We have a busy day’s racing on Sunday with action from Bath, Plumpton, Southwell and Longchamp, live on Sky Sports Racing…
4.05 Plumpton – Sussex Champion Hurdle – Classy Mondo Man headlines
The classy Mondo Man headlines the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton, looking to back up from his impressive showing in the Imperial Cup last month.
Gary and Josh Moore will saddle their dual-purpose star in the valuable contest that was won by the high-class Absurde for Willie Mullins last year.
Rated 105 on the Flat, the Moores have Royal Ascot aspirations back on the level this year but could land this prize en route.
Serious Challenge, for Fergal O’Brien, could have something to say about this as he is a decent horse in his own right, rated 135, and comes here off the back of a narrow-margin defeat in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso so is likely to be bang there.
4.00 ParisLongchamp – Cualificar and Bay City Roller reoppose
The best race on the turf in Europe so far will take place at ParisLongchamp as eight go to post in the Group Two Prix d’Harcourt which sees Cualificar and Bay City Roller reoppose.
Cualificar, for Godolphin and Andre Fabre, was last seen finishing 15th in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, failing to build on his stylish success in the Prix Niel, where, delivered late he got the better of the reopposing Bay City Roller. Alexis Pouchin has ridden this son of Lope De Vega to success on three occasions and returns to the saddle.
Bay City Roller has since become a Group One winner after landing the Grosser Allianz Preis von Bayern in November. George Scott’s colt looks to make a winning return but looks up against it, giving weight away to all.
Grand Prix de Paris winner Leffard was behind both in the Prix Niel but improved on that effort with a promising display in the Arc, staying on well to finish seventh so he cannot be discounted.
The two Wathnan Racing horses demand huge respect, with First look coming here having beaten Bay City Roller in the Prix Dollar last October and then following that up by finishing fifth in the Champion Stakes. He was behind Azimpour and Bright Picture on reappearance but better can be expected.
Best Secret remains very unexposed having proven progressive as a three-year-old, with his season culminating in beating one-time Derby hope Gethin in the Prix Turenne at Saint-Cloud in September.
3.10 Bath – Listed Lansdown Stakes – Beautiful Diamond and Miss Attitude lock horns
The feature contest at Bath sees 14 runners head to post for the Listed Lansdown Stakes, including Beautiful Diamond and Miss Attitude.
Beautiful Diamond ran in Group One company last year and won a Listed race at Ayr. Karl Burke sends his mare down south looking for more black type and she rightly heads the market as she is the highest-rated horse in the field.
Miss Attitude is a seasoned campaigner who has risen through the ranks, herself landing a Listed contest at Deauville last summer. She looks the main danger to the market leader.
Notable mentions must go to Hold A Dream for Clive Cox and Shine On Me for Archie Watson who will be receiving a lot of weight from her elder rivals and could land a blow if improving from two to three.
Best of the rest
1.55 Southwell – Good Earth faces 5lb penalty.
2.31 Southwell – Unexposed Henry Halflight steps into handicap company.
2.50 ParisLongchamp – Group Three Prix la Force – Francis Graffard’s unexposed Aga Khan colt heads field.
3.25 ParisLongchamp – Group Three Prix Vanteaux – Beautifully-bred Zayida starts her three-year-old campaign.
3.41 Southwell – Pendella and City Queen face off again.
3.30 Plumpton – Sea Thrift bids to defy 6lb rise.
4.20 Bath – 80-rated Baltic Fleet has just third career start.
4.35 ParisLongchamp – Listed Prix Zarkava – 12 go to post.
5.20 Southwell – Lednikov looks to back up brilliant win.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
