Aviator ready for touchdown at Newbury
An impressive winner at Newbury in the spring, Imperial Aviator returns to the Berkshire course today for a handicap (14.50) over ten furlongs.
The Roger Charlton-trained three-year-old (pictured right) has run well at the track twice before, for he was also third over course and distance last month following that race he was given a 2lb rise by the handicapper. Charlton says: ‚"The ground should be ideal and he has the best current form in the race as his last run has worked out well. The second and the eleventh have won big races since and others have run well in their next starts.‚"
Oisin Murphy rides Imperial Aviator, and from a choice of three Qatar Racing runners in the Gr.3 Worthington's OCSL Stakes (14.20) (formerly the St Simon Stakes) he has opted to ride the Ralph Beckett-trained Mountain Bell, who won a Listed race at Chester recently. Mountain Bell's stablemate Bellajeu will be ridden by Beckett's stable jockey Fran Berry, while Harry Bentley partners Sumbal for David Simcock's yard.
On the same Newbury card, recent Ffos Las winner Scorching Heat runs for Andrew Balding's stable in the nursery (14.30) in which Qatar Bloodstock stallion Harbour Watch is represented by two runners, namely Fields Of Song and Mr Hobbs.
Britain's final Group One race of the season takes place at Doncaster today the Racing Post Trophy, a one-mile test for two-year-olds, was won by Qatar Racing's Elm Park in 2014. Brutal, trained by Ger Lyons and ridden by Colin Keane, carries the same colours in today's running of the race, which has attracted ten runners.
Twice second before winning a maiden at Leopardstown in August, Brutal faces a big task against some talented rivals, including a trio of Aidan O'Brien-trained runners. Yucatan, ridden by Ryan Moore, appears to be the most likely winner from that stable, but Finn McCool's effort will be of interest after he narrowly beat Qatar Racing's Harbour Beacon last time out.
Another possible winner is Salouen, who was second in the Gr.1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, and sets a good recent standard. Earlier in the season he was second, but comfortably beaten, by Qatar Racing's South Seas in Sandown's Solario Stakes.