Hugo Palmer: Views on Architecture & Galileo Gold at Ascot and Hawksmoor at Keeneland

Hugo Palmer
14 October 2016

Will Hugo's Galileo Gold bounce back to form on Qipco British Champions Day?

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Hugo Palmer sends three of his biggest names into battle this weekend with Architecture and Galileo Gold heading to Ascot for Champions Day, and Hawksmoor over in Keeneland for the QEII Challenge Cup. Here's the Betfair Ambassador's exclusive verdict on each...

"I genuinely couldn't be happier with how he goes into the race. Six weeks ago we knew everything had to go right in his preparation, and it has. His work has been fantastic and every piece has got better as the race approaches."

14:35 Ascot - Architecture

She has run in three Oaks and been placed in them all, running with the utmost class and credit, but she just hasn't been quite able to get her in head in front when it matters. But there are definitely reasons to be optimistic here, for all that she will be one of the outsiders.

It was one race too far for her in the German Oaks last time. She was working great before the race, perhaps too well, but she just didn't run up to her best.

We have given her a break since and she is bigger and stronger, much broader, and she looks like a four-year-old now. And she looks in fantastic shape.

We are under no illusions that she has to improve to beat the likes of Seventh Heaven - who beat her at Lingfield and the Curragh, if not at Epsom - and Zhukova, to name but two, but if her physical progress is mirrored by improvement on the track then she is certainly not without a chance.

Frankie says that she will give James Doyle a great spin, but it does look a very strong race. That said, she is a Group 1 filly and this is the company she deserves to keep.

15:10 Ascot - Galileo Gold

Galileo Gold bids to follow in the footsteps of greats Brigadier Gerard and Frankel by completing the 2,000 Guineas-St James' Palace-QE II treble, and he goes to Ascot in sensational shape. When we weighed him recently he was only 1kg off what he was when he won at Newmarket and Ascot earlier in the season, and he couldn't be better.

I genuinely couldn't be happier with how he goes into the race. Six weeks ago we knew everything had to go right in his preparation, and it has. His work has been fantastic and every piece has got better as the race approaches.

It is a hell of a race, though. There are four Guineas winners in here, and not one of them is even guaranteed to go off favourite. That tells a story. But while I respect all of the opposition, none of them are unbeaten, and what makes it fascinating is it is also the first time the colts have met the fillies.

Ribchester probably just about deserves to be favourite after his Marois win last time but my colt ran too freely in Deauville and probably needed a break after a busy first half of the season, and every time he has run his race against Ribchester then he has beaten him, in the Guineas and in the Sussex Stakes.

In truth, there is little between a few of these, which is why I suspect that the winner will need to post a career-best to win.

Form-wise to date there is not a lot to choose between Galileo Gold, Ribchester, Minding, Jet Setting and Awtaad - though everything went wrong for us when we were beaten by the latter in the Irish 2,000 Guineas - and what makes it so interesting is that you can pick holes in them all, to varying degrees.

It all looks teed up to be a cracking race, and after it I hope and dream that Galileo Gold is being referred to as a triple Group 1-winning Guineas winner.

22:30 Keeneland - Hawksmoor

She has never run a bad race. She is a Classic winner, having won the German 1,000 Guineas, she was beaten under a length carrying a 3lb penalty in a Group 2 at the Curragh and I was delighted with her run in the Group 1 Matron Stakes behind Alice Springs last time.

She has taken the journey so well, too. It is very easy to pick up a respiratory problem when they travel, so she was given antibiotics before she went, and travelled over with a specialist groom.

She ate and drank all the way, and arrived in great nick, and the good thing about Keeneland is that it has Polytrack, so she has been able to work on that rather than dirt.

I am happy with her midfield draw, and this Grade 1 1m1f race for three-year-old fillies on turf looks perfect for her. She is a hard horse to place as a Group 2 winner, and that is why we have flown more than 4,000 miles to be here.

Of course, you have to respect the home fillies - Time And Motion and Breeders Cup' Juvenile Turf winner Catch A Glimpse were only separated by a neck recently, and look the pick of those - but everything looks in place for my filly to run her race and hopefully that will be good enough.

Here is hoping for a QEII double on Saturday!

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Check out fellow Ambassador Ryan Moore's verdict on his rides at Ascot on Champions Day

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