Words Of Truth and Military Code look to Scurry home at Sandown Park

Words Of Truth and Military Code provide Godolphin with a strong hand in the Listed Scurry Stakes at Sandown Park, UK, on Saturday.

Both three-year-olds are trained by Charlie Appleby, with Words Of Truth having posted a hat-trick of wins as a juvenile including a length success in the G2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury in September.

The son of Lope de Vega gets his European campaign underway after filling the runner-up spot on his sole Dubai World Cup Carnival outing in January’s Al Wasl Stakes.

Wootton Bassett colt Military Code made a winning debut at last year’s Craven meeting and followed up with success in an Ascot novice.

He went to finish a head second in two Listed races – the Dragon Stakes, run over the same course and distance as the Scurry Stakes, and on his most recent Start in York’s Roses Stakes in August.

Charlie Appleby said: “Words Of Truth has a penalty for his Mill Reef Stakes win but goes into this in good order. He had the one run out in Dubai over the winter and there will be some improvement to come for the run. We haven’t got any set targets beyond this race, and we wanted to get a run into him and see how he stacks up back in the UK. He is dropping down from six furlongs but has shown plenty of pace and the stiff five at Sandown should play to his strengths.

“Military Code hasn’t been seen for a while, having missed his intended target at the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the season. He has put up a couple of solid races at this grade and proved pretty consistent through his career to date. It is a similar scenario to Words Of Truth in that we want to find out where we are with him so we can plan for the rest of the summer.”

Meanwhile, East Avenue aims for a third Graded Stakes win in the G3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park, US, on Saturday.

The Medaglia d’Oro colt has secured major wins at both two and three, dominating the 2024 G1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and gamely taking last season’s G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs.

He makes the third start of his four-year-old campaign for Brendan Walsh, having finished second in March’s G3 Oaklawn Mile before fading to fourth in the G2 Alysheba Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard.

Michael Banahan, Director of Bloodstock, Godolphin US, said: “East Avenue worked really well last Saturday. Brendan is very happy with him and feels he couldn’t be doing any better.

“He was a little disappointing in the Alysheba on Derby weekend and didn’t finish off the race like we expected him to. Dropping down to a G3 in the Salvator Mile will hopefully be what he needs to get his career back on track.

“It is a competitive race with multiple Graded Stakes winner Bishops Bay setting the standard. Tyler Gaffalione is going to ride East Avenue and he is looking forward to getting reacquainted, having won the G1 Breeders’ Futurity on him.

“We are hopeful that he will put in a good performance on Saturday and we can plan a nice campaign for the rest of the year.”

La Quemada looks to convert a strong recent course-and-distance effort into more Listed success in the Paradise Stakes, with Cruzeiro do Sul also lining up in the seven-furlong contest at Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday.

American Patriot entire La Quemada, winner of last season’s Listed Azuchijo Stakes at Kyoto, returns to the capital for Teruhiko Chida after rallying to take fourth in the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup at the course in early May.

Cruzeiro do Sul has also enjoyed Listed success, scoring by four lengths in the 2023 Junior Cup at Nakayama. Trained by Yoshitada Takahashi, the Fine Needle six-year-old drops down to seven furlongs for the first time after meeting trouble in running in the G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup at Kyoto in April.