SALISBURY racecourse hosts a competitive card of action tomorrow with the feature race being the Ashbrittle Stud Bibury Cup for three-year-olds.
A seven-race card also includes The New Forest Farm Machinery/John Deere Auction Stakes, The H S Lester Memorial Handicap and The Molson Coors Handicap.
Royal Ascot hero and man of the moment Ryan Moore, who rode a record-breaking nine winners at the Berkshire venue last week, has four rides.
The card will open with The Ashbrittle Stud EBF Stallions Blagrave Maiden Stakes where Richard Hannon will typically hold a strong hand in the shape of Hairdryer - one of Moore’s four mounts - and In The Red.
Hannon will not have it all his own way, however, with Mark Johnston saddling a rare runner at the venue in the shape of Montsarrat.
The New Forest Farm Machinery/John Deere Auction Conditions Stakes will see Racquet, an impressive winner last time out, return to Salisbury for Hannon, while Stan Moore throws two arrows at the prize with the unraced duo of Faster Company and Kidmenever. Dean Ivory’s unbeaten Twin Sails provides further intrigue to what should be a fascinating affair.
The feature Ashbrittle Stud Bibury Cup has attracted nine runners with some powerful stables and owners represented.
Sir Michael Stoute saddles Darshini, with Moore set to take the ride, while Mark Johnston attempts to claim the spoils with Polarisation. Prince Khalid Abdullah is mob handed with Roger Charlton’s Marmot and Amanda Perrett’s Process representing the former Frankel connections.
Qatar Racing Limited are represented by Ralph Beckett’s Simple Verse, Alan King saddles British debutant Oceane with Life Less Ordinary and Steady Major completing the line-up for Jamie Osborne and Simon Dow, respectively.
Last year’s victor Sunny Future seeks to hold on to his H S Lester Memorial Handicap crown for Malcolm Saunders but will need to bounce back from his last-start defeat to Elysian Fields. Sunny Future will face stiff opposition from Ralph Beckett’s progressive course and distance winner Air Squadron who is unbeaten so far this season and will have the guidance of Salisbury’s leading jockey of 2015, Pat Dobbs.
Jonathan Geake’s Glen’s Wobbly is another who is in fine fettle this season, having not finished out of the first two in four starts so far this term and should prove competitive for the step up in trip. Seamus Mullins’ Song Light is unbeaten on the Flat adding further depth to another ultra-competitive race on the card.
The competitive theme of the day continues in The Molson Coors Handicap Stakes where the weights are headed by Olly Stevens’ unbeaten Lightning Spear which holds entries in York’s John Smith Cup and Newmarket’s Bunbury Cup.
Lightning Spear faces creditable challenges from Barry Hill’s Algaith, who was last seen finishing behind Derby winner Golden Horn in Newmarket’s Feilden Stakes, and Luca Cumani’s Saigon City who is stepping back up to a mile. Man of Harlech represents Andrew Balding after a lengthy lay-off, while Roger Varian’s Rekhdat is another who should prove competitive despite not having had a run yet this season.
The INSPIRE Foundation Handicap Stakes for senior sprinters and The Breeders Backing Racing EBF Maiden Stakes are the races that complete the seven-race card.
Clerk of the course Jeremy Martin is delighted with the condition of the track and said: "The Ashbrittle Stud Bibury Cup is one of our most historic races and one we always look forward to staging. It’s set to be a good day’s racing and the weather also looks favourable."
Gates open at noon with the first race starting at 2.10.
TIPS: 2.10 Hairdryer, 2.40 Waseem Faris, 3.10 Twin Sails, 3.45 Marmot, 4.20 Air Squadron, 4.55 Tigers Tale, 5.25 Ataman.
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