Wind Fire tackles strong field for Sapphire

Trained in Yorkshire by David Brown - who saddled Qatar Racing's two-year-old War Queen to win at Hamilton yesterday - Wind Fire has been in good form this season, finishing third in the Gr.2 Temple Stakes and second earlier this month in Sandown's Gr.3 Coral Charge. Brown is hopeful the Curragh's stiff five furlongs will suit the filly, but she faces several talented rivals, including big improver Mecca's Angel and the older pair of Monsieur Joe and Stepper Point.

At Newbury today the Charlie Hills-trained Strath Burn carries the colours of Qatar Racing and Meikle Ben Racing (aka Ronnie Bartlett) in the Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Hackwood Stakes (15.10) over six furlongs.

Hills has been happy with Strath Burn since he landed a maiden at Doncaster recently, but that win was nothing more than the colt deserved for he was very smart last year as a juvenile when placed in such races as the Gr.2 Prix Robert Papin and Gr.3 Cornwallis Stakes.