THREAT REMAINS
THREAT is “fast enough” for the six-furlong Darley July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday – according to his trainer Richard Hannon.
The son of Footstepsinthesand steps back in distance in the Group One speed test after finishing a free-going fifth in the St James’s Palace Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot.
But Hannon is confident Oisín Murphy’s mount, who followed a three-quarter-length second to July Cup 5-2 favourite Golden Horde in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last summer with same-level victories in the Gimcrack Stakes at York and Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, will cope.
“We think he’s fast enough,” said Hannon.
“It’s a different game taking on the older sprinters - they know what they’re doing - but he’s got huge ability.
“He doesn’t have much to find on the Richmond form with Golden Horde, and he’s favourite.
“He’s won his Group Twos and the whole point of this year is to win a Group One and make him into a stallion.”
Threat completed his July Cup preparation with a workout on Hannon’s Marlborough gallops yesterday and the trainer added: “He’s moving fine and he worked super this morning. He always does.
“The St James’s Palace Stakes didn’t go well for us – we didn’t get the rub of the green by any means.”
Royal Ascot runner-up Pinatubo heads for the Group One Prix Jean Prat over seven furlongs at Deauville on Sunday, but Hannon has elected to stay at home rather than cross swords with the champion two-year-old in Normandy.
“We can’t rely on the ground not being soft, Newmarket is down the road and in France we would have to have used a new jockey, so we think it’s a better option than the Jean Prat,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tim Easterby should have some fun with Dark Jedi, given how his new purchase won for the second time in just 10 days at Ripon – initiating a double for the Great Habton handler.
Successful at Hamilton last week, the former Charlie Hills inmate swooped fast and late under Duran Fentiman to beat Nicklaus by a length and a quarter in the www.attheraces.com Handicap.
Easterby then doubled up in the Visit attheraces.com Handicap with Garden Oasis (11-1).