Moore in line for a day of winners

Aug 9 2008 The Journal

THE loss of Ryan Moore to the Great Britain team in the Shergar Cup at Ascot can result in a gain for Sir Michael Stoute’s jockey, who goes to Haydock for a full book of rides, including three for the stable that retains him.

Pick of the Stoute trio is King’s Event in the totescoop6 Heritage Handicap, the most valuable prize on a competitive card. The colt has only one success to his name but, to be fair to him, he is lightly raced and with improvement likely in the locker.

He didn’t run as a juvenile and as a three-year-old he scored at Windsor, which showed he acts with cut in the ground, and was placed in all his other four starts.

Off the track with niggly problems for nine months, he made a satisfactory return at Ascot last month when third to Buccellati. He rallied late on which very nearly earned him second spot and he is entitled to improve for the outing.

Greek Envoy also likes soft ground and his performance at York last time reads better than his final position. Travelling strongly, he hit the front three furlongs out, but he soon surrendered the initiative and faded quickly over a trip that exposed his stamina limitations.

Bringing him back significantly in distance should see him in a more favourable light and he is respected, together with Drill Sergeant, who bounced back to form with a creditable third behind Indian Days at Goodwood.

Moore teams up with Spanish Moon in the toteswinger Rose Of Lancaster Stakes. He won a Listed race at Ascot but may have been overrrated as he has been well beaten in similar company since at Newbury.

While this step up to Group Three could find him out again, Henry Cecil’s Multidimensional will find this easier than the Group One Coral-Eclipse Stakes.

Prior to that, he was a gallant second to Macarthur in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and has only to run somewhere near that form over this shorter trip to have a big say in the outcome.

Decameron had the misfortune to come up against a typical improver from Mark Johnston’s yard in Always A Rock who showed tremendous battling qualities to grab a head verdict over the Stoute runner at Newmarket. An easy winner of a York maiden on his previous outing, Decameron should remain on an upward curve and is a leading player for the Racing UK Handicap. His biggest danger is another Johnston three-year-old Yamal, with a similar profile to Always A Rock. He produced a storming late run to deny Swop at Glorious Goodwood.

Rain is forecast at Ascot which will be good news for connections of Highland Legacy in the Carvill Shergar cup Stayers’ Handicap. He is out to make amends for his costly defeat in the Northumberland Plate and renews rivalry with Bogside Theatre and Akarem who were third and fourth respectively at Newcastle.

All the rage for the Tyneside marathon, Highland Legacy was allowed to come home in his own time after meeting trouble in the home straight. I doubt if he would have won with a clear run but should not be ignored on one performance.