Tweet

racing news /

Lord Of The Stars has TNT July Stakes Option
03/07/10

Ralph Beckett is considering the £70,000 Group Two TNT July Stakes (2pm) among two options for his exciting colt Lord Of The Stars at Newmarket’s Champagne Lanson July Festival next week.

The Speightstown two-year-old, one of 12 entries for the six-furlong contest, is also among 13 youngsters engaged in the £20,000 EBF Conditions Stakes (3.45pm) over the distance the same afternoon, Thursday, 8th July, on day two of the three-day Champagne Lanson July Festival.

Lord Of The Stars will return to the scene of his only previous racecourse appearance, one that brought a determined victory in the six-furlong July Course Maiden Stakes on 18th June. Beckett’s charge belied his inexperience that day, rallying to repel The Paddyman by half a length.

The runner-up franked the form on 1st July, posting an eight-length maiden success at Yarmouth.

Beckett revealed today: “I will sit down and look at both races to see what the entries are like, then we will make a plan for Lord Of The Stars.

“He is a very straightforward horse and the second hosing up at Yarmouth yesterday makes the form, all of a sudden, look pretty good. Whether it turns out to be as good as it appears is another thing entirely but he is okay and the plan is to run next week in one of those races.”

The TNT July Stakes entry also includes the William Haggas-trained Group Two Norfolk Stakes hero Approve, narrow Coventry Stakes runner-up Elzaam from the Michael Jarvis stable and the third on that occasion, Roayh from the Godolphin yard of Saeed bin Suroor, as well as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Emperor Hadrian.

Beckett could also saddle the lightly-raced Desert Sage in the opening £60,000 Group Three Bahrain Trophy (1.30pm) over a mile and five furlongs, a race that has attracted 11 entries, among them Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes third Gallic Star, Group Three Queen’s Vase fourth Corsica and the lightly-raced Very Good Day.

The Selkirk filly followed a debut second with fourth-place in the 10-furlong Listed Swettenham Stud Fillies’ Trial Stakes at Newbury on 14th May.

Desert Sage stepped up to a mile and a half for her latest outing in a maiden at Chepstow on 11th June. The third that day, Heart Of Hearts, went on to land a Newbury maiden on 1st July.

The Whitsbury Manor trainer continued: “Desert Sage has various options. The form of her race has worked out well with the third going on and winning at Newbury last night.

“Her participation would depend on the opposition and how we felt about the ground next week. She has the option of the Listed Plantation Stud Stakes (17th July) at Newmarket in a fortnight’s time against her own sex and there is also a fillies’ Listed race in France in the meantime to consider.

“It would depend on how we feel about her next week but she is in good nick and I hope she will prove to be progressive.”

Thursday, 8th July, also features the £95,000 Group Two Princess Of Wales’s Sportingbet.com Stakes (3.10pm) over a mile and a half, for which there are 13 acceptors. Sir Michael Stoute, who has won the contest seven times, could run Spanish Moon and Glass Harmonium.