Twilight Calls is poised to add his name to what is shaping up to be a red-hot renewal of York’s Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes later this month.
Henry Candy’s five-year-old has yet to strike at Group level, but has more than held his own when tackling some top-quality sprinting assignments in the past two seasons.
Runner-up in the King’s Stand Stakes in 2022, a return to Royal Ascot unleashed the best version of Twilight Calls, where he could arguably have finished closer than his three-and-a-quarter-length fourth if enjoying more luck in running.
Having missed the King George Stakes at Goodwood on account of the testing conditions at the Sussex venue, Twilight Calls will now throw his hat into the ring for the Knavesmire Group One on August 25, which is attracting some of the best speedsters around and a race Candy won with the gelding’s grandsire Kyllachy in 2002.
“The ground wasn’t right at Goodwood for him, so it will be York and then we would consider Ireland for the five-furlong Flying Five,” said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud.
“We know he has the ability, he just needs everything to fall right. Royal Ascot was painful to watch and Ryan Moore got off and said he ran into trouble and he is a horse that just needs a bit of luck to go his way, and as often is the case, it doesn’t.
“He’s given us a lot of fun and is helping us promote the sire Twilight Son and so York is the plan.”
