South Seas heads North

Qatar Racing's Gr. 3 Solario Stakes winner South Seas makes his eagerly awaited return on Good Friday, April 14, lining up in the £100,000 32Red Burradon Conditions Stakes over a mile at Newcastle.

The son of Lope de Vega won his first three starts as a two-year-old last year, including the aforementioned Gr. 3 at Sandown, and after finishing sixth in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, he beat all bar Thunder Snow in the Gr. 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud on his final outing.

Thunder Snow has since franked the form by winning both the UAE Guineas and UAE Derby, and South Seas has pleased his trainer Andrew Balding over the winter. The step up in trip should suit South Seas too, as his sire won both the French 2000 Guineas and French Derby and his dam is a half-sister to nine-furlong Group 1 winner in Hong Kong, Zaidan.

On Saturday, the Balding stable run War of Succession in a maiden at Musselburgh. The form of his second to Sir Dancealot was franked by the winner subsequently, and War of Succession looks the one to beat in this seven-furlong race.

Also on Saturday, the Ger Lyons-trained Gold Spinner an encouraging fifth behind the subsequent Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial Stakes winner Orderofthegarter at Naas last month could make his second start in a maiden at Cork. Gold Spinner is by Pivotal, the sire of Qatar Racing's Gr. 2 Celebration Mile winner Lightning Spear.