Hannon likely to swerve Sussex with Turpin
Richard Hannon’s colt had Canford Cliffs behind when winning the Greenham Stakes and finishing second in the 2000 Guineas, but placings were reversed in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Since then Dick Turpin has gone on to secure his first Group One prize in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly and Hannon is keen to keep his top three-year-old milers apart if at all possible.
“Dick Turpin is in great form, but it looks like being too firm for him,” the trainer told his website www.richardhannonracing.tv.
“Despite eight millimetres of rain at Goodwood on Thursday, they tell me that the going stick reading was 9.2 on the round course the following day, and the ground can only have got faster since then.
“They will no doubt try and put some more water on, but the forecast is for it to be hot and humid on Tuesday, and I suspect that the ground will be against us.
“I was never that keen for him to take on Canford Cliffs again anyway, but I have spoken to Dick Turpin’s owner John Manley, and he is quite happy to give Goodwood a miss, so, in all probability, we will opt out when the final declarations are made.
“Dick Turpin has had a busy first half of the season, what with the Greenham, the English and French Guineas, the St James’s Palace at Royal Ascot and then France, so it will do him good to have a break, and there are plenty of nice races for him later on.”
Meanwhile Godolphin’s Simon De Montfort features among a fascinating final field of 11 runners in the Betfair Gordon Stakes on Tuesday.
The King’s Best colt won four times in France for Andre Fabre and will have his first start for Mahmood Al Zarooni in this Group Three prize.
The famous royal blue silks will also be carried by the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Film Score.
Paul Cole’s recent Newmarket winner Circumvent returns to Pattern company, while Dandino also steps up in class following impressive handicap wins at Epsom and Royal Ascot.
Multiple winner Corsica is a major player for Mark Johnston, Aidan O’Brien sends Fencing Master over from Ireland and Jeremy Noseda saddles both Rebel Soldier and the Highclere Thoroughbred-owned Theology.
The latter was beaten just a nose in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot last time and Highclere racing manager Harry Herbert is hoping for further improvement.
“He’s in good form and we are looking forward to the race,” said Herbert.
“We still hope he could make up into a St Leger horse and we’ll see how he gets on at Goodwood.”
Arctic Cosmos, Dubawi Phantom, and Very Good Day complete the field.
