studs to stand the colt in the northern hemisphere. 

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained four-year-old will bid to overturn his agonising defeat in the same race last year, when the horse fired home late in the six-furlong contest to dead-heat for third place, beaten only three-quarters of a length by Godolphin’s Naval Crown. 

Newgate announced an opening service fee of A$27,500 (£14,445/€16,868) for dual Group 1 winner Artorius ahead of his second European campaign and Henry Field, managing director of the leading Hunter Valley stud, while refusing to put a value on the significance of a win on Saturday, said that figure will be increased should he claim a prized northern hemisphere Group 1 on the biggest stage of all. 

He told ANZ Bloodstock News on Friday: “We’d definitely look at shuttling the stallion if he wins. We’ve had inquiries from two different farms up here to potentially shuttle him, so that would definitely be on the cards.  

“If he’s able to become a Jubilee winner, backing up his Blue Diamond win and Canterbury Stakes win, he’ll go to stud a very good article.

“We’ve priced him unbelievably competitively. I think he’s the best-value first-season sire this year. He’s a proper Group 1-winning horse standing at a fee a Group 2 winner might stand for these days. 

“We’d certainly up his fee if he were to win tomorrow. But, that being said, he’s nearly fully booked anyway. So, there’s not an awful lot of commercial upside for us.”

Artorius, who in a three-start Group 1 campaign in Europe last year also finished third in the July Cup at Newmarket, is the 4-1 favourite to add his name to the list of Australian greats to claim victory at Royal Ascot. 

His task has been made significantly harder in the past few days, however, with the declaration of Tuesday’s King’s Stand Stakes runner-up Highfield Princess, who finished sixth in the Jubilee last year but who Field rates the "best sprinter in Europe", while the presence of Hong Kong’s champion sprinter Wellington and the surprise declaration of fellow Australian-trained sprinter Cannonball, who has "pulled out well" after his disappointing run on Tuesday, add further spice to the field of 16. 

In missing the start in last year’s contest, Artorius did himself no favours in his quest for victory, but Field hopes he can be ridden closer to the speed this year, with James McDonald booked to ride from stall eight. 

Artorius working at Ascot Credit: Edward Whitaker

“He looks to have matured from last year," said Field. "His form is getting better, too. He arrives here on the back of a couple of huge runs in Sydney, winning the Canterbury Stakes in dynamic fashion and then the George Ryder, where he was narrowly beaten but ahead of Anamoe after the post. 

“He'll need a lot of luck, given his racing pattern [running on from the rear of the field]. We've got a mid-draw, which we like, because he's certainly a horse that likes to run between other horses. 

“James will look to jump and run a fraction closer than last year. He won't change his pattern and we won't take him out of his comfort zone, but if he's a couple of lengths closer, that could make all the difference.”

Group 3 winner The Astrologist is also part of the Australian challenge for this year’s Jubilee Stakes, and Nathan Bennett of syndicators Bennett Racing is adamant the five-year-old is not there to make up the numbers, despite quotes of 50-1. 

Trained by Leon and Troy Corstens, The Astrologist earned a berth in the prestigious Group 1 sprint after his stunning runner-up effort in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, where he was beaten a head. 

A disappointing first run in the UK, when finishing seventh of ten runners in a Group 2 at York in May, dampened spirits of his large following contingent, but he improved to run second in the John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock a fortnight ago, a performance which has him in peak condition ahead of the feature. 

“It's hugely significant and something we're very proud of, to get a horse bought as a yearling in Australia and have him run all around the world, is pretty crazy,” Bennett told ANZ Bloodstock News. 

“He's been to Dubai and now in a Group 1 at Royal Ascot, which is huge. Everyone is proud of him and we're all so happy that we have a runner at Royal Ascot, and especially in a big race like this. 

“He's in great order. He's come through the run [at Haydock] really well and he's feeling good. His work-rider says he's feeling exactly how he did before his run in Dubai, so I think we've got him at peak fitness again and he'll be ready to fire."

Bennett added: “We didn't come here for the experience, we're here to be there in the finish. I think he's way over the odds. Before his first-up run he was around a 10-1 chance. I think everyone has read into the first-up run way too much.”

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