Portman keen on Annecdote push

Annecdote must carry a 4lb penalty and will wear cheekpieces. Picture: John Walton/PA

The filly has to carry a 4lb penalty for her victory in the Listed Sandringham Handicap, but her trainer Jonathan Portman is hoping she has not yet finished improving.

“She’s in good order and came out of Ascot very well. She’s got the penalty for winning a listed race so is not on great terms with some of them, but provided she can settle in that outside draw (11), I hope she will run very well,” said the Upper Lambourn handler. “She’s in very good order and we’re looking forward to running her.

“The Royal meeting was fantastic for us. She ran a really gutsy race. She had a pretty hard race, but hopefully we’ve given her long enough to get over it. She has come out of it well, in fairness.

“We just want to see where we are with her, if she can mix it on these terms in this sort of race or whether she is just a handicapper that got lucky.

“I think there’s a bit more to come from her hopefully.”

Godolphin are triple-handed with Dark Orchid, Falls Of Lora and Zibelina, with trainer Saeed bin Suroor expecting good runs from the trio. All three of them are ready to run and this looks the right race,” he said. “Falls Of Lora won a Listed race last year and I like her a lot, she also won at Meydan. She’s come out of her last race well. The other two are ready to run, too, and should run well.”

Light Up My Life was sixth behind Annecdote at Royal Ascot and has since run the progressive Integral to a length at Sandown three weeks ago.

She will wear cheekpieces, and her trainer Richard Hannon is hoping they can do the trick.

“She ran a corker at Sandown last time, just being reeled in close home by a good filly (Integral), but the cheekpieces just might help her concentration,” he told www.richardhannonracing.co.uk. “It won’t be easy against the older fillies, but she is in good form, and this week’s rain has taken the sting out of the ground which is good news.”

Yesterday, meanwhile, Frankie Dettori rode his first winner for new employer Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad al Thani aboard smart newcomer Shamshon at Sandown. The Italian will don the grey and maroon silks whenever he can, and had already put Richard Hannon’s juvenile through his paces.

Sent off the 8-11 favourite for the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes, the Invincible Spirit colt eventually zipped six lengths clear down the five-furlong chute.

“It’s nice to get the first one,” said Dettori. “I rode him about a fortnight ago and I thought he was one of the nicer horses.”