One-time Classic hope Mohaather returns to action on Saturday with trainer Marcus Tregoning hopeful he can re-establish himself in the big time.
The three-year-old looked a live 2,000 Guineas contender when taking his record to three wins from four starts with victory in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury in April, but a bone bruise to his off-fore meant he missed the Newmarket engagement.
Tregoning, who has always held the son of Showcasing in high regard, immediately pledged to avoid the fast ground of the summer and bring him back for an autumn campaign after plenty of rest, and Mohaather is firmly on course for Ascot’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over the straight mile where he will line up as one of the outsiders.
Underfoot conditions are sure to prove extremely testing, but Tregoning expects the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt to cope with them.
“He’s in very good form and should handle the ground okay,” the trainer said. “The stiff mile is the question mark as his last two wins have been over seven furlongs.
“He settles well, though, and I think he’ll get it. He’s done plenty of work and goes there in great order.”
The going on the straight course is described officially as heavy with the prospect of further rain on Friday morning, leaving punters to latch on to horses who have proven winning form on very testing ground.
The William Haggas-trained mare One Master (Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes) and The Revenant (QEII Stakes) have been two of the best-backed horses this week.
Paul Binfield, spokesman for Paddy Power, said: “With the ground at Ascot likely to prove more suited to Noah’s Ark, the heavy-ground horses have proved hugely popular since the weekend.
“The Revenant has won on heavy in France, while One Master scored on very soft ground at Longchamp this month. The Revenant is now 5-2 favourite, having been available at 8-1 on Monday, while One Master has been punted down to 5-1 from 8-1.”
Wetter the better: Doyle hoping inner track slow enough for Addeybb in Champion
James Doyle is concerned that switching British Champions Day to the inner hurdles track at Ascot on Saturday may help the opposition as he seeks a second win in the Group 1 Qipco Champion Stakes.
It is a case of the wetter the better for Doyle’s Champions Stakes mount Addeybb, who needs near unraceable conditions to perform at his very best, as he showed when scoring on heavy ground in the Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock last time.
Doyle, who won a thrilling Champion Stakes on Noble Mission in 2014, has since ridden the William Haggas-trained chestnut in a racecourse gallop at Newmarket, following which he described the prevailing soft ground on the Rowley Mile as ‘not slow enough’.
Addeybb has been the subject of much ante-post support for this weekend’s 1m2f highlight since the rain moved in and is 11-4 second-favourite with most firms.
The Champion Stakes is one of three races that will be run on the hurdles track – which was on Wednesday good to soft, soft in places – because parts of the round course are waterlogged.
Doyle said: “Addeybb likes the ground almost unraceable so the original track would be just fine for us looking at the likely conditions, whereas moving it to the inner track may not be quite as slow. He’s different class when the mud is flying so hopefully he will find it to his liking.”
Referring to his recent venture to Newmarket, he added: “When I rode him in work on the Rowley Mile he went okay, but even though it was soft it wasn’t nearly slow enough. The fact the Champions meeting is staged at Ascot these days, rather than Newmarket, certainly plays to his strengths.”
By the time the Champion Stakes comes around at 4pm, Doyle could well be bidding for a Group 1 double as he renews his partnership with the well-fancied Hello Youmzain in the opening Qipco British Champions Sprint, which is contested over the straight course where the going on Wednesday was heavy.
Doyle had a timely recall on the Kevin Ryan-trained sprinter for the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock last month, where the duo cut through the soft ground to beat The Tin Man.
Doyle said: “I rode Hello Youmzain in the Greenham in the spring but he’s a proper sprinter as he showed when beating Calyx and he was very professional at Haydock. He looks to have a good shout again.”
fonte : RacingPost
