Temple on top in thriller
DAVID O’MEARA expects stable star Lord Glitters to bounce back from a poor run in the Lockinge when he takes his chance in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The grey is set to clash with several of those who ran at Newbury, including impressive winner Mustashry and Karl Burke’s ace filly Laurens.
Having been so consistent at home and abroad for the past two seasons, it came as a shock to see Lord Glitters beat just one home at Newbury.
But O’Meara said: “Lord Glitters is on target for the Queen Anne. I very much expect him to bounce back from Newbury.
“He just ran with too much daylight in the Lockinge. He likes to sit at the back with a load of cover and that’s the best way to ride him.”
Among Lord Glitters’ Queen Anne rivals will be Barney Roy. After a promising comeback at Ascot, he ran out an impressive winner of a Listed race at Longchamp last time out.
Trainer Charlie Appleby said: “I was delighted with his first start at Ascot when he finished second.
“He was entitled to go forward and he went to Longchamp and won cosily.
“He came out of the race in good order and we are looking forward to the Queen Anne.”
Meanwhile, trainer Owen Burrows has suffered a blow after Laraaib suffered a fatal injury when exercising on Saturday.
He won four of his 10 starts, including the Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot in October.
Burrows said: “It’s a massive blow. He’d been a star for us over the last couple of years.
“His last run behind Crystal Ocean was probably the best of his career.” IT WAS a finale that he would have been proud of.
A ding-dong finish saw Indian Temple edge out Van Gogh Du Granit in the first-ever running of the Sam Morshead Perth Gold Cup.
The £40,000 contest was named after the man who revolutionised racing at the Scottish track. Morshead died last October.
Indian Temple made every yard of the running, and despite Harry Reed dropping his whip on the run-in, he still repelled Van Gogh Du Granit.
At Goodwood the most eye-catching display came from Litigious, who made a winning debut in the Wellchild Fillies’ Stakes.
Rab Havlin had a steering job on the Cheveley Park Studowned daughter of Lawman, who is also a half-sister to runaway Chester Cup hero Making Miracles.