Tuesday 7th July 2009
Unbeaten Niran set for TNT July Stakes
Niran wins earlier this season on the Rowley Mile course
NIRAN is seeking to land a hat-trick and maintain his 100 percent record in the £80,000 Group Two TNT July Stakes (2.00pm) at Newmarket on Thursday, 9th July, with trainer Clive Brittain hopeful about the colt’s chances in the six-furlong contest.
The Caption Rio two-year-old made a winning debut on the Rowley Mile Course on May 16, defeating previous winners in the betinternet.com Novice Stakes over the distance. Niran followed up with a length defeat of Brisbane in a similar contest at Yarmouth on 28th May.
Brittain revealed this morning: “Niran has made good progress since his last run. He would have gone to Royal Ascot for the Coventry Stakes but the race came a bit soon for him so we waited for the TNT July Stakes.
“I was very pleased with his two wins. He’s a horse that switches off and then produces a bit of speed, so I thought the July Course would suit him - we go there with a live chance.
“I had him in the seven-furlong Superlative Stakes on Friday but decided that if the ground is a little bit more testing than he’s encountered, the six furlongs would be the better distance. We would certainly have no fear stepping up to seven furlongs in the future.
“He’s won on good and good to firm and it will be in the laps of the Gods as to what the ground might be. Newmarket can drain and dry out in a few hours or you can have a torrential downpour before the off and it gets quite soft. That’s the July Course, so we won’t be worrying about what we can’t control.”
Also among the declared runners for the TNT July Stakes are the Richard Hannon-trained Angel’s Pursuit, a winner over five furlongs on the Rowley Mile in May, Newbury debutant winner Arcano, from the Brian Meehan stable, and impressive Ayr scorer Ghostwing, who makes the trip down from Richard Fahey’s Malton yard. Reignier, Tawaabb and Nosedive finished second, third and fourth respectively in the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot while the Barry Hills-trained Red Jazz bids to bounce back from a slightly disappointing seventh in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting. Tom Dascombe, who won this contest in 2008 with Classic Blade, runs impressive recent Salisbury winner Orpen Grey.
The other highlight on day two of the Champagne Lanson July Festival is the £100,000 Group Two Princess of Wales’s Blue Square Stakes (3.10pm), which will see nine runners go to post. All The Aces was impressive winner of the Listed Fred Archer Stakes over the course and distance on 27th June while Godolphin is doubly represented with last year’s King Edward VII Stakes victor Campanologist and Schiaparelli. Sir Michael Stoute’s record in the Princess Of Wales’s Blue Square Stakes is outstanding, with the master of Freemason Lodge having sent out no less than six winners of the mile and a half event. This year he is represented by Doctor Fremantle, last year’s Derby fourth who will be bidding to bounce back to form after a disappointing run at Royal Ascot. Fellow Newmarket handler John Gosden is doubly represented with Duncan and the one three-year-old in the race, Alwaary, while also lining up are Drumfire, Enroller and Indian Days.
Thursday’s card kicks off with the £65,000 Bahrain Trophy (1.30pm).
