PAGES OF FANTASTIC
SIR MARK PRESCOTT is starting to hit form with seven winners in the past 18 days. His 41% strike rate is impressive and
PLEASURE GARDEN (1.20, nap) is tipped to continue the Newmarket handler’s, below, good run at Catterick today.
Having just his sixth start, the three-year-old relished the step up in trip to 1m4f at Leicester to win going away. Today he is tried over 1m6f and a 5lb rise should not stop him seeing off Feebi. INAAM (5.10, nb) is a tricky ride but Adam Kirby knows him well.
He ran well on his reappearance last month and should go very close at Kempton. Kirby also rides LOUIS TREIZE (6.10, trb) who looks interesting. A useful two-year-old, he has been too keen in his races but if Kirby can settle him the longer trip should bring about improvement. He is potentially well handicapped.
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CHARLIE APPLEBY and William Buick continued their remarkable run of success in recent weeks when Volkan Star took the Group Three Prix du Lys at Longchamp yesterday.
The pair had celebrated at Deauville on Sunday with Pinatubo winning the Group One Prix Jean Prat and Appleby favours a return trip to France for last year’s top juvenile.
“We’re trying to work back from the Breeders’
Cup Mile,” said Appleby. “With regards to his next run, we’re going to let the dust settle but the options are there.
“The Sussex is one, but personally I think that might be a little soon as he’s had three quickish runs at the top table so therefore the Moulin, or wait for the Prix de la Foret and then to America, is an option.”
Frankie Dettori, above, was far from ‘Lost in France’ when he rocked up in Paris to partner Red Verdon to victory.
The Italian showed why he is master of the French track, where he has a record six Arc de Triomphe victories, timing his run to perfection on Red Verdon in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil. Trained by Ed Dunlop, it was Red Verdon’s first victory in Group Two company.
Richard Hannon believes 5-1 shot Happy Romance is his best chance of a third success in Sunday’s Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury.
“She is probably as good a filly as we’ve run in the Super Sprint since Tiggy Wiggy, who bolted up by six lengths before going on to win the Lowther and Cheveley Park back in 2014,” said Hannon.
Hannon has time on his side if he is to better his father, Richard, in the Newbury dash which he pocketed on seven occasions.