Appleby confident 'the best I've trained' Raasel can emerge as new sprint ace

Friday: 3.35 Goodwood
King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2) | 5f | 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

Raasel is just the sort of horse with whom Mick Appleby has routinely excelled during his training career and the Rutland trainer has high hopes the 10,000gns Shadwell cast-off can hand him a first Group 2 success.

Owned by the eagle-eyed Horse Watchers, Raasel has progressed from an official handicap rating of 73 last year to his current mark of 108 for Appleby and had the reopposing Mitbaahy (finished second), Existent (fourth) and Equilateral (sixth) behind when winning the Group 3 Coral Charge at Sandown last time.

"It was a messy race and the second horse was possibly a bit unlucky but I don't think Sandown actually suited Raasel, whereas Goodwood does," said Appleby.

"He's not very flamboyant at home and saves his best for the track, which is what you want. I would like to think he's the one to beat. He's won on the track before and hopefully he's got everything in his favour."

Appleby said Raasel was the best he had trained after his Sandown success and the trainer has high hopes the horse's best is still to come.

"He had a bit of a suspensory issue when we first bought him, which flared up after his first couple of runs, so we gave him a bit of time off and from there we've never looked back," said Appleby.

"He's definitely the best I've trained so far. We've had a couple of Group 3s but never won a Group 2, so hopefully that changes here. I think he's still progressing and I don't think he's hit the ceiling yet.

"We'll possibly look at both York [for the Group 1 Nunthorpe] and the Curragh [for the Group 1 Flying Five] after this."

There were plenty of hard-luck stories behind Raasel at Sandown, not least for runner-up Mitbaahy, who failed by just a neck to complete a hat-trick at the minimum trip having been stuck behind horses as the winner was getting first run.

"I didn't like him getting stall one at Sandown last time, as that was a very difficult draw for a hold-up horse." said his trainer Roger Varian. "I thought we were a touch unlucky behind a progressive horse in Raasel and we've been happy with his condition since then."

'It's our Cup final' - Tinkler hoping to score with stable star Acklam Express

Nigel Tinkler has described having a runner in the King George Stakes as the equivalent to playing in the FA Cup final for his team in Malton and in Acklam Express he hopes to be fielding the star player.

A superb third in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, Acklam Express is officially the highest-rated horse in the line-up and held the two-year-old track record over five furlongs at Goodwood until first Trillium and then The Platinum Queen lowered it on Wednesday.

He was sent off at 200-1 when finishing just four and three-quarter lengths behind Aussie heavyweight Nature Strip at Ascot and has been kept fresh since.

"I couldn't be more pleased and he worked very well last Saturday," said former jump jockey Tinkler. "He ran very well in Dubai over the winter and he's very, very quick.

"He's a course-and-distance winner and that's always a feather in your cap. He's drawn next to the rail, which is probably the best place to be drawn, so we wouldn't swap anything.

"I think he's a big price for the form he's shown but he was a bigger price than he should have been at Ascot as well. I'm not saying he'll win but, if he runs to his Ascot form, he is the one to beat."

Tinkler, who trains a team of 65 at Woodland Stables in Langton, has been travelling on an upward trajectory over the last five seasons and victory in the King George Stakes would hand him a second Group 2 success on the Flat.

"A win in a race like this for the stable and myself would mean an unbelievable amount," he said. "It's a race everyone would love to win. We're going to enjoy it but on the other hand we're apprehensive because we want to win. It's like playing the FA Cup final for us and we'd like to win."

Tinkler has not ruled out a trip to the Breeders' Cup beyond Goodwood for Acklam Express and Dubai once again beckons over the winter.

What they say

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Lazuli
He’s most definitely come forward for his run at Ascot last time. He’s a natural five-furlong horse in a race in which experienced, battle-hardened sprinters come to the fore. Goodwood’s five suits a natural speedster like him.

Robert Cowell, trainer of Clarendon House
The race has opened up a little bit and the form of his second to Raasel at Goodwood in April would put us bang there with a good squeak. Raasel has obviously gone on to be a much better horse than we have at the moment, but we know our horse handles the track and they will go a blistering pace which will suit him down to the ground. I'm hoping the ground will be good to firm and we're not coming here as an outsider. There's more to come.

Charlie Hills, trainer of Equilateral and Khaadem
Khaadem just lost his backend in the stalls at Ascot and when the gates opened the rider wasn't on him, so it never happened, but he's been fine since. He's a very fast and talented horse, who has broken the track record at Doncaster in the past. He's also a Stewards' Cup winner at Goodwood and has got a nice draw. Equilateral is very good too. I think he was a bit unlucky behind Raasel and Mitbaahy at Sandown two runs ago, so his form stacks up. Anything can happen in these sprints and a lot will depend on where the pace is and how the race is run.

Stuart Williams, trainer of Existent
I think half the field were unlucky at Sandown last time. We ended up in a poor position after we'd gone a couple of furlongs but he ran a nice race. I'd prefer a bit of cut in the ground for him really but he's not out of it and, if he has the run of the race, he should run well.

Tomas Janda, representing Miroslav Nieslanik, trainer of Ponntos
He's best over five furlongs but it's very difficult to find five-furlong races in Continental Europe. He was delayed at the border, which meant he became quite nervous and arrived quite late. The tactics during the race were perhaps not perfect either. Frankie Dettori, who knows Goodwood and the horse, rides this time and Ponntos has been at Goodwood since Saturday. He's had time to train and relax, and we expect a much better run from him compared to Ascot.

Clive Cox, trainer of Caturra
He wasn't drawn in the best place at York last time but comes into this in excellent form. He showed lots of class last year and I'm hoping it can be borne out at a track I'm looking forward to running him at. He's a laid-back horse, so hopefully cheekpieces can give him that bit of focus.

Brian Meehan, trainer of Vertiginous
She's flying. She missed Ascot [with a temperature] but has recovered well and is working great.

King George Stakes analysis: British sprinting needs a new Battaash - could Mitbaahy fill the void? (£)

Friday previews:

1.50 Goodwood: Can stayer named after Jack Grealish provide Villa owner-breeder with big win?

2.25 Goodwood: Norwegian and German raiders lay siege to Britain's Thoroughbred stronghold

3.00 Goodwood: Can front-runner Noble Dynasty make all from a perfect draw in stall three?

6.00 Galway: Blazers banker? 'She's much better over fences than hurdles. I fancy her'

6.35 Galway: More Mullins domination? Baby Zeus out to improve on last year's fourth

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