Check out the view from connections ahead of Saturday's action at Newbury.
1.50 Virgin Bet Horris Hill Stakes
Peter Chapple-Hyam is hoping to see the real Defence Of Fort when he lines up in the Virgin Bet Horris Hill Stakes.
The Starspangledbanner colt powered to a four-and-a-half-length success on fast ground at Ascot on his debut in July, but is on a retrieval mission after finishing a well-held fourth to Silver Knott in the Solario at Sandown in August.
Chapple-Hyam said he had excuses for that effort and better can be expected of the imposing youngster who cost just 19,000 guineas.
“He’s fine. I was a bit disappointed with his last run and he came back coughing after it,” he said. “He was sick and it took quite a long time to get him back right. I am not so sure we would have beat the winner, anyhow. But I think we would have finished a lot closer than we did. Whether he is up to Classic standard or not, we will soon find out, but I will be disappointed if he doesn’t run well.”
Meanwhile, Ed Bethell feels Oviedo is being overlooked and has the form in the book to pose a major threat in the Group Three feature.
The Lope De Vega colt won a Doncaster novice on debut and was immediately pitched into the Acomb at York on his second start, where he finished third to subsequent Dewhurst winner Chaldean.
Though things did not go according to plan when well-supported for the valuable Goffs Million at the Curragh last month, the Middleham Moor handler feels Oviedo has a better chance than most in the seven-furlong contest.
Bethell said: “Ireland was obviously a bit disappointing, but those sales races often produce funny results. He seems none the worse for that race and he seems to have come back in really good form, and I am looking forward to running him on Saturday – I think the track at Newbury should really suit him.”
A 50/1 shot for next year’s Derby, Bethell believes Oviedo can bounce back to his best against eight opponents and prove any Classic aspirations are not a pipe dream.
“We will definitely take things one step at a time,” he added. “We will get Saturday out of the way and it will either be a winter of dreaming or a winter of ‘what will we do next?’. But I’m very happy with the horse and how he is training, and I think he should run a nice race, but it is a race full of unexposed horses.
“The bottom line is, how good are the maiden horses? How many have achieved what Oviedo has achieved in finishing third in an Acomb that has worked out ridiculously well. That is the big question.”
Grey’s Monument is the most experienced in the line-up, having had six runs already this term for the in-form Ralph Beckett.
He is on a hat-trick following nursery wins at Haydock and York, where he tackled a mile for the first time.
Easing ground will play to the strength of the son of Territories, according to the trainer, who said: “I’m hoping the rain that has fallen at Newbury will bring his stamina into play, because it looked at York like a mile suited him very well and I suspect even further would suit him. So we will see how that pans out, but he is very well and he should put up a good show.”
Representing the powerful Charlie Appleby operation is Striking Star, a Dubawi colt who made a nice start to his career when winning a Sandown novice last month.
Appleby said on the Godolphin website: “We have been pleased with the way Striking Star has come out of his win at Sandown and conditions at Newbury should suit him. He has to step up on what he has achieved and we hope to find out what level we will be dealing with as a three-year-old.”
2.25 Virgin Bet St Simon Stakes
Lone Eagle will use Saturday’s Virgin Bet St Simon Stakes at Newbury as a stepping-stone to the Hong Kong Vase and looks poised to stay in training next season.
The four-year-old, trained by Freddie and Martyn Meade, has had a couple of runs since overcoming a serious leg injury sustained in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last year.
The son of Galileo, who finished a neck second to Hurricane Lane in last season’s Irish Derby, has recovered well from a cracked fetlock and, having made a return at Goodwood in May, was fifth to subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in July.
Connections have been waiting for softer ground since and should he come through it well, a tilt at the Hong Kong Vase is on the cards. Lone Eagle, who will be partnered by newly-crowned champion jockey William Buick for the first time, takes on seven rivals in the mile-and-a-half contest.
They include the William Haggas-trained Irish St Leger runner-up Hamish, who will be a warm order to take the Group Three prize, as he bids to score at this level for the third time in four starts.
However, Freddie Meade is expecting a big run from the Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm-owned son of Galileo.
He said: “We are really happy with his progress. He has been a bit stop-start this year, but we are really happy with the way he is, going into it. I think we have got him better than we had him for his previous couple of starts this year. The first run at Goodwood was to get him back on track and the form of the French race hasn’t worked out too badly! He is in great form and should cope with the ground. Newbury should suit him and we have the top man to ride him, so it is all looking good.
“We think the plan is to stay in training next year and see what he can achieve. We have given him an entry in the Hong Kong Vase, so that is something we can look at. Hopefully he will be a horse we can travel with a bit. Saturday is hopefully the first step in the right direction. He is a fresh horse, so we will see what options lie ahead.”
Passion And Glory, who has winning form at this level, has also had a light campaign on these shores, having started his European season winning Sandown’s Listed Gala Stakes over 10 furlongs in July. Third to Siskany at Newmarket when last seen a month ago, Saeed bin Suroor said he has shown all the right signs at home.
“He is doing well,” said the Godolphin handler. “His last piece of work showed he is doing good. He will like that easy ground, as he prefers it. The surface won’t be a problem and (jockey) Hollie Doyle knows the horse well. He is straightforward and we expect a good run from him.”
On ratings, Max Vega has a little to find with the principals, although he started his campaign with victory over course and distance for Ralph Beckett.
“He’s won a John Porter and he obviously likes Newbury, and he likes this ground,” said the trainer.
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