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Racing Staying division preview

LAST week we talked about the many Classic prospects set to embark on their second season in training as and when the new flat season starts. Today I am going to look at the Staying division which could be up for grabs this term.

Of course the destination of the lung burster’s’ championship will depend on where connections of Stradivarius want to go with their champion stayer.

His winning run of 10 came to end when he lost out last autumn in a head-bobbing finish to Kew Gardens in the Champions Stayers at Ascot on ground which wouldn’t really have suited the son of Sea The Stars.

His owner had strongly hinted at taking a different tack this season having achieved everything possible over two miles plus.

I suspect he will try to make his mark over a mile-and-a-half and, whenever it is rearranged, the Coronation Cup at Epsom could well be his first port of call.

That would certainly change the complexion of the betting for the cup races and make Kew Gardens a tight favourite for the crown.

Six wins from 17 outings is not an outstanding record for a horse of his ilk until you look at the calibre of races that Aidan O’Brien has been running the son of Galileo in.

Winner of the Zetland Stakes as a juvenile, he was then second in the Lingfield Derby Trial as a three-year-old, ninth in the Epsom Blue Riband itself, winner of the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot followed by a brave success in the Group One Grand Prix De Paris.

And of course he ended his second season in training by landing the St Leger before nearly matching that form on paper when only beaten four lengths by Enable in the Arc.

O’Brien then raced him on just the four occasions last year following a few little niggles, culminating in that success over the champ at Ascot.

But the most pertinent fact is that this beautifully bred entire is totally unexposed over a distance of ground with that success at the Berkshire track is the only race to date when he has raced over two miles. Given good ground or quicker he should readily see out the extra half mile of the Ascot Gold Cup.

Should Stradivarius take a different route then the market would probably make him a shade of odds-on for that contest with the seemingly exposed duo of Cross Counter and Dee Ex Bee (not ridden to best effect in the race last year) possibly around the 10/1 to 14/1 mark.

So there is room for a progressive and younger horse to make their mark, which brings St Leger fifth and Melbourne Cup third, Il Paradiso, Champion Stayers third Royal Line and Sir Dragonet into the picture.

However, the one I like best of all hails from a master of producing string stayers and with a really galloper on his side; the Mark Johnston-trained SIR RON PRIESTLEY.

This strong and scopey individual did nothing but improve last season and given a stiffer test of stamina I suspect he could take another huge step forward this term.

Winner of five of his nine career starts, he went from winning a handicap off a mark of 86 at Haydock Park last year to finishing a staying-on second in the St Leger, steadily bridging the gap in the closing stages with winner Logician.

Whereas the yards’ St Leger fourth Nayef Road is no certainty to stay two miles and beyond, this boy looks every inch a Cup horse and with only nine runs under his belt he is bound to be a player at two miles and beyond.

The other progressive horse worth putting in the equation is TRUESHAN trained by Alan King, a four-year-old son of Pivotal.

Three from five in his career, the furthest he has run over has been 14f when a closing second to Ranch Hand. He then took two further steps forward with a very easy near-four-length success over 18 fellow three-year-olds at Newmarket back at a mile-and-a-half. And then trumped that performance with a neck victory over Hamish over 13.5f in a slowly run conditions event race at Newbury on heavy ground.

The make-up of that race wouldn’t have suited this strong staying son of Planteur and when he is returned to a bigger field in a well-run event I suspect he will take another big step forward.

It could be connections might aim him for something like the Ebor Handicap first, given the value of that historic contest, before he takes on the big boys at Group level. Whichever path he takes I think he will take a deal of beating when stamina is at a premium.

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