A round up of this weekend’s top racing action at home and around the world
Henry Cecil was buoyed by High Pitched’s runaway win at Newbury in May and the 10-times champion trainer should leave the Berkshire course on Saturday with his hopes raised yet again by his quirky horse.
High Pitched romped home by seven lengths on his last visit, prompting Cecil to say he considered him capable of winning a Group 1 race.
The ground at Royal Ascot was too quick for High Pitched when he was fourth behind Zindabad in the Hardwicke Stakes. But Cecil clearly considers underfoot conditions soft enough for his talented, but moody four-year-old.
A smooth successhere could see Cecil targeting High Pitched at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris in October. But first he must not let his temperament get the better of him and arrive at the start of the Geoffrey Freer Stakes without boiling over.
The field is bristling with dangers led by Mubtaker, runner up to Millenary at Newmarket, and Daliapour, easy winner at The Curragh.
New Foundation is favourite
Richard Hannon’s two-year-olds are carrying all before them and New Foundation is the pick of the St Hugh’s Stakes.
Hannon saddles Reel Buddy and Umistim for the Hungerford Stakes, but this time the Marcus Tregoning-trained Ghannam, a paragon of consistency, may have too many guns.
Martin Dwyer, enjoying the most successful summer of his career, could ride a long-priced double for Willie Muir on Zargus in the sprint and Impeller in the seven-furlong handicap.
Halmahera, narrowly beaten in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, should at last win a valuable sprint, the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon.
International action
The international scene moves on to Chicago, the scene of the Arlington Million on Saturday night.
Paul Webber’s Royal Ascot winner Ulundi and Brian Meehan’s Freefourinternet fly the flag for England against the favourite, the former Henry Cecil-trained Beat Hollow, who finished thirdbehind Sinndar and Sakhee in the 2000 Derby.
There would be no more popular winner for the British fans than Mick Channon’s six years young mare Golden Silca in the Beverley D Stakes, while Mark Johnston’s Love Regardless will be ridden by American Corey Nakatani in the Secretariat Stakes.
British interests in Sunday’s disappointing Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville are represented by the Godolphin pair Best of the Bests and Summoner.
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