Stokes on Ashes heartache – and emotional return
ROBIN Of Navan can get the job done when he makes a rare outing on home shores in the bet365 Earl of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket.
Harry Dunlop’s charge has appeared just four times in Britain during 21 career starts as his team has chased some fine financial rewards abroad, most notably winning a Saint-Cloud Group One back in 2015 and a Group Three event at Chantilly last summer.
Admittedly his strike-rate has not been brilliant, but he rarely turns in a bad effort and he is never far away even in top company, although he was a bit found out on his final start of 2017 in Hong Kong.
That said, the five-year-old turned in a decent effort on his seasonal return on the Chantilly all-weather last month and will surely feel the benefit of that return run as he starts to get a bit older now.
Robin Of Navan has a bit to find on the bare figures with Deauville, but the ground should be in his favour and he may just have the racing edge this time.
Soliloquy can mark herself as a Classic contender with victory in the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes.
She suffered a surprise defeat on her debut for Charlie Appleby at Newmarket last August, but soon righted the record with victory over a mile at Ascot the following month.
Her rider did not have to ask too many questions that day to win by half a length and while she skipped a couple of possible Group race options in the autumn, that at least indicates her team were thinking in those terms.
Stepping back to seven furlongs is not certain to suit, but the likely ease in the ground should make this more of a test.
Great Prospector can step up his return effort at Newcastle with victory in the bet365 European Free Handicap.
He found the Kentucky Derbybound Gronkowski just under four lengths too good in the Burradon Stakes last month, but it was a promising run.
Cheltenham hosts another top day of action and Traffic Fluide can take home a nice prize for Gary Moore in the Barchester Healthcare Silver Trophy Chase.
This eight-year-old has been highly tried so far and it will probably have done his confidence the world of good to take a dip in class to win a Plumpton novices’ hurdle on his most recent outing. BEN Stokes has admitted he “lived every moment” of this winter’s Ashes and was “just as gutted” as his England team-mates as they crashed to a 4-0 defeat to Australia in his absence.
Stokes missed the five-match Test series, as well as the subsequent limited-overs campaign Down Under, due to an ongoing court case for his alleged part in a late-night incident in Bristol in September.
The 26-year-old – who has since been charged with affray and is awaiting a trial this summer, having pleaded not guilty – admits it was not easy for him to watch England’s struggles from afar as they surrendered the urn.
“I lived every moment of the Ashes. I’m sure it was nowhere near the emotions of the guys out there but I was just as gutted,” he told the Guardian
The Durham all-rounder’s fivemonth international exile ended in February when he featured in England’s ODI series against New Zealand.
Stokes scored only 12 in his first game back, while taking two for 43 off eight overs with the ball, as England slipped to a three-wicket loss in their opening ODI.
However, he produced a man-ofthe-match display in the second match, with his 63 not out helping England level up the series – before going on to clinch a 3-2 win overall. Stokes admits it was an emotional time for him.
He said of his first game back: “I was anxious. I was guilty of thinking too far ahead and trying to make an impression. It was like I was at the start of my career.
“I was really emotional after getting man of the match in that second game back.
“It was such a relief to perform and be there at the end.
“I had five minutes to myself after getting back to the dressing room, sat in my bubble and taking it all in. The lads appreciated that and gave me space. It was a great feeling.”
Stokes (pictured left) also played in both Tests against New Zealand, where England’s miserable recent away record continued with a 1-0 series loss that included being bowled out for just 58 in Auckland.
England have now won just one Test series overseas since 2012, something Stokes – who believes they have “slacked off ” – is hoping to help rectify.
He said: “I just want to get us back to playing the way we want to play. We were so close to being one of the best teams in the world.
“We’ve slacked off in the past two years but knowing how close we were gives you that desire to get back there.”