Montador and Chapman’s Peak target G3 glory

Last-time-out winners Montador and Chapman’s Peak step up Graded Stakes company for the G3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs in US on Saturday.

Montador bids for a second straight win under the Twin Spires, with the Michael Stidham-trained three-year-old having comfortably won an allowance race over half a furlong longer earlier this month.

The Nyquist colt was a decisive winner of a Kentucky Downs maiden at the end of August and was beaten a head by subsequent G3 runner-up Tenacious Leader in a Keeneland allowance race in October.

Chapman’s Peak also shed his maiden tag at Kentucky Downs when scoring by a length in September. Trained by Brad Cox, the Quality Road three-year-old went on to readily make all in an allowance race at Keenland’s Fall Meet on his latest outing.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin USA, said: “Chapman’s Peak and Montador are coming into the G3 Commonwealth if fine fettle, with both of them having won on their last start.

“It is an evenly balanced field with no real stand out, so it should be a very competitive renewal. Brad and Mike are very pleased with how their respective horse are coming into the race, so hopefully we will be able to get the exacta. I expect both horses to be very competitive and run well.

“Both are lightly raced and have plenty of upside to them, this could set up a productive 2026 for them in Graded Stake Turf races. The weather might play a factor as we have plenty of rain in the forecast this week, but hopefully the race will stay on the grass.”

Off Trail pitching for more Kyoto success in G1 Mile Championship: Off Trail hopes his exceptional record at Kyoto can translate into a breakthrough G1 success in the Mile Championship on Sunday. The Farhh colt has yet to finish out of the first three in seven appearances at the track, with three wins including breaking the seven-furlong course record when flying home to take last month’s G2 Swan Stakes.

Beaten a neck in the 2024 edition of the same race, Off Trail broke his maiden at Kyoto and won a Stakes race at the course at the start of last season, in addition to finishing third in the G2 Hanshin Cup at the end of his three-year-old campaign.

Away from Kyoto, Off Trail showed an impressive turn of foot to capture the G3 Radio Nikkei Sho at Fukushima in June, 2024, and was a neck second in the G3 Sekiya Kinen at Niigata in July.

Trainer Keiji Yoshimura said: “Off Trail stalked the pace and made nice headway in the Swan Stakes last time. The break was a bit slow, but he moved up gradually in the backstretch and was able to get a good position and win. He had done the same in his previous race, the Sekiya Kinen, when he was able to travel well from not too far back, and I think he does well under this jockey, Akira Sugawara.

“He went off to the farm for a short while and returned to Ritto at the start of November. He has had five full training weeks between the Swan Stakes and this race, so it was easy to get him prepared. We have been able to give him a lot of work. He is good over the Kyoto outer course, so I think he’ll be able to handle the extra furlong. On top of that, having the same jockey up is a big plus. I am hoping for a good race.”