Fourteen set for Kempton Kentucky Derby Challenge

The winner will be assured of a spot in the Derby (Courtesy of Churchill Downs) The inaugural running of Wednesday's $150,000 Kentucky Derby Challenge S. at England's Kempton Park Racecourse has attracted a full field of 14, who will compete for a guaranteed berth in the May 2 Kentucky Derby (G1). The 1 1/8-mile conditions event, scheduled to go off at 3:50 p.m. (EDT), will be staged on the right-handed Polytrack course. Trainer John Gosden will send out CLOSE ALLIANCE (Gone West) and MAFAAZ (Medicean), both nominees to the American Triple Crown. The Kentucky-bred Close Alliance, a Juddmonte Farms homebred, captured his lone career start last October going one mile at Great Leighs, a left-handed Polytrack venue. The form of that maiden race was upheld when runner-up Redding Colliery (Mineshaft) broke his maiden next out by five lengths, and even more so during his appearances at the Dubai International Racing Carnival. Redding Colliery has finished third to Godolphin's impressive Desert Party (Street Cry [Ire]) in the U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) as well as a prior conditions race.

Jimmy Fortune has the return call aboard Close Alliance, who is out of a full

sister to multiple Grade 1 hero Aptitude (A.P. Indy), runner-up to Fusaichi

Pegasus in the 2000 Kentucky Derby.

The British-bred Mafaaz was purchased by Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's Shadwell

for $854,700 as a yearling at Tattersalls. He already boasts a victory at

Kempton, having won his debut in a seven-furlong maiden in September. The

third-place finisher that day, Evasive (Elusive Quality), won his next two

outings, including the Horris Hill S. (Eng-G3).

In his only subsequent start, Mafaaz finished a creditable fifth in the key

Tattersalls Timeform Million on turf, beaten about 2 1/4 lengths by future

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf star Donativum (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux). Moreover,

the runner-up Crowded House (Rainbow Quest) came back to romp in the prestigious

Racing Post Trophy (Eng-G1).

Richard Hills, who rode Mafaaz in the Tattersalls Timeform Million, will be

back aboard.

The third American Triple Crown nominee entered in the Kempton Challenge is

SPRING OF FAME (Grand Slam). A Pennsylvania-bred conditioned by Mikael

Magnusson, he was fifth in his debut on turf but is undefeated from two starts

on Polytrack. Spring of Fame landed a seven-furlong maiden at Lingfield in

September, and in his sophomore debut, the bay won a roughly 1 1/16-mile

handicap at Wolverhampton on March 5. The Kempton race represents a step up in

class for the colt, who will be guided by Chris Catlin.

The ever-dangerous Mark Johnston will be represented by HAASHED (Mr. Greeley)

and MASTERY (Sulamani [Ire]). Like Gosden's Mafaaz, Haashed is owned by Sheikh

Hamdan. A $450,000 Keeneland September yearling, he was a stylish debut winner

going one mile at Lingfield last November. The chestnut will make his first

start against winners here, but keeps Jamie Spencer in the saddle.

Mastery, a Darley homebred, was an impressive winner at first asking at

Nottingham last October. Returning just nine days later in the Houghton

conditions race at Newmarket, he finished third to the smart On Our Way (Oasis

Dream [GB]). Mastery will try Polytrack for the first time Wednesday. Regular

pilot Joe Fanning will be in the cockpit.

At this time last year, Johnston landed a similar nine-furlong conditions

event at Kempton with Campanologist (Kingmambo), who went on to bigger and

better things. In addition to defeating eventual American turf champion Conduit

(Ire) (Dalakhani) in the King Edward VII S. (Eng-G2) at Royal Ascot,

Campanologist held his own against older horses, finishing a close fourth in the

Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) and second in the York S. (Eng-G2). It would be no surprise

if Haashed or Mastery  follows in Campanologist's footsteps and sets his

eyes on loftier targets.

DEPOSER (Ire) (Kheleyf), hailing from the barn of John Best, is no stranger

to Kentucky. The bay accompanied erstwhile stablemate Square Eddie (Smart

Strike) to Keeneland for the Breeders' Futurity (G1) last October, where he

finished a decent fourth to his triumphant companion. Deposer wheeled back 12

days later in a Keeneland allowance and wound up seventh. Freshened thereafter,

he will be making his seasonal reappearance in this spot with new rider Steve

Drowne. Deposer has raced once before at Kempton, crossing the wire sixth behind

Elnawin (Elnadim) and Square Eddie in the Sirenia S. (Eng-G3) in September.

Although the experienced SHAMPAGNE (Orpen) looks a cut below on turf, he is

three-for-three on synthetic surfaces, including a maiden win at Kempton last

May. The Paul Cole pupil added a Southwell handicap score to his record in July,

and a one-mile conditions event at Great Leighs in September. Martin Dwyer will

reunite with the colt as he makes his three-year-old bow.

MARKYG, a son of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, is two-for-two at

Kempton. The Karl Burke trainee, who placed third in the Chesham S. at Royal

Ascot last June, broke his maiden in his Polytrack debut here in October. The

dark bay made a winning reappearance at Kempton on February 25, scoring in a

seven-furlong handicap under the massive top weight of 133 pounds. Fergus

Sweeney is once again named to ride. Burke's other runner, KEEPTHEBOATAFLOAT (Fusaichi

Pegasus), returns to England after a pair of unplaced performances in Dubai.

AKHENATEN (High Chaparral [Ire]) did not run badly in a couple of group

stakes last campaign, including a fifth behind the highly regarded Kite Wood

(Galileo [Ire]) in the Autumn S. (Eng-G3). The Mick Channon charge hinted that

he may be on the upswing with a clever victory in his Polytrack, and sophomore,

debut at Wolverhampton on March 5. Tony Culhane will renew their successful

partnership on Wednesday.

Trainer Richard Hannon will be double-handed, courtesy of WEALD PARK (Cozzene)

and SOHCAHTOA (Val Royal [Fr]), both of whom have raced exclusively on turf.

Weald Park's highlight as a juvenile was a runner-up effort in the Superlative

S. (Eng-G2), and he rounded out the season with a seventh behind Crowded House

in the Racing Post Trophy. Richard Hughes, his principal rider last year, will

be in the irons.

Sohcahtoa won twice last summer at Goodwood, but he subsequently failed to

land a blow in stakes company, finishing fourth in the Stonehenge S. and Stardom

S. The bay was last seen reporting home ninth to Donativum in the Tattersalls

Timeform Million. Top jockey Ryan Moore picks up the mount.

The other entrants are TALKING HANDS (Mujahid), winless since taking the

Winkfield S. in July, and AGENTE PARMIGIANO (Captain Rio), who has not hit the

board since winning a maiden at Yarmouth in June.

In addition to earning a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the 135th

running of the Kentucky Derby, the winner will also receive a $100,000 bonus if

the horse competes in the Run for the Roses.

"I am thrilled by the quantity and quality of the horses that have been

declared for the race, which has taken two years of planning," said Brian

Clifford, Kempton's director of racing. "The race is unique and is the first

step between establishing a long-term link between European and American racing,

and I am very much looking forward to Wednesday."