Our columnist Richard Fahey talks Perfect Power's QIPCO British Champions Sprint chances in this week's column as he discusses his Saturday runners.
PERFECT POWER – 2.00 Ascot
PERFECT POWER goes for the QIPCO British Champions Sprint at Ascot on Saturday and it's a big day for him.
We've been very happy with him since Deauville, we gave him a little bit of a break after that. He'd been on the go a while having started out in the Greenham, but he's come back in great order, he’s been working exceptionally well and we’re delighted with him.
He loves Ascot having won the Norfolk Stakes and Commonwealth Cup there from two goes. We decided with Sheikh Rashid that we should aim him at where he likes it so that’s why he’s been saved for the Champions Sprint. And, looking at conditions, a bit of decent ground with a little bit of cut in it should be perfect for him. He just got a bit sick of the fast ground in the summer, particularly at Newmarket.
Tom Marquand rides him for the first time and he hasn’t sat on him at home, but he'll be grand. He’s a straightforward ride and the horse is in very good shape, so he just has to go and do it now.
It's a race I’ve had some luck in, really, as Sands Of Mali won it, Growl ran a superb second at 50/1 and Don't Touch ran well in it, too. My horses seem to like the place so fingers crossed they keep on liking it. He’ll be at home at Ascot and we couldn’t be happier with him.
VENTURA DIAMOND – 2.00 Ascot
In the same race we also run Ventura Diamond and if the rain did come and it turned up heavy she'd have a chance of being placed. She's got some black type already and she ran respectably in it last year, so if she turned up in her best form she'd have a chance of finishing in the first four.
Last time, also at Ascot behind Rohaan, she was in no man's land where the split came and it just didn't happen for her. I think we can strike a line through that one.
ZIP – 2.45 Catterick
We stuck a visor on him last time and it seemed to help, so he’s wearing that again. If he can back that up he’d have a chance as he’s got a few pounds in hand now, but it is a competitive race. Fingers crossed he gets a bit of luck.
ABSOLUTE DREAM – 2.45 Catterick
He's had a fantastic season having won four over various trips. One of those was over seven furlongs at Catterick, so he is a course and distance winner, but he’ll have to bounce back from his last run at Chester where he didn’t run to his best. He could do back here.
SHOW ME SHOW ME – 3.15 Catterick
He’s been running well all year. The slower ground doesn’t seem to bother him. He was a bit below form at York last time but had previously been running well at Newcastle and Haydock. He comes from off the pace and he just needs a bit of luck in-running.
VINTAGE CLARETS – 3.15 Catterick
Vintage Clarets ran a cracker at York last time (see free video replay, below) and if he could bring that to the table here he’d have a big chance. He travelled really well that day, he's definitely a five-furlong horse on easy ground.
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GABRIAL THE DEVIL – 3.50 Catterick
He’s extremely well handicapped but I’m not sure he’s as good on slower ground. It's probably one of the worst races he's run in for a long time, but if he handles conditions he could run well.
FURZIG – 4.25 Catterick
He's had a soft season through no fault of his own and on his best form he’s well treated now. He’s another one I’m not convinced wants these slower conditions ideally but we’ll let him run and take his chance.
CUBANA HABANA – 4.25 Catterick
Trip, ground, everything will suit him here. He's been running okay and I think the extra couple of furlongs are what he wants. Hopefully that will bring about improvement and if it does he’d have a winning chance.
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