racing_news/

Field of 12 for £250,000 Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint
17/09/09

Potential stars of the future will be on show at Newmarket tomorrow, Friday, 18th September, in the inaugural £250,000 Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint.

The six-furlong contest is for two-year-olds who were catalogued in Book One of last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sales and were acceptors for next month’s Tattersalls Timeform Million or Tattersalls Timeform Fillies’ 800 after the first scratching deadline on 5th May.

Trainer Richard Hannon is no stranger to sales race success, having plundered major prizes throughout Britain and Ireland over the past few years and he is bidding for another bumper pay day with Magnus Thrax, who was purchased for 45,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales and is one of the 12 declared runners.

The Roman Ruler colt endured a baptism of fire on his debut at Newbury on 11th June, coming home 10th in a six-furlong maiden that saw subsequent unbeaten Group One Prix Morny scorer Arcano get the better of Showcasing, who went on to Group Two glory in the Gimcrack Stakes.

He built on that first appearance when comfortably taking a maiden over the same trip at Chepstow on 13th August, running on well to record a length and a half verdict over Could It Be Magic.

Richard Hannon jnr, assistant to his father, commented: “Magnus Thrax is all set to run at Newmarket on Friday and I think he goes there with a real chance. He’s in good form and he won his maiden well - we quite like him and we think that he’s a nice colt.

“The maiden he ran in at Newbury first time out was probably the strongest maiden of the season with the likes of Arcano and Showcasing in there. The six furlongs suits him well and he won’t mind the good to firm ground.”

Hannon is also eyeing up a return to Newmarket for the even more lucrative Tattersalls Timeform Million, run over seven furlongs on the third day of the Cambridgeshire Meeting, Saturday, 3rd October.

“If Magnus Thrax runs well on Friday, then we will certainly have to consider bringing him back for the Tattersalls Timeform Million.

“We’ve had some luck with the owner Michael Pescod in races like this before, particularly when Minor Vamp landed a big pot at the Curragh last year and I’m hopeful that Magnus Thrax can continue the trend.”

Locally-based trainer James Fanshawe is also aiming for glory in the £250,000 Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint with the progressive Society Rock, who was fifth on his debut in a seven-furlong maiden on the July Course on 14th July before going on to triumph over a furlong shorter in a Nottingham maiden a month later. The Rock Of Gibraltar colt was knocked down for 75,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales.

Fanshawe said: “Society Rock lines up at Newmarket on Friday and he seems very well in himself at the moment. He has always looked quite a nice horse and he definitely showed that he had come on for his first run when winning at Nottingham last time out.

“He was still a bit keen early on but, once he got the hang of things, he was fine. He goes to Newmarket in good order and I am very much looking forward to seeing how he gets on.

“We will take each step as it comes but he holds an entry in the Tattersalls Timeform Million and we will see how he goes on Friday before deciding whether to go for that race.

“He started off over seven furlongs but he was a bit keen so we dropped him down to six furlongs at Nottingham. He looked very much a sprinter there, so the six furlongs of the £250,000 Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint should suit him but his pedigree suggests he might get seven furlongs.”

John Gosden saddled Donativum to take the Tattersalls Timeform Million for Princess Haya of Jordan last year and the same owner/trainer combination will be hoping for more Newmarket success with Kona Coast, who comes into the race on the back of a three-quarter length victory in a Brighton maiden.

Windsor maiden runner-up Robinson Cruso takes his chance for Michael Jarvis, successful in last year’s Tattersalls Timeform Fillies’ 800 with the ill-fated Tiger Eye, while a trio from the Middleham stable of Mark Johnston comprises convincing Goodwood maiden winner Lowdown, Take Ten, who took a Warwick maiden by five lengths prior to coming fifth in a Weatherbys-sponsored sales race at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting, and Wolverhampton winner Waveband.

The Godolphin operation has enjoyed a superb beginning to September and trainer Saeed bin Suroor is set to bid for more big-race glory with Saboteur, who was a close fourth on his latest start at Kempton Park.

Five fillies take their chances in the £250,000 Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint, headed by the Clive Brittain-trained Jira, who already boasts winning form at Newmarket having triumphed in the six-furlong Listed Sunley Empress Stakes on the July Course at the end of June. The daughter of Medicean will be ridden by Japanese superstar Kosei Miura.

Brittain is also represented by Iptkaar, who has made the frame on both her previous starts, while Richard Fahey is sending down recent Thirsk scorer Cracking Lass.

Jira, Iptkaar, Cracking Lass and Waveband also hold entries in the Tattersalls Timeform Fillies’ 800, which takes place on the third day of the Cambridgeshire Meeting, Saturday, 3rd October.

The field for the £250,000 Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint is completed by the James Given-trained Greeley Bright, who will be making her racecourse debut in tomorrow’s race.

The £250,000 Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint is one of four races in the Tattersalls Timeform Millions series, which also includes the Tattersalls Timeform Million, the Tattersalls Timeform Fillies’ 800 and the Tattersalls Timeform 3YO Trophy, which is run over 10 furlongs at Newmarket at the Craven Meeting in April, 2010.

Next year’s series will be extended to eight races, all on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile or July Course, for both two-year-olds and three-year-olds over distances from six to 10 furlongs. The revamped series, which will be for graduates of Book One of the 2009 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, will boast total prize money of £1.75 million.

See below for full details of the Tattersalls Timeform Millions:

Tattersalls Timeform Million - 7 furlongs for two year old colts, geldings and fillies, October 2009

First: £550,000

Second: £225,000

Third: £100,000

Fourth: £50,000

Fifth: £25,000

Sixth - Tenth: £10,000

Entry mid - January 2009: £2,500

1st Forfeit - May 2009: £2,500

2nd Forfeit - July 2009: £500

6 Day Declaration: £500

Tattersalls Timeform Fillies' 800 - 7 Furlongs for two year old fillies only, October 2009

First: £440,000

Second: £180,000

Third: £80,000

Fourth: £40,000

Fifth: £20,000

Sixth - Tenth: £8,000

Entry as above

Tattersalls Timeform Millions Sprint - 6 furlongs for two year old colts, geldings and fillies, September 2009

First: £137,500

Second: £56,250

Third: £25,000

Fourth: £12,500

Fifth: £6,250

Sixth - Tenth: £2,500

All entries left in the Tattersalls Timeform Million or Tattersalls Timeform Fillies' 800 after May 2009 1st Forfeit eligible.

6 day declaration: Free

Tattersalls Timeform 3YO Trophy - 10 furlongs for three year old colts, geldings and fillies, May 2010.

First: £137,500

Second: £56,250

Third: £25,000

Fourth: £12,500

Fifth: £6,250

Sixth - Tenth: £2,500

All entries left in the Tattersalls Timeform Million or Tattersalls Timeform Fillies' 800 after May 2009 1st Forfeit eligible.

6 day declaration: Free

40% of entry fees will be reimbursed in the event of elimination at 48 hour declaration

ELIGIBILITY

*All lots entered, catalogued and sold or bought in at the 2008 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 1, will be eligible for the four races comprising the 'Tattersalls Timeform Millions'. Bought in lots must pay the full 5% vendors commission for eligibility.

*All lots withdrawn from the 2008 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 1, which are subsequently sold or bought in at either the 2008 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale or, if nominated at the January 2009 entry stage, at the 2009 Tattersalls Craven or Guineas Breeze Up Sales. Bought in lots must pay the full 5% vendors commission for eligibility.

*All lots withdrawn with a satisfactory Veterinary Certificate provided that commission of 5% of the average price of the Sale (Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale) has been paid by the vendor.

*All lots sold at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 1, which are subsequently returned to the vendor under the conditions of sale provided that the commission of 5% has been paid on the original sale.

*Where the purchase price or any charges in connection with the sale of a lot have not been paid to Tattersalls, Tattersalls reserves the right either to declare that lot as ineligible to be entered, or to declare that lot forfeit at any later stage.