William Haggas has high hopes for Binhareer in Saturday's Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup, with Wiltshire also on course to represent the Newmarket trainer.
Nahaarr claimed Ayr Gold Cup glory for the Somerville Lodge team in 2020 and the grey Binhareer is 9/2 favourite with Paddy Power and Sky Bet as he drops back into handicap company having been fourth of seven in a Newbury Group 3 when last seen in July.
Haggas confirmed he has been waiting for a little ease in the ground to get the son of Dark Angel back in action, with Saturday's valuable prize an obvious next port of call having won at the course last July and finished sixth (of 25) in last season's Ayr Silver Cup.
Haggas said on Wednesday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast: "He has been one of the many horses in training who has been hampered by a dry summer. So we're hoping for the rain.
"He's a pretty good horse on slower ground and he should get it at Ayr, I hope. He's pretty talented and he's in good shape, we thought that Ayr might be the place where it would rain so we've waited since Newbury, where he hated the ground."
Binhareer has an eyecatching entry in next month's Group 1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot but Haggas isn't getting too far ahead of himself.
"It's a very trainer-type remark but one step at a time. It's been heavy there for a while on Champions Day so if it's heavy again, and he's in good form, he will at least handle the ground. But he'd have a lot to find.
"We're going to run Wiltshire as well. He is a horse that goes very well fresh and he'll enjoy some cut in the ground. He's got a bit to find but he's a pretty useful horse at his best."
Sharadd sticking to six
Binhareer's full-brother Sharadd, who has entries in the Goffs Million at the Curragh as well as the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst, won in stylish fashion on debut at Haydock at the start of the month (replay below) and Haggas has ruled out a trip to Ireland at this stage.
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"Tom (Marquand) has just ridden him this morning and he went very smoothly, we've just got to decide where to go now," the trainer said.
"I don't think we feel seven (furlongs) is the right move so we think he'll stay at six and we'll talk to the team at Sheikh Ahmed's operation and we'll make a plan for him.
"I think he's more of a sprinter, his brother Binhareer won over seven but he was actually a much better horse when we dropped him back in trip. He's in the Goffs Million but I don't know if we should be going there - I just feel that 25 runners at the Curragh, with quite a draw bias or so it appeared last weekend, up to seven furlongs, stiff track, I don't fancy it at all."
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