By Tom Frary
History tells us that when the megaforces of Juddmonte, Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore combine big things can happen and the triangle of power is brought about again at Sandown on Saturday by the exciting 2-year-old Starlore (GB) (Kingman {GB}).
Tackling the G3 Solario S. won by his sire 10 years ago, the course-and-distance novice scorer whose dam is the multiple graded-stakes winner Starformer (Dynaformer) is on hallowed ground in the race that has always pointed to the following year's Classics. “He's had a nice amount of time since his first race and it's going to be another stepping stone,” Juddmonte's racing manager Barry Mahon said. “Hopefully he'll have improved.”
Ralph Beckett saddles an intriguing contender in Quantum Leap Racing's five-length Leicester novice scorer Mortlake (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), while Charlie Appleby has taken two of the last six editions and puts forward the Newmarket maiden scorer Aablan (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a son of the prolific group winner Promising Run (Hard Spun). “Aablan has done well since winning on his debut and we feel that the stiff seven at Sandown will suit,” Appleby said. “Like the rest of the field, we are dipping our toe at this level for the first time and it should hopefully provide a nice springboard into an autumn campaign.”
Atalanta Opportunity For Coppice Growth
Also at Sandown, the G3 Atalanta S. sees another Juddmonte blueblood in action in the Sandringham H. winner Coppice (GB) (Kingman {GB}), this time from the John and Thady Gosden stable. Found out at Group 1 level when a non-threatening fifth in Newmarket's Falmouth S. at the July Festival, the full-sister to Calyx (GB) is back in shallower waters. “I thought she ran a nice race in the Falmouth, she got stuck out on the wing and that heavy shower just before racing probably just took the ground away from her a little bit,” Barry Mahon said. “We think this is a good opportunity and having started out the year with some big aspirations, it would be nice to get some black-type with her. We know she handles a mile and she won very well at Ascot and we know she likes fast ground, so hopefully that will stay right.”
St Albans Bloodstock Limited won this in 2015 with Nakuti (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and are here again with her daughter Heredia (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who dealt a 3 3/4-length beating to Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) in the Listed Dick Hern S. at Haydock last month. “We've sort of played around with the trip a little bit, probably fairly unsuccessfully, so we've gone back to a mile,” the owners' racing manager Richard Brown said. “She did it nicely at Haydock in the Dick Hern and she was off to America after Haydock. She's got herself a reprieve and we'll have a go in the Group 3 and see where we are after that.”
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