Bin Suroor sweet on Ihtimal
Saeed bin Suroor’s filly has run three sound races in her career but has yet to get her head in front.
She was second to Albany winner Kiyoshi on debut, beaten by Wedding Ring, whom she meets again in this, next time out and ran a solid race against the colts when third to Berkshire in the Chesham at Royal Ascot.
“She’s a very nice filly,” said Bin Suroor.
“It’s unlucky that she hasn’t won a race yet as she’s run three nice races.
“She’s very well and she’s a filly that tries very hard.
“This looks the right trip, the right race and we hope she runs well.
“It looked like she stayed at Ascot and the experience against colts will have helped her but this looks a tough race.”
Lamar bids to give James Tate the biggest success of his fledgling training career.
The Cape Cross filly won a Newmarket maiden in June before running creditably when upped in class for the Star Stakes at Sandown where she finished a creditable third.
“I don’t think she showed us her true ability in the Star Stakes,” said Tate.
“Then when they quickened up she didn’t know what to do – she was still green.
“She is a huge filly – 538 kilos when I last weighed her – who is very relaxed and finds everything very easy at home. I can’t believe that we will see the best of her until she has had four or five starts (this will be her fourth).
“She has come on a bundle again in her home work since Sandown so there are plenty of reasons to believe that she will have improved.
“I was pleasantly surprised when I walked the course on Thursday morning – it was genuinely good ground.
“To have a two-year-old filly like Lamar is very exciting. I am just anxious to find out what level she will reach.”
As usual for a two-year-old race, Richard Hannon is well represented with Newbury maiden winner Baby Bush and Midnite Angel.
“Baby Bush won well on her debut out at Newbury,” the Wiltshire handler told www.richardhannonracing.co.uk.
“Like all ours, she will improve for that and might also appreciate going up to seven (furlongs), while Midnite Angel is also a decent filly.
“She bumped into a well-handicapped youngster in J Wonder at the last meeting, but they pulled four lengths clear of the rest, and it was probably a hot nursery.
“She has plenty of speed, but the seven should be ok for her.”
John Hills expects Adhwaa to improve as she steps up in trip later in her career, being out of a Cheshire Oaks winner, but she is in such good form he is happy for her to take her chance.
“She was very green on her debut but improved massively to finish second to Kingman next time,” said Hills.
“Then she improved again to win a decent maiden at Doncaster.
“She’s a lovely filly and is in great order at home but obviously this is a step up in class.
“We’re very hopeful that she’ll progress to be a very nice filly and she will stay further than a mile on pedigree but when you have a filly like this in good form we thought we’d let her take her chance in a good race.”
Meanwhile Homeric bids to enhance his Ascot record and gain revenge on old rival Broxbourne as he lines up on Saturday’s Shergar Cup card.
The four-year-old tackles the Redcentric Shergar Cup Stayers after running at the Berkshire course on each on his last three outings, winning once, finishing second and claiming a creditable seventh in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting.
He had to give best to the Mark Johnston-trained Broxbourne last time and that filly will be in opposition again after giving the form a boost with victory in the Goodwood Stakes at the Glorious fixture last week.
Broxbourne was in receipt of 9lb when triumphing over Homeric but she is just 1lb better off this time, with Kieren Fallon drawn to ride Ed Dunlop’s charge in the two-mile heat.
“We’re delighted to have Kieren on Homeric – I think he will suit the horse,” said Harry Herbert, racing manager for owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing.
“He’s run some really good races at Ascot and this looks very much the right kind of race for him, irrespective of it being a Shergar Cup race.
“Ed reports he had come out of his last run well and he really seems to like it at Ascot – he’s run there the last three times and is becoming a bit of a course specialist.
“He’s got a useful pull in the weights with Broxbourne this time and he is taking his racing really well.
“He’s a lovely horse and is one that we think still has a bit of improvement to come.”
Highclere are strong supporters of the international jockeys’ competition this year, with Tassel also entered for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint over six furlongs.
The Richard Hannon-trained three-year-old has not won for over a year but was highly tried earlier in the season.
Herbert expects her to give a good account of herself as she teams up with German rider Andrasch Starke, who is part of the European team and certainly no stranger to Ascot.
“She’s run really well all year but she’s one of those horses who is stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea,” Herbert said.
“She’s been consistent and it’s very tough to manage those kind of horses.”
