Popular Pallasator returns in Sagaro Stakes

High-class stayer Pallasator reappears in the Gr. 3 Longines Sagaro Stakes over two miles at Ascot on Wednesday and will face seven rivals.

The Sir Mark Prescott-trained gelding makes his seasonal return slightly earlier than last year, when he won the Gr. 3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown in late-May, and he would hold strong claims in the Sagaro on some of his form from 2016, particularly his excellent second to Big Orange in the Gr. 2 Qatar Goodwood Cup. Pallasator also finished runner-up in the Gr. 3 Lonsdale Cup at York last term, and in 2015 he won the Gr. 2 Doncaster Cup.

With Qatar Racing's retained rider Oisin Murphy, who rode Pallasator in all his six starts last year, unavailable, the gelding will be reunited with Luke Morris for the first time since the pair finished fourth in the 2014 Ebor Handicap. It's no secret that Pallasator has proved troublesome in the preliminaries and on his way to post in the past, but he did little wrong last season and hopefully it will be more of the same this time around.

As an 8-year-old, Pallasator is the oldest of Qatar Racing's horses in training in Britain, and he will bid to become the most senior winner of the Sagaro Stakes since 9-year-old Cover Up won the 2006, a year after Alcazar had won as a 10-year-old.

Also in the line-up for the Sagaro Stakes won for the last two years by the now-retired Mizzou (who went on to finish second in last year's Ascot Gold Cup) are the 2016 St Leger and Cesarewitch Handicap winners, Harbour Law and Sweet Selection, and the smart performers Nearly Caught and Vent de Force both representing the Hughie Morrison stable.

Melodic Motion and Lethal Impact also represent Qatar Racing on Wednesday, with the fomrer running in a fillies' handicap at Pontefract and the latter going in a maiden at Yarmouth.