Gimcrack pointer to Sands success
The weekend focus may be on the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe tomorrow at Chantilly, but before then there is one of the most important Saturdays of the Flat season at Newmarket where (2.55) can be the star of the show in the Middle Park Stakes.
The last two winners of this Group One race — The Last Lion and Shalaa — were immediately retired to stud, but Richard Fahey-trained Sands Of Mali looks to have a big, immediate future on the track after his decisive win in the Gimcrack Stakes at York.
Runner-up that day, beaten almost three lengths, was Invincible Army who looked unlucky not to win last weekend’s Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury. Cardsharp, who reopposes today on 3lb better terms, was almost four lengths behind Sands Of Mali in the Gimcrack.
So, this looks a strong renewal of the Middle Park.
Karl Burke’s Unfortunately already has a Group One prize in the bag, having won the Prix Morny at Deauville, as has Aidan O’Brien’s Sioux Nation after he landed the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh by half a length from Beckford.
Rajasinghe broke the two-year-old, six-furlong course record when winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
It is a red-hot contest but one Sands Of Mali, long thought of as the best two-year-old in the powerful Fahey stable, looks up to grabbing.
The Group One Cheveley Park Stakes throws together an equally classy field and is no less competitive for the absence of expected favourite heartache. Clemmie, the sister of dual 2,000 Guineas winner Churchill and winner of the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July Course, plus unbeaten York Lowther Stakes winner Threading are both talented. But the vote goes to DIFFERENT
LEAGUE (Newmarket, 2.20), winner of the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and a fair third to Middle Park Stakes contender Unfortunately when taking on colts in the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville.
BIG COUNTRY (Newmarket, nap, 3.35) has been an improver in his first season with trainer Mick Appleby.
The form of his latest run at York has been franked and he looks to have been saved for a tilt at the historic Betfred Cambridgeshire handicap with Silvestre de Sousa booked to ride.
I fancied JOHNNY BARNES (haydock, 3.15) to run well in last week’s Ayr Gold Cup. he now runs in the race staged to replace the abandoned Ayr contest — but he will still get the testing conditions he prefers and again holds big claims.