Masar gears up for Ascot

MASAR took a giant leap towards an eagerly awaited Royal Ascot comeback with a sparkling workout on Newmarket’s July Course yesterday.

The Charlie Applebytrained son of New Approach has been on the sidelines since his triumph in the Investec Derby at Epsom last June.

But Appleby is “very confident” his fouryear-old will make a mouthwatering Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes clash with William Haggas’s star filly Sea Of Class after watching Masar and regular workrider Brett Doyle in a seven-furlong exercise with stable-companion Secret Advisor.

“The Prince Of

Wales’s is probably the right race for him,” said the Godolphin trainer. “He’s certainly not PROMISING apprentice Joey Sheridan notched the third success of his career aboard Kerosin in the two-mile handicap at Navan yesterday.

The contest was one of the most interesting on a low key afternoon and it allowed Sheridan a chance to once again advertise his talents.

The Tipperary-born 17-year-old got the

Denis Hogan inmate to the front with around a quarter of a mile to run.

From this point Kerosin always looked to be doing enough to hold off the front running going to look out of place!

“The object of the exercise today was to get him off Moulton Paddocks, get him back on a horsebox and back on the racetrack.

“The last two or three weeks, he has really turned a corner, and he has been stepping up on his work, week on week. He has not let us down.

“They’ve done a nice, building gallop and Brett was very happy with how he picked up.

“He has moved well when he asked him to stretch. He pointed his toe out and it was just a very pleasing gallop.

“We’re very confident that, on the back of that, we’ll be heading to Ascot – the main thing is if he is sound and well tomorrow morning,” added Appleby, whose colt also holds an entry in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over a mile and a half.

SAFE VOYAGE will head to Glorious Goodwood for the Group 2 Lennox Stakes after justifying 5-4 favouritism in the Group 3 Betway John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock Park. favourite Shakespear’sgalley who went down by two and a half lengths.

The day got off to a bright start for Aidan O’Brien who notched a double and the trainer’s Tango could be Royal Ascot bound after her success in the fillies maiden.

The two-year-old daughter of No Nay Never was a 1/6 shot and she won with plenty to spare under Donnacha O’Brien.

O’Brien followed up in the colts maiden when Royal Lytham made a winning debut at 10/1.