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Northumberland Plate runner-up Australis out to make amends in quality affair

Australis (right) beats Caravan Of Hope at Wolverhampton
Australis (right): beat Caravan Of Hope (left) at Wolverhampton but the form was reversed in the Northumberland PlateCredit: Pool

3.00 Ascot
Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Handicap | 2m, 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Taking a live-and-let-live approach to the Shergar Cup is generally pretty easy to manage, apart from when it would get in the way of a genuinely interesting handicap. This race would have been one such example.

The obvious improver is Australis, who has traded blows with Caravan Of Hope this season but came off worse on the biggest day in the Northumberland Plate. The fact that he is now rated 11lb higher than where he started in June is perfectly fair and he appears to have more to give, especially over two miles after just one attempt.

The Northumberland Vase winner is also in the field. Mondain in effect won a small-field 0-85 that day and has flopped since. Still, he is priced up as a rag which may be a touch dismissive.

There are two more four-year-olds in the line-up and naturally both are completely unexposed over the trip. The same goes for Red Force One, who is five but a dual-purpose performer and thus fairly lightly raced.

He shaped well in a spin around Thirsk in June and won the Summer Handicap Hurdle a couple of weeks later. Top jumps handler Paul Nicholls has done well with a small number of Flat runners and this gelding looks primed for a shot at two miles on the Flat, having stayed on strongly last time.

As this is a staying race, there are also plenty of familiar faces – quite a few of those would draw attention in everyday handicaps.

Sleeping Lion and Eddystone Rock, who won on this card last year, have notable course form. The latter-named runner was 5lb lower then but gets the benefit of Cieren Fallon's 3lb claim now. He has only run once this season when he shaped as if not quite fit.
Keith Melrose, betting editor


What they say

Tom Clover, trainer of Holy Kingdom
He got a bit too far back at Newmarket last time and if he hadn't run there he'd be a shorter price. He's got to give weight to the favourite, but he seems really well and he hit the line hard at Newmarket the time before. I don't think two miles will be a problem.

John Best, trainer of Eddystone Rock
He won on this day last year when it was part of the Shergar Cup and I'm hopeful he'll run a proper race again as he seems in good form. I think he just got too far back at Royal Ascot.

James Fanshawe, trainer of Sleeping Lion
It's a good race for him as it is for four-year-olds and upwards, so keeps three-year-olds out. He ran very well at Newcastle last time and he stays the two miles very well. Ideally he'd like a longer home straight but he doesn't mind the ground.

Tom Dascombe, trainer of Charlie D
He ran a rare below-par race at Newcastle last time, where he got racing too soon and finished well beaten. I think we can draw a line through that.

Australis: favourite for the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle
Australis: forecast favourite for Roger VarianCredit: Pool

Roger Varian, trainer of Australis
He should like the trip, ground and track. I'm hopeful of a good run.

David Menuisier, trainer of Kaloor
He had lost his form when I received him and so we went back to basics and started from scratch over a mile because he was quite headstrong. He ran the same race when I stepped him up to 1m2f and so then I stepped him right up to 1m6f at Sandown, where he was a bit unlucky. I would have liked to have run him over that trip again, but he's a small horse and there are no suitable races. I don't think two miles at Ascot will be a problem.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Red Force One
After he won the Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen we thought we'd wait for the better races in the autumn and give him a couple of runs on the Flat. He'll love the ground and he stays well, so he should run tidy off bottom weight.


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Graham DenchReporter

Published on 7 August 2020inPreviews

Last updated 08:42, 8 August 2020

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