Henry Candy savours winning start for Buchanan

Cirrus Des Aigles will be at peak form for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday. Picture: Getty

Carrying the two-tone blue colours of Thomas Barr, Buchanan did not appear as a two-year-old and started off over a mile and a half in Division One of the Porto Racing Maiden Stakes. Shuffled towards the rear of the field in the early stages, Buchanan (10-1) gradually made progress and was not harmed by travelling wide around the bend as he headed another newcomer, Economy, on the line.

“He’s a magnificent beast,” said Candy. “He was quite green and not the best out of the stalls, but he did it really well. He has a terrific pedigree and we could see if we could get him in something like the Melrose Stakes (at the York Ebor meeting). It’s not impossible but I’ll see if I can find a little handicap for him somewhere in ten days’ time.”

The John Gosden-trained Fledged (7-4 favourite) finally earned his wings after two second places in the second division, although Saddaqa had every opportunity to go past. Ed Dunlop’s Trip To Paris (7-1) cut a far different figure to the one seen at Sandown a week earlier as he consigned 11-10 favourite Floating Ballerina to his third successive defeat in the Lingfield Park Owners Group Maiden Auction Stakes.

“He did everything the wrong way round at Sandown, where he was always behind, but I liked the way he did it today and he was going away at the line,” said Dunlop. “Ryan Moore liked him, and said he can go on to better things.” Gary Harrison, a Scot who moved to Newmarket from Wales this season, has a nice filly on his hands in Duchess Of Gazeley (5-1) as she followed up her course-and-distance victory a month earlier in the Janice Woolacott Longhaul Handicap.

“I got a good offer from some big owners and we’ve 20-odd horses now,” said Harrison. “She’s a very relaxed filly and hopefully the handicapper won’t get too excited.”

Meanwhile, Corine Barande-Barbe believes Cirrus Des Aigles will be at peak form when he lines up for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The trainer felt her stable star was only at 60 per cent fitness when he made his return from injury in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last month.

Since finishing fifth behind Novellist, who he reopposes again in the summer showpiece, Barande-Barbe believes Cirrus Des Aigles has thrived. “Since Saint-Cloud he has done exactly what I wanted him to do,” said Barande-Barbe. “I think he is as good as ever.”

l Black Caviar will have her first mating with Exceed And Excel as Australia’s sprinting superstar begins her new career as a broodmare. Unbeaten in 25 starts, the giant seven-year-old was retired by trainer Peter Moody and her syndicate of owners in April, soon after her final run in the T J Smith Stakes.

Interest in Black Caviar remains huge, and there was great excitement in the Australian racing world as to which stallion would be chosen for her first.

Exceed And Excel has enjoyed major recent success Down Under and stands at Kelvinside Stud, part of Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Operation, in the Hunter Valley.

Darley Stallions twitter account posted: “Thrilled to confirm one of Australia’s greatest ever horses @blackcaviar2006 will visit our Champion Sire elect #ExceedAndExcel. Honoured.”

SELECTIONS

Bath

2.10 Blue Mood

2.40 Edged Out

3.15 Speed Steed

3.50 Portrait

4.25 Special Report

5.00 Supa Seeker

5.30 Wooden King

Brighton

5.15 Silly Billy

5.50 Cape Of Hope

6.20 Classified Weapon

6.55 Reset City

7.25 Sutton Sid

8.00 Red Shuttle

8.35 Just Isla

Doncaster

5.35 Disco Inferno

6.10 Captain Secret

6.45 Uprise

7.15 Mitchell

7.50 Hidden Belief

8.25 Typhon

8.55 Keep It Cool

Epsom

6.00 Lexington Place

6.35 Go Nani Go

7.05 Art Official

7.40 Amadeus Wolfe Tone (Nap)

8.10 Huffoof

8.45 Star Date

Sandown

2.00 Drive On

2.30 Lady Pimpernel

3.05 Qawaasem

3.40 Sadiq

4.15 Persepolis

4.50 It’s Taboo

Yarmouth

2.20 Hot Amber

2.50 Dodina

3.25 Helamis

4.00 Pink Lips

4.35 If So

5.10 Rambo Will

5.40 Mediterranean Sea