Cecil puts his faith in Twice Over
HENRY Cecil's improving three-year-old Twice Over could prove a super sub in the Emirates Airlines Champion Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday following Phoenix Tower's retirement.
Sadly for all concerned, the consistent Phoenix Tower injured himself last weekend and, after a scan on Monday, it was announced that he would miss the Champion Stakes and that his highly successful racing career was over.
The Warren Place maestro has always rated Twice Over highly and in mid-summer he made the channel crossing to land the Gr 2 Prix Eugene Adam at Maisons-Laffitte beating City Leader by three-quarters of a length.
His next run, when down the field in the Gr Prix Guillaume D'Ornano, should be completely ignored as he suffered more interference than Lewis Hamilton did in the Chinese F1 Grand Prix.
Everything he has been doing on the gallops during the last couple of weeks suggests he could topple the short priced favourite New Approach in addition to beating Pipedreamer, who would prefer a little more juice in the ground.
John Gosden, who trains Pipedreamer, could have better luck with Huntdown in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes earlier in the afternoon.
After winning a Newbury maiden in emphatic style he probably found the six furlongs of the Middle Park Stakes on the sharp side in that company.
He was far from disgraced when finishing third to Bushranger and, judged on his work on the Limekilns, the step up in trip should enable him to turn the tables on the Irish raider.
Sir Michael Stoute's easy Yarmouth winner Glass Harmonium should be respected but Huntdown represents the best value for money.
Gosden, who had a serious payday at the last Newmarket meeting with Tazeez in the Cambridgeshire and Donativum taking the Timeform Million, can also land the Gr 2 Pride Stakes with Dar Re Mi.
The Singspiel filly has proved a model of consistency this season with her best effort being her second to the mighty Zarkava in the Gr 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp last month.
More recently, I liked the way she shaped in finishing third to Balladeuse in the Prix Royallieu during the Arc de Triomphe meeting at Longchamp. Gosden is happy that she is holding her form and told me on Warren Hill: "She certainly deserves to win a Group 2 race – but you don't always get what you deserve!"
Among her opponents, the ones I fear most are the sequence building pair Crystal Capella and Armure.
Marcus Tregoning's Askar Tau is a worthy Cesarewitch favourite but there are several long-priced locals that could prevent the prize from being whisked off down to Berkshire.
Henry Cecil has been aiming his course winner Ajaan at the race from a long way out and this has also been the case with Sir Mark Prescott's Wicked Daze.
The one I like most is Mark Tompkins' Four Miracles who proved her stamina with a couple of wins earlier in the season before disappointing when down the field at Ascot.
That was no reflection of her ability and, as her work indicates she is holding her form well, she is worth a decent each-way interest with Minkowski, who finished ahead of her in the Ascot race, another HQ contender likely to be involved.
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Weather for Newmarket
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
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Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
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