Story hoping to get lucky on comeback
Lucky Story steps out onto the racecourse for the first time in almost a year tomorrow, and Mark Johnston feels that his one-time Classic hope will “take an awful lot of beating.”
The Kris S colt faces 11 rivals in the totesport Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury, having not been seen since rattling up a four-timer last summer, culminating with victory in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.
However, the three-year-old has been absent since that run after suffering an injury in the spring, and will be making his seasonal debut in the mile contest.
“We were looking to do a racecourse gallop last week and shelved it in favour of taking in this Group Three en route to one of the big ones,” Johnston told At The Races.
“Whatever he does, he’s going to come for, it’s going to be quite a tough race against some very good older horses, but if he puts his best foot forward he’ll take an awful lot of beating.”
He continued: “We are coming into this not feeling 100 per cent ready. I think had we been going into a Group One first time we would have had to do a bit more preparation, probably with a racecourse gallop.
“It’s a tough Group Three but in some ways we are going into this race knowing that Lucky Story might need the race to some extent. He’s virtually had a year off, so he’s certainly going to be a bit ring-rusty to say the least, but at the same time’s it’s an ideal opportunity.
“If he can get this under his belt or go close then he may go straight to Group One company.
“After tomorrow we’ll make a decision whether we are stepping up in trip and looking at races like the Champion Stakes as long-term target or whether we are sticking to a mile and looking at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
“There is no shortage of options still to come. We are just a bit late in starting again.”
Lucky Story may be the Middleham-based handler’s star colt, and has been working with stablemate and dual Guineas winner Attraction.
“Lucky Story worked with Attraction last Friday and it was hard to assess the gallop,” added Johnston.
“Standing at the top after a mile you could have almost have said that Lucky Story was going the better of the two, but the jockeys were very much the other way round.
“For the first six furlongs, Attraction appeared to have been in a position to have left him any time she wanted.
“That’s the difference of the two horses – one is keen and fast the other always looking like he might drop away but he never does.”
