Suroor sweet on Shakespearean chance

Godolphin’s Shakespearean bids to improve on his already impressive strike-rate in tomorrow’s Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The three-year-old has won four of his seven career starts and was one of the most impressive winners at the recent Derby meeting at Epsom.

He was having his first start for Saeed bin Suroor that day, having been trained in Middleham by Mark Johnston as a juvenile.

He showed top-class form at two, winning the Goffs Million Mile at the Curragh and finishing a creditable sixth in the Racing Post Trophy behind St Nicholas Abbey.

“Shakespearean won well on his first start of the season and he has improved for the run,” bin Suroor told www.godolphin.com.

“He is taking a step up in class but I think the distance suits him well. He is a big horse but I think that a stiff seven furlongs at Ascot will play to his strengths.”

Henry Cecil runs Rodrigo De Torres who was behind two of his rivals, Field Of Dreams and Red Jazz, on his last start at Newmarket.

Jockey Tom Queally thinks that race was not run to suit though and intends to be more positive tomorrow.

“I see Rodrigo De Torres having a big chance in the Jersey Stakes,” he said on his Racing UK blog.

“

I think the race wasn’t run to suit him at Newmarket last time, as it developed sooner than ideal for a front-runner like him and hopefully he can dictate from the front.”

Richard Hannon’s Lucky General looks to have plenty to find on the book but expects the track to suit.

“The Jersey has been a lucky race for us and Lucky General might have a better chance than his price suggests,” said Hannon.

“He owes us nothing, having won the Goffs Million Sprint in Ireland last year. Although his best form is at six furlongs, I have had this race in mind for a while now and feel that seven could suit him ideally.

“He’ll also be much happier on the track than he was at Epsom last time,” he told www.richardhannonracing.tv.