Candy expecting Propre test

Henry Candy is expecting the big contingent of overseas raiders to give his speedy sprinter Amour Propre a tough test in the King’s Stand Stakes.

Winner of four of his five starts, the son of Paris House broke two track records in his juvenile season at Warwick and Bath before winning the Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot in October.

He returned with a stylish win in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket last month and is currently around a 9-2 shot for the Group One sprint on the first day of the meeting.

“He did a little piece of work this morning and Dane O’Neill rode him and he appears very much more relaxed,” said Candy.

“I don’t know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing but he is in very good form with himself.

“I still think he is one of the best sprinters I’ve had. He has a very different way of doing things than Airwave and Kyllachy who were very slow out of the stalls and relaxed early on in their races.

“This horse is totally different, he’s very much on the go from the start.

“It’s very hard to compare them because their style of running is so different.

“I said last year when he was breaking those track records that he needed it fast. Now he will probably handle it a bit softer but he would never go on soft or heavy.

“The international challenge looks very strong and I’m expecting a tough day out but I’m sure the race will give people a huge amount of entertainment.”