Racing Centre

Mine (pink colours of Mike Dawson) will return to familiar stomping-ground on Saturday to bid for Group 3 glory.

THIS Saturday sees the return of an old favourite to Newmarket with Mine due to face 10 rivals in an ultra-competitive renewal of the Cheveley Park Stud Criterion Stakes.

The James Bethell-trained nine-year-old has rewritten the history books on the July Course as he is the only horse ever to win the Ladbrokes Bunbury Cup three times.

It is not just the famous seven-furlong handicap that Mine has run superbly in on the July Course. To date, his track form is as follows: 3-1-2-3-2-1-1. In short, he has never finished out of the frame here.

Bethell said: “It’s quite simple really. We have always thought he loves the uphill finish coming off a strong pace.

“The Bunbury Cup is always run at such a strong pace and he loves running through horses at the end of his races.”

Interestingly Mine has also run over the Rowley Mile course across the Heath, but without success. His trainer explains: “It’s The Dip. He doesn’t enjoy going up and down through it, whereas the July Course is so much more level.”

Mine approaches June 30’s Group 3 in good heart, having beaten subsequent Golden Jubilee Stakes winner Soldier’s Tale in a seven-furlong Listed race at Haydock.

Bethell added: “He proved at Haydock last time out that he is as good as ever. If we could win the Criterion then we would have to look to another Group 3 or possibly Group 2 for him and there are no options left here at the July Course.

“Of course if we are beaten then he would come back for a crack at winning a fourth Bunbury Cup. Up until last year it was a 0-105 handicap and with Mine now on a mark of 108 that would have ruled him out, but this year for the first time it is an open handicap.”

Mine faces some stern opposition in the shape of progressive gelding Munaddam as well as Greenham winner Major Cadeaux, who was sixth on his last start in the Stan James 2000 Guineas.

Like Mine, there are several other battle-hardened campaigners in the race; Royal Ascot second Fajr, Mac Love - second in this race a year ago - and the speedy Silver Touch will all take some beating.