‘All systems go for Marshman’
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MARSHMAN carries the hopes of Karl Burke in a fascinating renewal of the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket today.
The Harry Angel colt won his maiden at Ayr in July and then went on to rout a field of 12 in a Thirsk novice in August when coming home eight and a half lengths clear of his nearest rival.
Only a handful of days later he reappeared in the Group Two Gimcrack at
York, finishing as runnerup behind Godolphin’s Noble Style after leading for much of the contest.
After a gallant defeat, the youngster now does battle for Group One honours for owners Nick Bradley Racing and Elaine Burke, with Clifford Lee in the saddle once again.
Great
Burke said: “Marshman worked very well on Tuesday and it’s all systems go. He’s in great nick.
“Obviously it wasn’t ideal running him in the Gimcrack just eight days after he won at Thirsk, but I felt he needed the experience of another run before going into a Group Two.
“We nearly pulled it off and hopefully he can step up again on what he did at York.
“It’s a good race, as you would expect, but we’re there with a good chance and that’s the main thing.”
Bradley purchased the colt for his partnership for £38,000 (€42.000), a modest sum for a Group performer, but his exploits on the track have left him at the head of the market.
Boosting the Gimcrack form is the subsequent success of Cold Case, third on the Knavesmire and then the winner of the Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes.
“The pressure is on now. When you buy a horse for 30-odd grand it’s not a lot of money, but when you’re favourite for the Middle Park, that’s a slightly different story,” Bradley said.
“The race on Saturday is something I personally aim for each year. “He came out of the
York race really well, there was a little bit of a bug going round Karl’s yard. He scoped dirty not long after York, but then he was grand.
“I’ve seen three bits of work in the last 10 days, they get better and better and better and he’s flying.
“The form out of the York race is rock solid, Cold Case has come out and proved that. I think he goes there with a massive chance.”
Richard Hannon’s Persian Force makes his third successive Group One start, with runs in both the Phoenix Stakes and the Prix Morny seeing him come home the runner-up.
The Mehmas colt was defeated by Blackbeard in the latter and will cross paths with the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt again on the Rowley Mile.
“Blackbeard is a very good horse who probably beat us fair and square in France, but half a length is the sort of margin to have another go at him with,” said Hannon.
“We’ve everything to gain and nothing to lose.”