Palace Pier set to rule supreme at Newbury
It seems futile opposing Palace Pier in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes tomorrow, so he can be made banker material on a Newbury card packed with quality.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old has barely put a foot wrong in his career date, with the only blot coming when he found himself stuck in the mud at Ascot on Champions Day.
Prior to that he had won the St James’s Palace Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois, having remarkably started off his three-year-old season in a handicap at Newcastle after connections opted to miss the 2000 Guineas– what a price he was that day at odds against.
If there were any question marks after Ascot he found all the right answers on his reappearance at Sandown last month, blitzing his rivals by eight lengths and more, looking in tremendous order.
A fascinating clash awaits in the Al Rayyan Stakes, where 2019 St Leger winner Logician represents the Gosdens against Al Aasy.
Life has been anything but straightforward for Logician since Doncaster – and while he could still be a horse of untapped potential, the William Haggas-trained Al Aasy has to be the pick. Held in the very highest regard by Haggas, he really looked the part in the John Porter over this course and distance last month.
His trainer was minded to go straight to the Coronation Cup with him after that, but such is his well-being he has opted to take this in en route to Epsom.
Sea Em press is a potentially exciting one for Haggas in the Har as De Bouque tot Fillies’ Trial Stakes. She has just had the one race, at Newcastle in October, running out a smooth winner from Teona – who absolutely bolted up at the same track the following month and ran with credit in the Mu si dora at York this week after pulling way too hard for her own good.
The Bet Victor Carnarvon Stakes is the next stop for Tactical, who gave the Queen a winner at Royal Ascot last year in the Windsor Castle.
Andrew Balding’s charge followed up in the July Stakes at Newmarket, but could not get in a serious blow in the Prix Morny after that – while two other Group One tries proved unsuccessful. He looked good on his comeback in the Free Handicap, though, picking up the front-running Naval Crown on the line after not having the smooth est of passages two furlongs out.
That form got a nice boost when runner-up Naval Crown ran an excellent race to be fourth in the Guineas.
At Newmarket, John Leeper has to be supported in the Betway Fairway Stakes. Bred in the purple by Frankel out of Snow Fairy, he caught the eye at Doncaster – and he confirmed that impression on his return at Newcastle, strolling clear when asked for an effort by Hollie Doyle.