'Dropping back to six furlongs really suited her' - red-hot Abernant favourite bids to follow up impressive Listed success

Arguably the three most interesting runners in the Blanford Bloockstock Abernant Stakes were never meant to be sprinters.

Romantic Style was a close fourth in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches last season and began her year by pulling too hard in Meydan’s Cape Verdi, also over a mile.

Sajir is by Make Believe, a somewhat rare sire of sprinters, while Royal Zabeel is a son of Mastercraftsman, whose progeny are better known as middle-distance horses or stayers. These two have won over longer trips since the start of March.

Romantic Style is odds-on with some bookmakers on the first show, and her connections are partly responsible for that. Her fitness advantage is another factor. 

The daughter of Night Of Thunder looked good when returning to sprinting on her last outing in January, but that came against modest opposition at a lower level. 

Lethal Levi and Royal Zabeel edge Romantic Style on adjusted Racing Post Ratings, and the first-named would be of major interest if anywhere near the level of his three-length strike in the Ayr Gold Cup when last seen. 

That seems unlikely, however, given Lethal Levi has struggled at this track on his past two reappearances in the spring. Run To Freedom, a bona fide Group 1 performer on his day, has similar questions to answer, having been unsighted since the 2024 Abernant.

Even allowing for Andre Fabre’s 0-8 record on the Rowley Mile over the past five seasons, his runners here are always worth close inspection, and Sajir seems primed to go well.

Fabre won with 25 of his first 75 runners on the Rowley Mile, and Sajir’s all-weather strike last month will have brought him forward. With no concerns over rain-softened ground at Newmarket, Sajir may end Fabre’s atypical course quiet spell.
Analysis by Robbie Wilders

What they say

Adam Ryan, son of Kevin Ryan, trainer of Grand Grey
He's a new recruit to the yard and we're still learning about him. He has some very decent form and this is a good starting point which will help tell us where to go with him. It's six furlongs, but he has five-furlong form as well.

Karl Burke, trainer of Lethal Levi
He deserves a step up in class; to win the Ayr Gold Cup the way he did was a black-type performance. Whether he can reproduce that is another matter. It's his first run of the season, and he'll come on a little bit for it, but it's a good starting point. He handles the undulations well at Newmarket.

Lethal Levi: runs in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket Credit: Grossick Racing (racingpost.com/photos)

Chris Dixon, founder of The Horse Watchers, owners of Royal Zabeel
He goes there in really good form. This is a bit of an experiment to see what shape the rest of his season takes. Seven furlongs is his trip to a degree, but we want to find out whether he can be effective at six and this looked the most sensible option to try it.

Henry Candy, trainer of Run To Freedom
He's been off for a year, as he had a bit of soreness in his cannon bones, so we turned him out. It's not an ideal sort of preparation for a seven-year-old horse, but he seems to be working okay. I'm sure he'll need the run, but he should run respectably.

Ted Voute, racing adviser to Prince Faisal, owner of Sajir
He's had a run, which we are hoping will give us the edge on fitness. He'll have to go some to beat the Godolphin filly, but this will tell us whether we go up to seven furlongs or stay at six.

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Romantic Style
She has come back from Dubai in great order. She was beaten by a subsequent Group 1 winner in the Cape Verdi and dropping back to six furlongs really suited her last time out. We wouldn’t want it too quick for her, but she looks great. I’m hoping she’s a filly we can have a bit of fun with in the sprinting division this season.
Reporting by David Carr

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