Alignak can stay true for Stoute

SIR MICHAEL STOUTE first won the Geoffrey Freer Stakes in 1985 with Shernazar and ALIGNAK (Newbury, nb, 3.0) can hand the legendary Newmarket handler a fifth win in today’s staying feature. In many respects, the grey son of Sea The Moon is a typical product of his handler’s patience and training style. From a family that improves with age, Alignak was given just one outing as a juvenile and was far from overworked as a threeyear-old, racing just three times, and made to wait until September to shed his maiden tag. That emphatic victory on the all-weather was a sign of the improvement that was to come from a horse closely related to Algometer and All At Sea, both of whom improved with time and patience. A win on his Newcastle comeback confirmed that the selection was still on the ascent and he was unfortunate not to beat one of the best middle distance soft-ground operators in Trueshan when they met at Haydock last month. Today’s step up in trip should be the catalyst to further progression and any easing of the ground shouldn’t inconvenience Alignak’s chances. Morando was runner-up in last year’s renewal of this race and only narrowly lost out to a rival in Technician that went on to win group races later that year. He is a major threat, especially if thunderstorms hit Newbury. An amateur jockeys’ handicap wouldn’t normally be my port of call for a nap, but GAS

MONKEY (Newbury, nap, 5.55) is 2-2 at the Berkshire venue and could be primed to repeat last year’s win in this race.