Jadoomi supplemented for QEII in a bid for Group 1 glory

Fast-improving Jadoomi, who ran away from his rivals to capture the Group 2 Boomerang Mile by four lengths at Leopardstown last time, has been added to the field for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) at Ascot after connections paid the £70,000 supplementary fee today.

A slightly damp weather forecast in parts later on in the week has persuaded owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and joint trainers Simon & Ed Crisford to pitch the four-year-old into his first Group 1 race and take on outstanding filly Inspiral.

Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Inspiral, beaten only once in six starts, is the star name among ten confirmations for the contest, worth £1,156,250 after the supplementary entry, which regularly determines Europe’s champion miler. Godolphin’s French 2,000 Guineas winner Modern Games, who finished second to Baaeed in the Qatar Sussex Stakes during the summer, is also included.

Simon Crisford said: “Jadoomi is in great form. He won very well in Ireland. We’ve got a little bit of a rain front coming in towards the end of the week and there was some nice rain this morning at Ascot, so the ground should be perfect for him. Sheikh Ahmed was very keen for him to take his chance.”

The Revenant, who won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) in 2020 and has twice been in the frame, returns for a fourth tilt having finished second in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp, in which Checkandchallenge was third.

Three-year-old Checkandchallenge, who contested the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas in May, produced his best performance yet in France and trainer William Knight believes he will appreciate a return to a straight mile. Jim Crowley is in line to take the mount.

Checkandchallenge secured his first Pattern success when landing the Group 3 Prix Daphnis in August and returned to France on Arc weekend having been forced to miss the Joel Stakes.

Knight said: “Checkandchallenge had a little bit of a hiccup ten days before Longchamp when he had pus in his foot, missing four or five days so he couldn’t go for the Joel. So in the circumstances I was delighted with how well he ran, as he probably wasn’t 100 per cent there.

“He’s come out of that race in really good order so I am really looking forward to running him on Saturday. In an ideal world we would like another week but it’s the way the race has landed.

“What will really suit him is the track. I think the flat, stiff mile will be right up his street. The Revenant, who finished in front of us in the Wildenstein, likes soft ground and Inspiral has the best form going into the race. It’s a great opportunity for us to have a live candidate in a Group 1 race.”

Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Modern Games returned to North America last time to land the Woodbine Mile in Canada by five and a quarter lengths. He is being targeted at the Breeders’ Cup Mile, yet could visit Ascot en route.

“Modern Games has been left in at the five-day stage in the hope that the ground remains sensible,” said trainer Charlie Appleby. 

Tenebrism, who is also entered in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes, is Aidan O’Brien’s only entry in the race while Raadobarg, trained by Johnny Murtagh, joins her as the other Irish challenger.The Roger Varian-trained duo of El Drama and Bayside Boy remain entered, while Tempus, owned by Hambleton Racing Group who have had previous QIPCO British Champions Day success with Glen Shiel, completes the field.