Magna Grecia looking red hot
Trainers aidan O’Brien and John Gosden served up a magnificent duel in last year’s running of the Vertem Futurity stakes with subsequent Guineas winner saxon Warrior gamely edging out redoubtable roaring Lion.
The two masters of their craft could provide another race for the ages today when MAGNA GRECIA (Doncaster, 4.05) and Turgenev do battle.
Both appear colts of immense potential, but the irish raider appears to have achieved more at this point of a fledgling career, winning well on his naas debut before losing his unbeaten record by a head to the highly-rated Persian King at newmarket.
Although it was Magna Grecia’s first reverse, he is likely to have learned plenty from the experience given he went head-to-head with the well-touted winner from the two-furlong marker all the way to the line.
Stablemate Circus Maximus was left trailing in third that day and the form looks to boast plenty of substance with Magna Grecia appearing to take high rank among the Ballydoyle juveniles. in contrast, Turgenev has undergone a different campaign with today’s Group 1 event his fourth career outing in around six weeks.
In fairness, he has not been hard pressed to land his last two starts at odds-on following a satisfactory debut at today’s venue.
There appears plenty more improvement to come, even if he is leapfrogging from a newmarket novice event into a quality Group 1 contest. and Phoenix Of spain also brings a high level of form to the table courtesy of his run in the Champagne stakes on Town Moor last month.
FOOLADD (Doncaster, nap, 3.25) returned to somewhere near his best turf form at Catterick last weekend and could be a sporting bet to follow up under his favourite rider.
robert Winston was instrumental on roy Bowring’s sprinter enjoying a fine all-weather campaign, winning three times on the speedster who had slipped to a tempting mark seven days ago following some stiff assignments during the summer.
although the handicapper has nudged him up 3lb for that narrow defeat of Captain Colby, Foolaad remains on a competitive mark and is the sole course winner in the field.