Christophe Clement Turf International Scouting Report: Ancient Egypt

One week after Glacius pulled off a front-running coup in the Saratoga Derby (G1), Ancient Egypt brings his aggressive style into Saturday’s Christophe Clement Turf (G1) at the Spa. 

Ancient Egypt boasts top-level form, as the near-misser in the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) last out. Yet this British shipper faces a different question from the one answered so emphatically by Glacius. 

Unlike Glacius, who was tackling fellow three-year-olds, Ancient Egypt is pitched in versus older horses for the first time. If he succeeds, he’d make history as the first sophomore to win this turf feature, formerly known as the Sword Dancer.

Survie and Fort George’s scouting reports

Ancient Egypt will find two fellow British-based globetrotters, Survie and Fort George, lying in wait. Both have had the Clement, a “Win & You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), on their agenda for some time, and they tuned up with fine performances over Saratoga’s inner turf course. 

The Ed Walker-trained Fort George just missed in a paceless Bowling Green (G2), his first start since his Dubai campaign. He’s eligible to move forward second off the layoff here, despite having to deal with a recent bee sting. Going back up to 1 1/2 miles also helps, although this is a deeper spot. As noted in Fort George’s scouting report for the Bowling Green, the up-and-comer was a hard-trying runner-up to Rebel’s Romance in the Dubai City of Gold (G2) at this trip. 

Survie wheels back on 13 days’ rest from her devastating victory in the Glens Falls (G2), but the quick turnaround isn’t necessarily a concern. Trainer George Boughey always planned to use that as her launching pad into the Clement. It’s similar to the timeframe going into her third versus males in the Neom Turf Cup (G1) on Saudi Cup Day. 

Moreover, Survie only had to run about a quarter-mile in the decisive stage of the Glens Falls – the type of course-and-distance prep that should facilitate a forward move rather than a regression. Previously sixth in the Wolferton S. at Royal Ascot, a red-hot renewal that has worked out very well, Survie has abundant back class in Europe, and she’s arguably the most ground-adaptable of the European trio here. 

As described in Survie’s scouting report for the Glens Falls, she was initially trained in France by Nicolas Clement, brother of the late Christophe. A victory by Survie would be the next-best storyline, short of Tawny Port’s winning for Miguel Clement, the race honoree’s son and successor. 

Ancient Egypt joins the fray

Unlike his British colleagues, Ancient Egypt was a recent addition to the Clement Turf party. The Amo Racing runner has had a busy summer. Returning quickly from his eighth in the Derby (G1) at a boggy Epsom, Ancient Egypt was just outdueled in the King Edward VII (G2) at Royal Ascot, then lost a heartbreaker in Paris. 

If Ancient Egypt can summon a third Herculean effort in a row, in the span of two months, he’d be a prime threat. The concern is that this venture has the whiff of an afterthought for a colt who had other options nearer to home. Indeed, one reported possibility was to freshen him up for the fall, until Saratoga popped up on the radar. 

On the plus side, Ancient Egypt is trained by Charlie Johnston, who’s learned well the craft of developing hardy performers. 

Johnston described Ancient Egypt as “a tough horse with a really great mind” in a recent interview on attheraces.com. 

While the colt’s rail draw could turn out to be a “blessing or a nightmare,” Johnston confirmed that the intent is to use his tactical speed. 

$1.4 million yearling – and his trainer has a pedigree too

Ancient Egypt was part of Amo Racing’s spending spree at the 2024 Tattersalls October yearling sale, where he brought 1.1 million guineas (more than $1.4 million). Yet Amo splurged even more on a few other blueblood yearlings, shelling out 4.4 million and 4.3 million guineas, respectively, on the top two lots. 

Although bred by Yulong Investments, his pedigree is all Juddmonte. By the unbeaten phenom Frankel, he is out of the Oasis Dream mare Atone, who is a full sister to transatlantic star Midday. A five-time Group 1 winner in Europe, Midday captured the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at Santa Anita and came within a neck of defending her title in 2010 at Churchill Downs. Midday also placed in a pair of classics and finished second versus males in the Juddmonte International (G1) and Coronation Cup (G1) (to St Nicholas Abbey). 

Charlie Johnston took over the helm from father Mark, who ranks as the most prolific trainer of all time on the British Flat with more than 5,000 wins. The transition was seamless since Charlie was already long entrenched in their North Yorkshire yard. Father and son jointly held the training license in 2022 before Mark entrusted Charlie with the commander-in-chief role at the beginning of 2023. 

“I felt at times, when we had big winners or passed milestones, that Charlie didn’t get credit for his achievements and the huge part he has played in recent years,” Mark wrote when he decided to step back into an assistant’s role. 

The Johnston Racing system continues to develop gallopers of admirable tenacity, and Ancient Egypt is very much in that mold. 

Smart juvenile before no-show behind Bow Echo

The 8-11 favorite on debut at Beverley, further east in Yorkshire, Ancient Egypt got the job done while looking like a big colt who wouldn’t put it together until he was three. He broke in decent order on the rail, but another juvenile was sharper to take the lead. 

Ancient Egypt smoothly switched out into a pace-prompting role and ranged alongside, turning for home, hinting that he was about to forge clear. But the leader fought back to regain the edge. As Ancient Egypt organized himself, he gathered momentum and picked up well to prevail by a half-length. 

The impression was that the margin didn’t reflect his raw talent.  The sectional times revealed that Ancient Egypt was finishing faster than his babyish body language implied.

Ancient Egypt was “a bit coltish beforehand,” Mark Johnston noted, “and it took a while for the penny to drop… He doesn't win gallops at home by much, but always sticks his neck out.”

Taking a longer road trip down south to Goodwood, Ancient Egypt made it two in a row in a richer novice. He learned plenty from Beverley. This time, he broke more authoritatively and strode forward, but a rank rival wanted to go and crossed over to set the pace.

Ancient Egypt raced alone in second until they swung for home, when he loomed up to the front runner. Once asked to put the race away in the stretch, he powered clear by 1 1/4 lengths as the 11-4 second choice. There was a 6 1/2-length gap to slightly favored King’s Trust, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s contender. 

His promising season ended on an anticlimactic note in the Royal Lodge (G2) over Newmarket’s Rowley Mile. Sent off as a 16-1 outsider in his first proper class test, Ancient Egypt stalked the pace, came under pressure at about halfway, and retreated to seventh behind future mile superstar Bow Echo. The 14-length drubbing appeared too bad to be true, even if Ancient Egypt wasn’t ready for prime time at that stage of his life.

Newmarket romp to Derby disappointment

It might have been a bit bold to resurface over the same course in the May 1 Newmarket S. In fact, Charlie Johnston later said that he’d been considering options at Chester and Lingfield, but rerouted to Newmarket when the race was coming up light. The stretch-out to 1 1/4 miles, plus Ancient Egypt’s natural development from two to three, made him a totally different story in his return visit to “Headquarters.”

Disregarded as the longest shot on the board, the 16-1 chance got a flyer out of the gate and found his rhythm straightaway. Godolphin hotpot Poseidon’s Warrior also showed early speed, taking the overall lead near the stands’ side, but he soon sank to the rear.

Ancient Egypt kept rolling in the center of the course and saw off a more dangerous threat in My Love Is King. When they hit the rising ground, Ancient Egypt widened his advantage to two lengths. 

“Ancient Egypt isn’t quite the finished article yet,” winning rider Rowan Scott said. “He’s still a bit of a baby, but he’s a horse who is going to mature with time.”

Given his pedigree and convincing performance, Ancient Egypt deserved to take his chance in the Epsom Derby. He handled the idiosyncratic course beautifully in a morning gallop, proving that he was not lacking in athleticism, and raising hopes of springing a 28-1 upset in the coveted classic. 

Unfortunately, Ancient Egypt was among those undermined by the wretchedly soft going. He traveled well in the early stages, just off the pace, drafting in the slipstream of eventual winner Christmas Day, but couldn’t maintain the gallop in those conditions and slogged home eighth. The form can’t be taken literally, as evidenced by the next two across the line, Item and Benvenuto Cellini, who both rebounded on quicker ground.

Near-miss at Royal Ascot

Ancient Egypt came right back 13 days later in the June 19 King Edward VII, on his optimal good-to-firm at Royal Ascot, and nearly upset Aidan O’Brien’s favored Causeway. Off to his typically good start, the 10-1 shot tracked the leader and got the jump on Causeway turning into the stretch. Causeway finally began to wear him down inch by inch, but Ancient Egypt fought tooth and nail all the way to the line. The margin looked closer than the official neck. 

The final time was a strong 2:28.74, nearly a full second faster than the Racing Post’s standard time for 1 1/2 miles around Ascot. Moreover, the top two pulled 10 lengths clear of third-placer Water to Wine, a well-regarded class-climber who was previously unbeaten. 

Charlie Johnston elaborated on the mixed feelings about Ancient Egypt’s coming so close:

“I guess first and foremost I feel great pride in the horse. We knew it was a big ask to turn around so quickly after the Derby, particularly given the fact that race was run in such testing conditions. 

“I will be honest, for the first week I was trying to think: how do I tell Kia (Joorabchian, the Amo principal) I do not want to run here. Thankfully, the signs in the past few days have been that we should be here.

“(Jockey) David (Egan) said he did everything right. Before they turned in, I thought he came off it a bit and was concerned whether he was going to run his true race, but then you start looking at everyone else. I thought William (Buick on Water to Wine) was in trouble; Clifford (Lee on pacesetter Golden Story) was clearly in trouble. 

“There was always going to be one that came and loomed. You kind of knew, the way the week has gone, there was going to be an O’Brien to test our mettle. I thought he was going to fight him off briefly, and he gave everything he could. The horse has proved that he belongs at this sort of level. There is a huge amount to be excited about for the rest of this year and next year.”

Heartbreak in Paris

The Grand Prix de Paris gave Ancient Egypt another opportunity in a major 1 1/2-mile prize for three-year-olds. Again an overlay, the 22-1 longshot missed by a head in another agonizing effort. The Epsom Derby runner-up, Maltese Cross, split horses late to nail Ancient Egypt in a dramatic finish.

Ancient Egypt had the small consolation of turning the tables on a front-running Causeway. Bounding with his usual enthusiasm into a stalking spot, Ancient Egypt kept tabs on Causeway, stormed past him in the stretch, and briefly edged away. 

Challenges came from a pair of French colts, Alam and favorite Varandir, but Ancient Egypt dug in and held them. Then Maltese Cross burst through to inflict the heartbreak in the final strides.

The time was a terrific 2:24.79, the third-fastest in the Grand Prix at its current distance (since 2005). It would also stack up well historically in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1), but the tendency toward soft ground on the first Sunday in October obviously produces slower times.

“I am very proud of my horse,” Charlie Johnston said, “and I could not understand why the bettors had overlooked him to such an extent. He came very close to winning and was only headed in the very final stride. In the straight, when he quickened and opened up a two-length lead, I could not really see anything making up much ground at that stage.

“When Varandir drew alongside him 200 meters from the finish, I thought we might end up third or fourth. But this horse is incredibly tough, as he had already shown at Ascot. He tried to repel every challenge and very nearly succeeded. But that is racing.

“We have given him a demanding campaign, but he has improved with every run. I thought he looked absolutely magnificent today…

“He has clearly shown that he is a very good 2,400-meter horse on fast ground and, ideally, I would like to continue giving him those conditions. I would not rule out giving him a short break now before targeting a race such as the Breeders’ Cup.”

Why the Clement Turf came into view

Instead of a holiday at home, Ancient Egypt hopped on a plane for a work trip. The Clement Turf appealed given its conditions, which he probably wouldn’t get in a European Group 1 in the latter part of the season.

“That was part of the reasoning for thinking about going over for this race, as far as Grade 1 options,” Johnston told NYRA publicity. “In Europe, we were left with the Arc or races in Germany and felt like those races at that time of year, there’s a reasonable likelihood of soft ground, which we learned in Epsom didn’t suit him very well. We either had to drop down to Group 2 company (for the Great Voltigeur) and take him to York in a couple weeks or look to travel stateside.

“On balance, we felt that was the right call for him, and this was the right race,” he added. “European horses have had a good record in it, and we think it will suit him really well. It’ll be a much tighter track than he’s encountered before, but hopefully he’ll be able to cope with that OK. We’re going over there hopeful for a very big run.”

Joorabchian also mentioned the tight track as a question mark.

“I think my worry would be the track is very sharp, and he’s a big-striding horse, but we have to give him a shot,” the Amo principal told attheraces.com.

Another variable is going left-handed. Other than Epsom, or the Newmarket straight, the bulk of Ancient Egypt’s racing experience is at right-handed tracks. 

Ancient Egypt keeps Egan aboard. U.S. fans may recall Egan’s sojourns at Gulfstream Park for the past couple of winters, so he’s well familiar with pace on this side of the pond. He masterminded Layabout’s front-running score in the Jan. 24 W.L. McKnight (G3).

The Clement Turf is either a bridge too far or a bridge to glory for a colt who deserves to bag a big one at some point.