Rover ready for Phoenix trip

David Brown will bid to cap his second season training by scoring with his first runner in Ireland as Doncaster Rover heads to the Curragh for Sunday’s Patrick P. O’Leary Memorial Phoenix Sprint.

The South Yorkshire handler has 12 wins on the board so far in 2009, with Doncaster Rover having provided two of those since switching from Stewart Parr’s yard in March.

Phillip Makin partnered the three-year-old to victory at Chester earlier this month and is in line for the ride in the Group Three event.

Brown said: “The plan is to run and he has been in great fettle since his win at Chester. He has done well for us this season and is improving all of the while.

“He keeps stepping up and I hope he can continuing doing so. I imagine he will have just two or three more runs this season as I think he will be a serious horse next year.

“There is a Group Two at Baden-Baden and a race at Naas to consider. He is also in the Betfred Sprint Cup and could step up again there, so there are plenty of options.”