Champagne Stakes preview: Reach For The Moon among 11 entries
By Sporting Life
16:11 · MON September 06, 2021
Reach For The Moon headlines 11 contenders for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.
Owned by the Queen and trained by John and Thady Gosden, Reach For The Moon narrowly failed to give Her Majesty a Royal Ascot victory when beaten just half a length by Point Lonsdale in the Chesham Stakes.
The Sea The Stars colt went on to land a Newbury maiden before registering a deeply impressive success in the Group Three Solario Stakes at Sandown last time out.
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He faces another stiff test in Saturday’s Group Two heat, though, with the Richard Hannon-trained Lusail seeking a hat-trick at this level after lifting the July Stakes at Newmarket and then adding to his tally in the Gimcrack at York last month.
Dubawi Legend disappointed slightly on the Knavesmire when only third in the Acomb at the Ebor meeting, but he could be given another shot at Group race glory by Hugo Palmer in this seven-furlong contest.
Connections have Friday’s Cazoo Flying Scotsman Stakes as a potential alternative, however. Palmer said: “I left him in the Champagne, and he’s in the Flying Scotsman as well, so we’ll just have to see.
“He appreciates fast ground and he’s a course-and-distance winner. The Champagne is a firm option, and so is the Listed race on the Friday.”
Native Trail is unbeaten in two for Charlie Appleby – while Eldrickjones has been running with credit, if not successful as yet, in some competitive heats for Roger Fell.
Bayside Boy, Great Max, Maritime Wings, Masekela and Zechariah also remain in the mix – with Twilight Jet a supplementary entry for Michael O’Callaghan after finishing third in the Gimcrack.
Later on the card, Danyah could make his first start in Group Two company in the Cazoo Park Stakes.
Owen Burrows’ charge was due to contest the Hungerford at Newbury last month before being declared a non-runner, but he could now try to transition from handicap company after a fine effort in winning the International at Ascot.
Appleby is double-handed at this stage, with D’Bai and Glorious Journey, while Aidan O’Brien has both Horoscope and Khartoum among the nine possibles. Richard Hannon’s popular eight-year-old Oh This Is Us, Laneqash, Rhoscolyn and Rhythm Master complete the potential line-up.
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