In-form Sahpresa eyes hat-trick

Now a six-year-old, the form book would appear to back up her trainer’s claims, with his mare having beaten Moonlight Cloud earlier in the season and running with credit in defeat in the Falmouth, Prix Rothschild and Jacques le Marois. She was not beaten far in the latter by Immortal Verse and Goldikova, and turned around Falmouth form with Timepiece in the Rothschild at Deauville.

“I’m pleased to be coming over to Newmarket again. I think she loves England,” said Collet. “She’s doing well. Last time she ran in England she wasn’t really lucky with the race [Falmouth Stakes]. For me, this season she’s been better than she’s ever been. When you look at her form, she wasn’t beaten very far by Goldikova at Deauville and then she ran very well in the Jacques le Marois. Before she ran in the Falmouth she had beaten Moonlight Cloud who has since looked very good. The ground should be OK as she’s very experienced now.

“It would be great to win it again as nobody has ever won the Sun Chariot three times.”

Alanza had to be supplemented into the race earlier in the week at a cost of £16,000, a most unusual step for her trainer John Oxx to take. However, her form this season more than warrants her taking her chance in a Group One and the step back up to a mile should be very much in her favour after she flashed home late to win a Group Three at Doncaster.

“She’s done well and has progressed from one start to the next,” said Oxx. “Stepping up in distance has improved her. She’s in good form. Obviously it is a bit of a brave step supplementing her with a filly like Sahpresa in there, and Timepiece – you’ve got two Group 1 winners. We are trying to make up our minds whether to keep her in training as a four-year-old and this race will give us a chance to point her in one direction or the other.”

Jeremy Noseda plans to walk the course at Newmarket this morning before committing ante-post favourite Dare To Dance to a run in the Betfred Cambridgeshire.

The unexposed three-year-old has won two of his three racecourse starts and just crept into the field for this weekend’s fiercely competitive handicap at No 33 of the 35 declared runners.

Noseda admits he did not expect his youngster to get a run in the first leg of the Autumn Double and will not let him line up unless he is happy with conditions. “I will be walking the track tomorrow morning to make a decision about Dare To Dance’s participation in the Cambridgeshire,” said the trainer. “The ground has come up, in my opinion, unexpectedly fast for the time of year. I would be slightly concerned about track conditions for the horse.”

At Newmarket yesterday, Godolphin’s Lyric Of Light just managed to keep her unbeaten record intact following a pulsating finish to the Shadwell Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

Mahmood Al Zarooni’s May Hill Stakes winner travelled incredibly well in the hands of Frankie Dettori and arrived on the scene a furlong out still full of running. It seemed just a matter of time before the 2-1 favourite would hit the front, but Royal Ascot winner Samitar proved a tough nut to crack. Once coming under pressure, Lyric Of Light ran green, but still showed an excellent attitude to pick up the leader and score by a head. Firdaws was a further four and a half lengths back in third.

Musselburgh’s Royal Scots Family Day meeting tomorrow sees a split in the ranks with the £7,000 James Birtley Memorial Handicap divided, so the eight-race card now runs from 2:15pm until the final race timed for 6pm.

Meanwhile, Hamilton is celebrating after attendances for its 2011 season passed the 50,000-mark, already a 3 per cent rise on 2010’s figures with still one fixture to come. Ahead of Monday’s final meeting – September Holiday Family Fun Day – the Lanarkshire venue confirmed that 50,100 people have passed through the gates for 17 race meetings this year to date, compared with 48,800 race-goers at all 18 race days last year.