CAMPANOLOGIST can complete a hat-trick of victories by winning the totesport.com Derby Trial (3.10pm) at Lingfield tomorrow to earn a place in the line-up for the Epsom Derby next month.
The colt has recently joined Godolphin, having won his first two races this year for Mark Johnston, who saddled him to score at Kempton on his reappearance in March.
That was over nine furlongs and he followed up over the same trip at Newmarket in
a Listed event, beating the highly-rated Kandahar Run, who went on to boost the form with a wide margin win at Newmarket last weekend and is now a creditable Derby candidate.
So, if Campanologist can score tomorrow, his connections will have to seriously consider supplementing him for Epsom next month.
A son of Kingmambo out of a Saddlers Wells mare, he won two of his four races as a juvenile and was also fourth in the Group Three Acomb Stakes at York's major meeting in August. He shapes as though the extra quarter of a mile tomorrow will suit and Frankie Dettori will be on board for the first time.
Luca Cumani saddles Curtain Call, who had smart form in Ireland last year when trained by Jessie Harrington. He won the Group two Beresford Stakes at The Curragh and was fifth in the Racing Post trophy at Doncaster.
The colt joined Cumani in Newmarket during the winter and made a successful reappearance over ten furlongs at Nottingham for his new connections, while By Command is also a recent winner.
The colt is trained by John Dunlop and showed promise in two races last term before opening his account in easy style in a minor event at Windsor on his reappearance. This is a huge step up in class, but he has a very shrewd trainer who could not contemplate this move if the colt was not improving rapidly.
Aidan O'Brien saddles King of Rome and Alessandro Volta and the latter – a Listed winner last term – should prove best, but Campanologist can earn a trip to Epsom.
Mine always seems to run well at Ascot and he can take the big race there tomorrow – the totesport Victoria Cup (2.20pm). He landed this prize in 2004 when he also collected the Royal Hunt Cup over a mile at the Royal meeting here and he again ran well when seventh in this event two years ago. He is now a ten-year-old but he caught my eye with a fine effort when sixth in the Lincoln at Doncaster on his reappearance and he can be forgiven a below-par effort at Newbury recently when a slow start on ground much softer than he likes left him well in arrears.
Border Castle can defy top weight to complete a hat-trick in the first big race of the new jumping season – the totesport Swinton Handicap Hurdle (2.00pm) at Haydock. The gelding scored easily at Chepstow before taking the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr last month.
The handicapper has put him up 12lbs for that latest effort, but he fairly sprinted clear in the home straight, clearly loves the faster ground and amateur Nick Schofield will be on board again to reduce the burden with his very handy 5lbs allowance.
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