Mick earmarked for Ascot return

Young Mick is on target to bid for back-to-back victories in the Grosvenor Casinos Cumberland Lodge Stakes on his belated seasonal debut at Ascot in a month’s time.

The six-year-old completed his meteoric rise from handicapper to Pattern-race winner by taking the Group Three contest on his final start for his 10th victory of 2006.

A series of minor setbacks kept Young Mick off the track for most of this season but he is now on course to return to track action.

“He’s had so many niggling little problems, with his muscles and his feet, stupid things like that,” said trainer George Margarson.

“Touch-wood, he’s been fine for the last six weeks.

“He had a blow over seven furlongs this morning and the plan is to go straight for the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot on September 30.

“He’ll have two spins on the track before he goes to Ascot, probably at Newmarket and Yarmouth.

“That will give us plenty of time to get him 100%, then there’s the St Simon Stakes at Newbury in October.

“After that we’ll be shipping him off to Dubai at the earliest opportunity to get him ready for the spring meeting over there.”