'Hopefully he'll be good enough to go to Ascot' - Clive Cox targeting summer riches with smart scorer Star Anthem
Clive Cox is a frequent winner at Royal Ascot and in Star Anthem he looks to have unearthed another likely juvenile project.
The attractive colt built on his promising debut second at Newbury to street his rivals by four lengths under Richard Kingscote, with the well-bred debutant Red Sand unable to land a blow on the 1-2 favourite.
The success means Cox has saddled three of the last four winners of the race and he compares Star Anthem favourably to the smart duo of Instinctive Move and Succession.
Cox said: "He ran super for the first time at Newbury and the form of that race has worked out really well and he took a nice step forward there. He was very at home on the track and the ground and we like the way he's progressing.
"He's a really strong, well-grown colt and I'm pleased we've managed to get two positive runs into him. We'll let him keep his strength now and hopefully he'll be good enough to go to Ascot. At the moment five furlongs is far enough, he hits the line well, so I'd be looking at the Windsor Castle or the Norfolk."
Hannon strike
Richard Hannon was left rueing his luck when Rosallion and Haatem finished second and third in Saturday's 2,000 Guineas but he was in the winner's enclosure here with Signcastle City.
Jim and Fitri Hay's four-year-old avoided a key incident of interference involving the 2-1 favourite Fleurir over two furlongs out before getting the better of Lunatick by half a length.
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