Lake Forest could book his ticket to Australia if he runs well over seven furlongs in the Betfred Park Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday.
William Haggas’ son of No Nay Never is one of 16 left in the hunt for the Group Two prize following Monday’s confirmation stage and the Somerville Lodge handler is eager to test the colt’s credentials up in trip after last year’s Gimcrack hero has rattled the crossbar in two top sprinting contests.
Owned by Brighton and Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom in partnership with Ian McAleavy, he was runner-up behind Inisherin in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, before bumping into Elite Status when filling the same spot in Newbury’s Hackwood Stakes.
Having missed the chance to step up in distance in the City of York Stakes when getting upset in the stalls, Haggas is now keeping his eye on the weather for his fast-ground loving colt, who could be bound for the prestigious Golden Eagle later in the year if passing his seven-furlong assignment.
“The plan is to go to Doncaster for the Park Stakes and I’m hoping for some dry ground there,” said Haggas.
“It looks a good place to go and he looks for all the world that he wants seven furlongs now, so we’ll try him and that will open a few more options if he gets it.
“He could possibly go to Australia in the autumn, there is an AUS$10million race on November 2 over seven and a half – and if he gets the seven furlongs well, that will be right on his radar.”
The likes of Kinross, winner of the race two years ago, Noble Dynasty, Nostrum, Shouldvebeenaring and Al Shabab Storm are all in the mix.
The other Group Two on the card is the Betfred Champagne Stakes, where Charlie Appleby’s Aomori City sets a tall standard based on his performance in Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes.
He beat Hugo Palmer’s Wolf Of Badenoch there and the two may meet again. Palmer could also run Seagulls Eleven, the Superlative Stakes runner-up.
Aidan O’Brien has left in Bernard Shaw, a nine-length Dundalk winner, Aftermath, Monumental and Camille Pissarro.
Bay City Roller, unbeaten in two for George Scott, John and Thady Gosden’s Chancellor – who is twice a winner at Doncaster already – and Richard Spencer’s Righthere Rightnow are others of interest among the 11 still engaged.
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