Tuesday 14th October 2008
Ashram bids for Group 1 glory in Darley Dewhurst Stakes
Ashram - two-time Newmarket winner, seeking Home of Racing hat-trick
ASHRAM was an impressive winner at Newmarket on October 2 and trainer John Hills is looking forward to pitching his charge into Group One company for the £287,750 Darley Dewhurst Stakes (2.35pm) over seven furlongs.
The Indian Haven colt blitzed his rivals with a four and a half-length victory in the Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes over the Darley Dewhurst Stakes course and distance on October 2.
Hills revealed today: "Ashram did well and he showed a good turn of foot coming from last to first, like he had on his first run. We were really pleased with him and he’s a horse that is growing up.
"He’s a lovely horse and we’re thrilled to be heading towards a Group One race with him. We’re looking forward to it.
"He won on the soft side of good when he won his maiden on the July Course and it was quick last time. If the ground is good or on the fast side, marvellous, if it’s on the slow side I think he’ll be okay. My only enemy would be if it was on the slow side, then we’d be in the realms of the unknown but I think we’d be unlucky if that happens.
Champion jockey elect Ryan Moore piloted Ashram to his Somerville Tattersall Stakes victory and Hills is hoping that the rider ill be available again.
"Ryan will ride if he’s available and if not, we’ll look for the best available. The situation is that Sir Michael Stoute has one horse in the race and he’ll be making a decision later in the week, so I imagine Ryan would ride that if it runs."
The prestigious contest, a race that often decides champion two-year-old honours, has 24 contenders at the five-day stage, including 11 challengers from
The card’s other Group 1 is the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes and trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam is "quietly confident" that Traffic Guard can turn the tables on Derby winner New Approach and land a first Group One triumph in the £427,500 Group One Emirates Airline Champion Stakes (3.10pm) at Newmarket on Saturday, October 18.
Newmarket’s end of season showpiece, one of seven tremendous races on Champions’ Day at The NatWest Rowley Mile Course, has 12 acceptors at the five-day stage, including the Andre Fabre-trained Russian Cross and Upton Grey, trained by John Gosden, each supplemented at a cost of £30,000.
Chapple-Hyam revealed today: "He’s a good horse so he’s worthy of taking his place in the Emirates Airlines Champion Stakes.
"The horse is in good order and is probably a little bit of an underdog but I’m going into the race quietly confident.
"He’s working well and I’m happy. He goes on any ground and he looks great, he really looks fantastic at the moment."
