Goldrun up for the cup

Alexander Goldrun’s team believe they have their star mare in the sort of form that saw her lift the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup two years ago.

Jim Bolger has sent the five-year-old back to the Far East for a third attempt at the Group One on Sunday, with excuses given for her eighth in the race last year.

Alexander Goldrun had a half-speed gallop on Tuesday and work rider Ger Flynn said: “She seems in similar shape to when she won the race in 2004 – I rode her light work then as well.

“She still has that same zip. We made a mistake by running her in bad ground in the Champion Stakes before the Cup last year.

“It might have taken the edge off her but in the end she wasn’t beaten that far after getting a bad run here.

“She is fresher this year and you can forget her run in the Sun Chariot Stakes when it wasn’t her trip and the ground was very loose.

“We’ll definitely know much more about her when her jockey Kevin Manning comes and works her on Thursday.”

Winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes this season, Alexander Goldrun’s most memorable contribution of late was her narrow defeat by Ouija Board in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.

Her great rival also worked on Tuesday, but goes for the Vase at Sunday’s big meeting.