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Earthlight, Mums Tipple and Siskin will all put their unbeaten records on the line in a mouth-watering renewal of the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Andre Fabre-trained Earthlight has won each of his four starts to date – most recently striking at Group 1 level in the Prix Morny.
Mums Tipple is two from two for Richard Hannon, having followed up a debut victory in an Ascot maiden – which has worked out tremendously well – with an 11-length demolition job in a sales race at York last month.
Hannon has a second string to his bow on Saturday in the Gimcrack and Champagne Stakes winner Threat.
Siskin provided his trainer Ger Lyons with a first Group 1 success in Ireland when claiming his fourth straight victory in the Phoenix Stakes – and bids to double his top-level tally in the colours of race sponsor Khalid Abdullah on the Rowley Mile.
ALL GONE TO PLAN
Lyons said: "I think that Siskin is as well as we have ever had him – we couldn’t be happier with him. He’s a very straightforward horse and thus far everything has gone to plan.
“I am relishing being involved in such a hugely strong renewal of the Middle Park – it’s absolutely what we do the job for and it’s fantastic to have a horse of Siskin’s calibre to make it possible.
“I will be very surprised if either the course at Newmarket or travelling outside Ireland for the first time bother him – my only concern is the opposition.
“What Mums Tipple achieved at York was seriously jaw-dropping and I have huge respect for Earthlight, the other Group 1 winner in the field, who is in the hands of one of the best trainers on Earth. I wish they weren’t turning up, but they are, and all I can say is ‘may the best horse win’.
“Siskin is going for five-in-a-row and hoping to be regarded as the best six furlong colt around. Even then, he may not be crowned champion two-year-old as it’s such a phenomenally strong year for two-year-old colts, with the likes of Pinatubo on the scene.
“If we were lucky enough to win, it would give added pleasure that the Juddmonte Middle Park is sponsored by his owner-breeder, Prince Khalid [Abdullah].”
AIDAN'S THREE
Aidan O’Brien secured a record sixth victory in the Middle Park 12 months ago with Ten Sovereigns and this year fires a three-pronged assault, with Monarch Of Egypt – runner-up to Siskin on his last two starts – joined by Lope Y Fernandez and King Neptune.
Clive Cox’s Richmond Stakes hero Golden Horde – third to Earthlight in France on his latest appearance – and Richard Fahey’s outsider Summer Sands complete the nine-strong field.
CHEVELEY PARK
Raffle Prize heads a field of 11 declared for the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes on the same card.
The Mark Johnston-trained filly goes for the six-furlong Group 1 with strong claims having won two Group 2 contests, the Queen Mary and Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.
She was runner-up to Earthlight when taking on the colts in the Prix Morny, and her conqueror is a leading fancy on Saturday for the Middle Park Stakes on the same card.
Earthlight’s trainer Andre Fabre provides stiff opposition in the shape of Tropbeau, whose last two victories have been in Group 2 races at Deauville.
Aidan O’Brien has saddled the last three winners of this race and looks to Etoile, a Group 3 winner at Naas on her only start in May, and Tango.
The three other Irish-trained challengers are Ger Lyons’ supplementary entry Nurse Barbara, Sheila Lavery’s Lil Grey and Millisle from Jessica Harrington’s yard.
Completing the field are Karl Burke’s Lowther Stakes heroine Living In The Past, Richard Hannon’s Dick Poole Stakes scorer Dark Lady, the Richard Fahey-trained Moon Of Love and Ed Walker’s Nina Bailarina.
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