Birchwood's Criterion Bid
Birchwood will attempt to bounce back to form in the G3 Memorial Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs of Newmarket's July Course on Saturday, June 25.
Time/Date - 15.55hrs local time/Saturday, June 25, 2016
Racecourse/Country - Newmarket/UK
Surface/Distance - Turf/7f
Birchwood will attempt to bounce back to form in the G3 Memorial Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs of Newmarket's July Course on Saturday, June 25.
The Richard Fahey-trained colt produced a below-par effort on his seasonal return in the French Classic, the mile G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Deauville, France, on May 15.
He was one of Britain's leading two-year-olds last season, ending his campaign with a close third in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf over a mile at Keeneland, USA.
Birchwood also finished third at G1 level in the seven-furlong Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh, Ireland, and was the comfortable winner of the G2 Superlative Stakes, run over the same course and distance as the Criterion Stakes.
Richard Fahey commented: "Birchwood completely bombed out in France for no apparent reason but we have been very happy with him since.
"We found no reason for his poor run - he did the same thing at Naas last season before winning the Superlative Stakes - but he came out of the race with no issues. We scoped him afterwards and everything was fine.
"He won over the same course and distance on quicker ground last year but ran well on a softer surface out at Keeneland, so I am hoping he might come good for us."
Birchwood, drawn nine and ridden for the second time by William Buick, faces nine older opponents including Muwaary, who was fourth in the 2014 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, and seven-furlong G2 scorer Breton Rock.
Birchwood © Stephen Davies
