'I'm very hopeful' - Cox bullish Tis Marvellous can initiate big-race double

William Hill Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes (Listed Race) | 5f | 3yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Clive Cox will be at Sandown to saddle Positive in the Betway Solario Stakes, but he will have an eye on Beverley, where 20 minutes earlier one of his great favourites Tis Marvellous will likely be sent off favourite for the Beverley Bullet.

Tis Marvellous won the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin as a juvenile, and his impressive defeat of Open Wide off 103 in a valuable handicap at Ascot in July suggests he is right back to his best. In that case he ought to take all the beating under Ben Curtis, who is having his first ride for the stable.

Cox is optimistic and said: "Tis Marvellous is a real superstar and still holds the two-year-old track record at Maisons Laffitte for five and a half furlongs after his Group 2 win there.

"He's very much at home anywhere from five furlongs to six, but his impressive Ascot handicap win over five was probably a career best as he was put up to 111 afterwards. He should be fine on the ground, which seems to be drying, and if he handles the track and repeats the Ascot form from a nice draw I'm very hopeful."

Griffiths bidding for hat-trick

His star sprinter may have retired but David Griffiths is not going to give up the Beverley Bullet without a fight.

For the last two years he has won the 5f dash with the brilliantly speedy Take Cover, who is taking life easy at his owner's Norcroft Park Stud, and now he relies on Ornate, who is very nearly as quick.

The six-year-old made all in the Dash at Epsom on Derby day and led the field to nearly halfway before finishing seventh in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York last week.

"It would be great to win it again," the trainer said. "They took Ornate on a little early last week and he's run a few times at York and never been at his best.

"But he won a conditions race at Beverley, so we know he can handle this track, and he ran well behind Battaash in the King George at Goodwood."

Take Cover was retired at the end of last season after winning 15 races and earning more than £750,000.

He is now 12 and Griffiths said: "I went to see him a couple of weeks ago at the stud and he's in great form, he's having a lovely time and enjoying retirement."

Not all positive for the second favourite

Danzeno has never raced at Beverley and is not ideally drawn. Drying ground is not in his favour either, but Mick Appleby does not anticipate the track being an issue for his splendidly tough and genuine eight-year-old.

Appleby said: "Stall nine isn't the best of draws, but there are only ten runners so it hopefully won't be too big a problem. He's in good order and the good to soft on Friday would have been ideal, but it's drying up and I hope it doesn't dry too much. He ought to have a good chance."

What they say

Paul Midgley, trainer of Tarboosh
He ran well at York, where he probably did best of those who were drawn high, and he takes his races well. Although it's drying up it should still be on the easy side of good. He's third favourite and I think he goes there with a third favourite's chance, so fingers crossed.

Michael Dods, trainer of Intense Romance and Queens Gift
Intense Romance is desperate for some proper soft ground. She seems in good form and the ground should be safe enough for her, but she comes to hand more at the back end of the season. Queens Gift is the opposite as she wants it to dry up, which I think it will. In fact, it could be good ground by race time. She's an improving filly and it would be nice to get some black type for the owner, who breeds.

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