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Listed prize tempts Fanshawe to make rare Ayr raid with Magical Dreamer

James Fanshawe can be forgiven not having saddled a winner at Ayr in a career stretching back to 1990, given that he has only sent 13 runners to the track.

Magical Dreamer will have a better chance than many of her predecessors in the Listed Al Maktoum Cup Arran Scottish Fillies' Sprint Stakes (3.35 Ayr), given she has scored three times from five starts this season.

The most recent of those wins came over six furlongs when running right away from her rivals in a Chelmsford fillies' handicap last month.

"It depends on how heavy the ground gets but she has won on soft and she is still improving," said Fanshawe. "She has been running really consistently all season and I just hope it doesn't get too bad."

Darkanna finished fifth in the Cheveley Park Stakes before landing Redcar's Two-Year-Old Trophy last October, and was entitled to need her first run back for Richard Fahey at Pontefract last month, following a spell in Qatar.

The 'obvious place' for Junius Brutus

The Listed Shadwell Stud/EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes (3.05 Ayr) brings together three colts who were strongly fancied ahead of their various two-year-old targets at Royal Ascot back in June.

The penalised Vintage Brut was sent off the 4-1 favourite for the Norfolk but lost his unbeaten record and has yet to match the mark of 101 he ran on Racing Post Ratings in the National Stakes at Sandown on just his second start.

Junius Brutus chases home Kessaar in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton earlier this month
Junius Brutus chases home Kessaar in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton earlier this monthCredit: Edward Whitaker

Also carrying the blue and white of Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha will be Junius Brutus, who was sixth in the Windsor Castle on his final start for Matthieu Palussiere.

"On his French form he handles soft ground well, he has travelled up in good shape and we're looking forward to running him," said Beckett, who saddled Junius Brutus to be second in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes over six furlongs last time. "He shows plenty of boot so the drop back to five shouldn't be a problem and this was an obvious place to go with him."

Woodcote winner Cosmic Law, who attracted each-way support in the Coventry Stakes at the royal meeting, never really travelled in the Gimcrack at York last month, but remains dangerous if coping with the drop back in trip.

Presenting Mahler reverts to hurdles at Ballinrobe on Friday after a wide margin success over fences at the Listowel Festival last week
Presenting Mahler reverts to hurdles at Ballinrobe on Friday after a wide margin success over fences at the Listowel Festival last weekCredit: Caroline Norris

Mahler looks to back up Listowel romp

After trouncing her rivals over fences at last week's Listowel festival by 21 lengths, the versatile Presenting Mahler, a four-time chase winner, reverts to hurdles in the 2m4f John Mulhern Mares Handicap Hurdle (5.10 Ballinrobe), the most valuable prize on Ballinrobe's eight race card.

The mount of Danny Mullins, who has ridden her to five of her seven wins, the John Ryan-trained eight-year-old will be seeking a third win over hurdles and Ryan said on Thursday: "Presenting Mahler had only a light weight at Listowel so the race didn't take anything out of her. In fact she bounced out of it and is in cracking form. I'd say she's in the the form of her life just now.

"She handles testing ground well and the trip won't be a problem, so we're looking forward to a big run."


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Scott BurtonFrance correspondent

Published on 20 September 2018inPreviews

Last updated 16:53, 21 September 2018

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