Wednesday racing preview: What the trainers say

2.15 Ascot Longines Sagaro Stakes

Alan King reports all is well with Trueshan ahead of his seasonal reappearance in the Longines Sagaro Stakes at Ascot, but admits carrying a Group One penalty will make things tough for his valiant veteran.

The eight-year-old has to concede weight all round as a result of following up last September’s Doncaster Cup triumph with an elite-level success in the Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp later the same month.

Having finished only fourth behind the reopposing Coltrane on level terms in this race 12 months ago, King’s concerns are understandable, especially as that old rival and the Hughie Morrison-trained Quickthorn are currently rated 1lb superior on official ratings. However, Trueshan’s home work and the recent rain in Berkshire do give more cause for optimism.

“I do think he probably needs a personal best, as there are two horses rated above him and he has to give them 7lb,” said King. “He’s in great form and Hollie (Doyle) rode him work at home on Saturday morning. I’m not sure she has ever ridden him work at home, but she came in and she was delighted with him.

“The forecast is encouraging and he’s ready to start. Conceding weight to Hughie’s horse and Coltrane will be tough, but it’s a nice starting point.”

Last year, Trueshan kicked off his campaign with a narrow reversal to Rajinsky at Nottingham, but the abandoned Further Flight Stakes was never on the table this season, with the gelding given a wind-op this spring.

King added: “We had done his wind a week or so before, so we couldn’t have taken him to Nottingham anyway. We did it last year and the soft palate is something you can probably do annually with some horses. Although I had no inclination there is a problem, we just had it done again.”

Coltrane followed up an emphatic victory in last season’s renewal by finishing a fine second to Courage Mon Ami in the Ascot Gold Cup and benefits from his Lonsdale Cup victory over that horse at York falling just before the end-of-August cut-off point for penalties here.

Andrew Balding’s seven-year-old must put a below-par effort in the Dubai Gold Cup behind him, but regular rider Oisin Murphy is hoping the fitting of cheekpieces will inspire a return to form.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “Coltrane disappointed in Dubai but horses can do that. He’s been a great servant and had a terrific year last year, obviously winning this race.

“He’s been working well and he’ll wear cheekpieces, which might just help him take the bridle. I’m looking forward to getting back on him and as long as he stays healthy and is enjoying it, there’s no doubt he can get back to the level he was at.”

John and Thady Gosden’s Sweet William progressed through the ranks last term, completing a hat-trick in handicap company at Glorious Goodwood before finishing a rock-solid second to Absurde in the Ebor at York and then chasing home Trueshan at Doncaster.

“He’s in great form,” said Gosden senior. “He’s the ultimate character and he’s a lot of fun. He just got pipped off in the Ebor and we’re looking forward to running him in the Sagaro. He stays well and he’s one of those enigmatic horses who is fun to train. He’ll handle soft no problem, as he did at Goodwood that day.”

5.25 Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup

Familiar foes Galopin Des Champs and Fastorslow are both reported in fine spirits ahead of the latest chapter in their engaging rivalry in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.

There were few signs of what was to come when Fastorslow finished 21 lengths behind Galopin Des Champs as a 66-1 outsider in December 2022, but Martin Brassil’s charge bounced back to take a 2-1 lead via victories in this race 12 months ago and last November’s John Durkan at the same venue.

However, Willie Mullins’ superstar asserted his authority again in February’s Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and then powered to a second straight success in Cheltenham’s blue riband event, when Fastorslow parted company with J J Slevin at the 16th of 22 fences.

The big two dominate the betting once more for this year’s Punchestown Festival day two feature and Mullins, who also saddles longshots Appreciate It and Capodanno, has nothing but respect for the opposition.

He said: “It’s good for racing to have battles like that. Sean and Bernardine Mulryan (Fastorslow’s owners) are fantastic patrons of the game and it was fantastic to see their horse winning, even though beating mine!

“It’s something to look forward to, going back for the rematch. We’re hoping this year we can beat him in Punchestown, but you never know, it depends how the race pans out and what else is in the race.

“We’re fit and well, they’re fit and well. They love winning in Punchestown and so do we. We’ll both toast each other whichever horse wins, hopefully one of us wins.”

Fastorslow belied odds of 20/1 when claiming this prize last term, but there is no chance of him slipping in under the radar this time and Brassil is confident the Cheltenham mishap “definitely wouldn’t have left a mark”.

The Dunmurray-based handler reported: “We’re very happy with him and looking forward to the challenge again. He has no ill-effects from Cheltenham and it’s been a trouble-free passage to get him where he is now and it’s all systems go.

“I don’t know what it is but he knows the place well anyway. He seems to act really well out there. He’s never been out of the first couple at Punchestown, bar his first run over fences for me.”

British raiders have a decent record in the Punchestown Gold Cup, with Neptune Collonges the only dual winner of the race in 2007 and 2008, while Planet Of Sound struck in 2010 and Clan Des Obeaux came out on top three years ago.

Corach Rambler travels over from Scotland this year, having followed up his Cheltenham Gold Cup third by coming a cropper early on when trying to bag back-to-back Grand National triumphs at Aintree.

Lucinda Russell said: “He’s schooled since and jumped really well. He just seems really fresh and happy.”

Journey With Me earned a step up in class by staying on strongly to beat Appreciate It by nine lengths for a Grade Two success over just short of two and a half miles at Fairyhouse last time out.

Henry de Bromhead commented: “He was great in Fairyhouse, we were delighted with him and he seems to have come out of that well.

“He’s a definite Grade Two horse and now we’ll see if he can step up to Grade One. We’ve never really got an answer about three miles, so we thought Wednesday is as good as any day to give it a go.”

Rest of Punchestown

Barry Connell expects William Munny to make his presence felt when he takes on the powerhouse stables of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott in the Race & Stay At Punchestown Champion I.N.H. Flat Race.

Mullins has unsurprisingly dominated this Grade One contest in recent seasons, saddling seven of the last 10 winners, and this year’s six-strong team is headed by Champion Bumper hero Jasmin De Vaux.

Elliott saddles the second and sixth from Cheltenham in Romeo Coolio and The Yellow Clay – but in William Munny Connell believes he possesses the potential fly in the ointment.

The Westerner gelding is two from two in the bumper sphere, following up a narrow debut win at Navan with a visually striking display at Naas, after which his owner and trainer said: “In my view, he’s the best bumper horse in the country and I’m hoping he’ll be a Grade One horse over a hurdle next year.”

His overall form has not worked out as well as hoped, with the runner-up from both races subsequently well beaten, but Connell has not lost any faith in his charge and having kept his powder dry for Punchestown, he is anticipating a bold showing in County Kildare.

Connell said: “We weren’t going to go to Cheltenham with him, so we gave him a month off out in the field and a nice break to freshen him up and he’s in great form. He did his last piece of work on Saturday and he’s certainly in as good a form as he was going to Naas, so we couldn’t be happier with him.

“He’s second or third favourite for the race on Wednesday and who knows what would have happened if he’d gone over to Cheltenham? I think he’s definitely up in the top one or two (bumper horses) and I wouldn’t swap him for anything else in the race.

“He has all the attributes and his improvement from the first day to the second day was pretty incredible. He seemed to slog it out the first day and win dirty and then in Naas he was completely different – he cruised into the race and quickened up like a good Flat horse.

“I think in Punchestown, tactical speed is important, it’s not like Naas, Navan and Cheltenham, where you’ve a long straight and a hill and a galloper will win, you need a bit of tactical speed and I think the conditions will be ideal for him, so we’d be optimistic of a very big run.”

The Emmet Mullins-trained Harbour Highway and Tom Cooper’s Shuttle Diplomacy also bring unbeaten records to a competitive heat.

Stellar Story gets the opportunity to prove his surprise Cheltenham Festival success was no fluke in the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle.

The Gigginstown House Stud-owned seven-year-old was a 33-1 outsider for the Albert Bartlett in mid-March, but belied those odds by storming up the hill to collar The Jukebox Man in a thrilling finish.

The Jukebox Man did the form no harm by finishing second again in another Grade One at Aintree and Stellar Story’s trainer Elliott is hopeful of another bold showing from his charge on Wednesday.

“Stellar Story came out of Cheltenham in good shape. The plan then was to come here and he is very much on the ticket,” he said. “He always looked like he’d make into a good staying novice. While he didn’t run up to his best at the Dublin Racing Festival, at Cheltenham he showed what he was capable of.”

The Cullentra handler saddles a second Cheltenham hero in the form of Better Days Ahead, winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park.

Elliott added: “Better Days Ahead is pretty versatile trip-wise. He won the Martin Pipe over two-and-a-half but has very good form at two miles as well.”

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