Michael Hills hoping for mighty run from Redwood in Canadian International
Home is often not far from a traveller’s mind and Michael Hills will have good reason to have such thoughts on Saturday.
Hills will be riding Redwood - trained by his father, Barry – as the pair attempt a second successive Grade One victory at Woodbine in Canada. A month ago Redwood, under a canny, ground-saving run from Hills, took the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes and will be lining up as one of the major players for the Canadian International.
The British-trained representation was diluted with the news that John Gosden’s Arctic Cosmos, the St Leger winner, is now out for the season with a cannon-bone injury and Hills admitted that the loss of such a horse to the race was to his own advantage. “When I saw him in it, it was obviously a worry – but now he’s not there it makes life a bit easier.”
Redwood himself missed most of last season but has rewarded the perseverance of connections with a string of good performances this year and Hills thinks that he may be yet to have reached the ceiling of his talent. “He’s a horse that never really wins his races by far. The better the race, the bigger the effort he gives. I really do believe this horse is improving – he missed his three-year-old career really and I just think he’s starting to come to hand. He’s by High Chaparral and they improve with age.”
Unlike many North American tracks, Woodbine has the turf on the outside of the dirt track and Hills believes that such a configuration plays to the strengths of European runners who have won five of the previous 10 renewals. “It’s a beautiful track, it’s very European, it’s got a long back straight, sweeping bend and nearly three-and-a-half-furlong run-in so it certainly lends a hand to European horses,” Hills explained, adding of Redwood’s wellbeing since his last run: “he came back and he’s done two really nice pieces of work. He went off yesterday to Amsterdam and he flies to Canada today. They say they’re going to get a little bit of rain on Thursday and Friday but it’s a track that dries out very quickly. As long as the conditions are the same as last time, he’s going to be very competitive.”
The competitive streak within Hills means that he is loathe to give up a good ride which means he regrets not being able to ride Red Jazz when he contests the Group Two Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on the same day.
Red Jazz reverts to seven furlongs after being beaten just a half-length when third to Poet’s Voice in the Group One Queen Elizabeth over a mile at Ascot last month. “A furlong out I thought I was going to win and it was a terrific run. He hasn’t let me down all year – he’s been a real soldier for me. It's just so annoying that the races are on the same day – I wish I could do the two.”
Hills is confident that the drop in trip does not pose a problem and Irish trainer Eoin Griffin is equally confident that Admiral Barry can handle the step up to two-and-a-quarter miles at the totesport.com Cesarewitch.
The five-year-old has won three times since June – all in amateur rider races – which includes his last run, at the Curragh in September. “He’s got 8st 9lb which includes a 4lb mandatory penalty for winning at the Curragh the last day,” Griffin said. “The transformation from the early part of his career has been nothing short of miraculous. We're delighted to be going there for such a competitive handicap and it will be his last run of the season. Hopefully he can run a good race for us.”
Chris Hayes takes the ride and he has yet to win on the horse in six starts, although the pair have been placed in five of those runs. “He's not won on him yet but hopefully he’ll put that right on Saturday, but he's been unlucky on a couple of occasions for Chris and I'm more than happy to have him on board.
"I don't think the trip will be a problem, even though it is his first time going above two miles. Two miles at Galway, up that steep hill, is quite a test of stamina so I don't think the trip or stamina will be an issue. He relaxes quite well through his races. I don’t see the trip being an issue."
Hills will be hoping the same for his long-haul venture.
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