Saturday racing preview: What the trainers say

1.15 Haydock - Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes

Charlie Hills is banking on soft ground coming to the aid of Cicero’s Gift when he attempts to return to winning ways in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock.

Always held in high regard, the son of Muhaarar took part in the St James’s Palace Stakes last year after impressing in winning the first three starts of his career.

He was not seen again after Royal Ascot until returning in style to down the reopposing Holloway Boy at Sandown in July, and although beaten at Goodwood most recently, Hills has been happy with the colt’s progress leading into what will be just his second run in Group-race company.

He said: “I’ve been happy with the way he’s been training. Hopefully there’s been a bit of rain up there, which will be handy. We will see what the ground is like, and if it’s suitable for him we’ll run him. If not, we won’t. Absolutely, we know he needs a soft surface.

“It is the right sort of race for him, the track will suit him well. It is nice to see him get back on track.”

Also favouring a light shower or two at the Lancashire track are the connections of Clove Hitch who dazzled when breaking her duck at Newbury, but somewhat underwhelmed when upped in grade at Sandown for the Coral Distaff.

She returned from that race sore and having been given plenty of recuperation time by handler Andrew Balding, is ready for another run.

“We always thought she’d like soft ground, so I don’t know whether it was naturally the soft ground in Sandown that was the issue or she just gave herself a tweak in the race or what,” explained Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“She came back from it quite sore, so Andrew has given her a bit of time since then and is happy with her again now.

“Oisin (Murphy) always said she wouldn’t mind a little bit of cut in the ground, but hopefully they don’t get too much rain.”

2.00 Kempton Unibet Sirenia Stakes

Adrian Keatley is backing Symbol Of Strength to showcase his talent when the Gimcrack third lines up in the Unibet Sirenia Stakes.

Only fifth on debut at Beverley in May, he made huge strides to impress at Ayr when shedding his maiden status at the second attempt.

That promising performance was enough to book his ticket to York for the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes last month and although sent off an 80-1 outsider he surprised plenty but not his trainer when a length third to Cool Hoof Luke.

Entered in both the Mill Reef and Middle Park Stakes, Keatley sees this Group Three event – where he is rated over 10lb higher than the next best on official ratings – as the perfect opportunity to register a stakes success with his son of Kodiac before those lofty targets come on the radar.

“It looks a nice opportunity for him, definitely, if you go on ratings,” said Keatley. “He’s in the Mill Reef and he’s also in the Middle Park and he’s raring to go at home. He’s only had three runs and he’s come out of York in such good fettle that I thought this could be a nice opportunity for him to get his head in front again, hopefully, and a good boost of confidence going into his next race.

“I think the only people surprised at York were the ones looking at what price he was, we were very confident of a big run. It takes a fair horse to break the track record over five and a half furlongs at Ayr and it has been proven in the past to be a great track for trials for big two-year-old races.

“It would be nice if we could get a Group Three under our belt now before looking ahead to later in the autumn.”

Sylvester Kirk has Brian to thank for his only two victories in 2024 and his star performer returns to Pattern company after trouncing the opposition in a valuable sales event at Newmarket last time.

Placed behind Bedtime Story in the Chesham earlier in the season, the son of Shaman has always been held in high regard and Kirk has elected to come here rather than wait for the Rockingham Stakes which takes place at York next month.

“It’s only a couple of weeks since he won at Newmarket, but it’s a race where there is one horse rated 107 and the rest are all around 95 and in the 90s,” said Kirk.

“We were looking at the Rockingham and I know no Group race is easy, but you go there and there could be five, six, even seven horses rated over 100 so it’s just an opportunity we will take and hopefully he handles Kempton.

“Hopefully he will run well, it would be lovely. We’ve already had lots of fun with him and it would be nice to see him perform well.”

Also kept busy this season is Hugo Palmer’s It Ain’t Two who counts former England international striker Michael Owen among her owners and has run a further eight times since her winning debut at Newmarket in April.

She registered her third career victory on the July course recently, and her handler is keen to snare some valuable black type with a filly who thrives on racing.

“She was second in the Dragon Stakes at Sandown earlier in the season, but I think six furlongs is very much her trip at the moment,” said Palmer.

“She was very good when winning at Chester last weekend and I was quite surprised actually that she only went up 2lb. Being a filly I think her days in nurseries are probably behind her.

“She seems to really enjoy her racing and is really tough and I doubt this will be her last two-year-old start either. She’s already got black type but we’ve got to keep trying to win one

“We’ll give it our best shot, we’ve not done a lot with her since Chester but she seems to be thriving and we will see how we go.”

2.35 Kempton - Unibet September Stakes

Kalpana will put her QIPCO British Champions Day credentials to the test at Kempton when contests the Unibet September Stakes on Saturday.

Andrew Balding’s three-year-old filly has put together a smart CV since a debut victory at Wolverhampton in January, with impressive victories at Newmarket and in Listed company at Hamilton last time out featuring on her CV.

Holding an entry for the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on October 19, this is seen as the perfect place to prepare for a first taste of Group One action, taking on some experienced hands in this Group Three event.

“She’s in good shape and we just thought with half an eye on the fillies’ and mares’ race in Ascot on Champions Day, this might be a good prep run for that,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte. “She obviously looked good in Hamilton the last day and this is a stepping-stone. If we get on well, we’ll look towards Ascot.”

One popular runner standing in Kalpana’s way is William Haggas’ eight-year-old Hamish, who despite his advancing years has won five times in the last two years and also finished a narrow second in Epsom’s Coronation Cup.

Owned by Haggas’ father, Brian, he has won 11 of his 21 career starts including this very contest in 2021, and the Somerville Lodge handler sees this as a nice opportunity to bounce back from an underwhelming showing at Newmarket in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.

Haggas said: “I would prefer to be running him on the soft turf at Ascot, Salisbury or Newbury, but there wasn’t a race for him so we plumped for the all-weather with him and hopefully he will be all right on it. He could do with softer ground really, but hopefully he will be OK.

“It was a bit messy at Newmarket last time and they split into two groups and the two outsiders led him and then Tom (Marquand) realised about two furlongs up the straight he was in the wrong place. It just didn’t happen, it was a mistake. This is a good opportunity if he is at his best.”

However, it is the Gosden operation that has dominated this contest in recent years, with star performers Jack Hobbs (2015), Enable (2018 and 2020) and Mostahdaf (2022) all winning this prize for Clarehaven in the last 10 years.

It is Lion’s Pride and God’s Window representing the John and Thady Gosden training combination this time, with the former possessing some smart track form.

Another Kempton specialist is George Baker’s Cemhaan who carried top-weight to victory in the Rosebery Handicap in the spring and has won three times at the Sunbury venue. Third in the Aston Park Stakes on turf this summer, he now returns to his beloved all-weather surface where he will reunite with jockey Neil Callan.

“He’s heading back to the scene of his brilliant Rosebery win in the spring and we go there in good order,” said Baker. “Neil Callan is back on board and he gave him a peach that day. He is taking on the likes of Hamish and some other good horses and it is obviously very, very competitive. But we know the horse thrives at Kempton and he worked there nicely last week. We head there full of hope and hopefully he can shake up one or two of the big guns.”

Brian Ellison’s Northumberland Plate winner Onesmoothoperator and Hugo Palmer’s Under The Sun complete the line-up.

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