Chantilly hosts the G3 Prix Sigy for the 3-year-old sprinters on Tuesday, with the G2 Flying Childers S. winner Ubettabelieveit (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) set to be a warm order to carry his momentum into his 2021 campaign. Coming to the fore with a short-head defeat of Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in that five-furlong Doncaster contest in September, the Nigel Tinkler trainee was able to get to within 1 3/4 lengths of Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) when third after a slow start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in November. Taking him on is the filly Suesa (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), a George Strawbridge acquisition following her success in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Prix Yacowlef here in November.
At Epsom, the Listed Blue Riband Trial sees some credible Derby and Oaks aspirants line up in a race that was previously demoted to minor status but is firmly on the way back. John Gosden has won four of the last five runnings, with Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) chief among them, and puts forward the unbeaten Chasemore Farm homebred Uncle Bryn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Successful by a cumulative margin of 7 1/4 lengths at Kempton and Wolverhampton in the autumn, he is being brought along gently according to Gosden Sr. “We looked at the Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday, but that looks a very good race this year,” he explained. “We've chosen to go listed in a race we've won before and bearing in mind that his only runs have been on the all-weather, it will be something of a learning curve for him.”
Charlie Appleby's stable has started the season brightly and Godolphin's Wirko (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) is another coming on to turf for the first time having broken his maiden at Kempton in November. “His homework has been nice and he has done well from two to three,” his trainer said. “As respects to the track, he travels well which helps there at Epsom with the undulations. He is another that comes into the mix that we are still trying to feel our way with and where we will be pitching him the first half of the year.”
The Gredleys' Too Friendly (GB) (Camelot {GB}) impressed when winning a 10-furlong maiden at Doncaster Mar. 27 and trainer George Scott said, “He is not a horse that shows a huge amount at home, but he is in great health and we feel the track shouldn't inconvenience him. He is a straightforward horse and we are looking forward to seeing where he sits. I'm pretty sure he will continue to improve physically. He was also in at Sandown, but the track doesn't come into play as much there as it does here and he is a pretty agile horse that should handle the contours.”
Martyn Meade saddles the sole filly in Mantonbury Stud's Jan. 26 Wolverhampton debut winner Technique (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and with the stable almost winning the G3 Fred Darling S. on Sunday she warrants respect. “It is a big ask, as it is a big jump in class,” Meade said. “We debated a bit about going for a novice race, but we thought if she is good enough let's throw her in the deep end. She is very well-balanced and coped with Wolverhampton well, so hopefully she should be fine on the track. If she runs well then we can have a look at running her in the Oaks and if she doesn't we have the option of dropping back and looking at a novice with her. She was head and shoulders above the rest of them at Wolverhampton and she won as she wanted.”
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