Popular sprinter Danzeno is reported in rude health for a possible tilt at the £65,000 William Hill Beverley Bullet on Saturday.
The Group Three-winning eight-year-old, trained in Rutland by Mick Appleby, is one of 18 possible runners for Beverley’s most prestigious race of the season.
Danzeno would arrive at Beverley in good nick, too, having won twice already this season.
He also finished third in both the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash at the same track on August 10.
Appleby said: “He’s in great form and has done really well since the Shergar Cup Day, when he was a bit unlucky, really.
“He’s never run at Beverley before, but I’m sure he’ll handle the track nicely if he does run in the Beverley Bullet.
“He’s been in great form this season, and this looks a good race for him with great prize-money on offer. It’s all ground dependent at the minute, though.
“Hopefully they get some rain before the weekend. There are some thunderstorms forecast at the end of the week and that will help him no end.
“If they do get the rain, he’ll go to Beverley with a very good chance of winning.”
Danzeno is Sky Bet's 7/2 second favourite, behind the Clive Cox-trained Tis Marvellous (5/2 favourite).
Others prominent in the market include Paul Midgley’s Tarboosh (6/1), the Charlie Hills-trained Equilateral (7/1) and Beverley course-record holder Judicial (10/1), trained by Julie Camacho.
The now-retired Take Cover has won the Listed Beverley Bullet for the last two years, but his former trained David Griffiths could still be represented on Saturday with Ornate (12/1).
The big race at the weekend is the centrepiece for Beverley’s richest ever raceday that will also feature the £52,000 William Hill Silver Cup Handicap over a mile and a quarter.
Ante-post favourite is the William Haggas-trained Country, who has won his last three races and is a 9/4 chance with Sky Bet.
Stablemate Desert Icon is also short in the betting at odds of 4/1, while Sir Michael Stoute could saddle the unexposed Solid Stone (4/1) in a maximum field of 12 runners.
Judicial aims to bounce back
Connections of Judicial are hoping the seven-year-old can turn his season around in the same race.
The Julie Camacho-trained gelding's only success so far in 2019 was by a short head in a two-horse affair at Newmarket.
He has taken on the best in his three other races and was sixth to the brilliant Battaash in the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time.
In Judicial's favour is that he has won both his races at Beverley.
"He's had a disappointing season on the whole so it's logical to take him back there," said Camacho's husband and assistant, Steve Brown.
"He's unbeaten at the track and holds the track record so it's an obvious place to go.
"We're pleased with him and we have been for most of the year, but it hasn't quite happened on the track.
"He's a bit to prove at the minute.
"We've been in top company and this will be hopefully a touch easier. There are plenty of good horses in there, but he's fit and well and we'll go and do our best and see where we are."