Appleby Eyes Ascot Return For Masar

[Wandering Eyes]

NEWMARKET, UK—A new Derby hero has been crowned since Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) last set foot on a racecourse when galloping to glory at Epsom, but the Godolphin star appeared in fine fettle in Newmarket on Saturday morning as he continues his comeback from injury and faces a potential return at Royal Ascot.

Watched by trainer Charlie Appleby and Godolphin’s managing director Hugh Anderson, Masar completed a seven-furlong piece of work on the July Course under his regular rider Brett Doyle. They were joined by 5-year-old Secret Advisor (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was himself last seen in action when winning the Melrose Handicap at York last August and was partnered in the gallop by James Doyle.

“He galloped out well there,” said Appleby as Masar was led around, appearing relaxed after his workout. “It was a good test for him and Brett was pleased with the way he felt so let’s hope that this time next week we’re still going forward. First and foremost it was just great to get him here. It’s been a long road but we’re delighted to have him back on the racetrack for this gallop. Brett knows him inside out and I was pleased with what I saw—he travelled well into the gallop and picked up. He’s never been an emphatic galloper, he gets the job done but he’s never going to go and win a gallop by five lengths, that’s not his style. More importantly that will sharpen him up mentally and will hopefully put him right towards a potential tilt at Royal Ascot.”

A question still remains as to whether Masar will come back over the Derby distance or drop back two furlongs for the G1 Prince of Wales’s S. on the Wednesday of the meeting.

Appleby added, “He’s in both the Prince of Wales’s and the Hardwicke and I think questions will be answered next week. Firstly, how he comes out of this and then where we are when he has his next bit of work on Wednesday, and that will likely be the deciding factor for whether he goes to the Prince of Wales’s or whether we go down the Hardwicke route. We saw what he could do in the Craven—he certainly doesn’t lack pace—and it doesn’t bother me dropping back to a mile and a quarter. It’s a stiff mile and a quarter at Ascot and they’re not going to be going a gentleman’s gallop, it will be a stern test.”

The trainer also issued updates on several of his other stable stars ahead of Ascot and nominated last year’s G1 King’s Stand S. winner Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) as his best chance of success at the royal meeting.

He said, “It would be great to do back-to-back King’s Stands with him. He’s a horse we’ve held in high regard ever since his 2-year-old days and he has not let us down. We know he brings his A-game to Ascot—he’s held the track record over five and six [furlongs] there in the past—so we’re looking forward to getting him back there.”

Appleby has the full range of distances covered and, along with his crack sprinter, he will be pitching the Melbourne Cup and Dubai Gold Cup winner Cross Counter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) against reigning staying champion Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Gold Cup.

“He’s taking on the big guns now but he’s won a Melbourne Cup so we’ve already had some exciting days,” he said. “We’ve got a long season ahead and with stepping up in trip to two and a half miles for the Gold Cup, if he sees that out then that’s going to be his forte for the summer, the Cup races. If he doesn’t and we have to drop back to two miles then we would regroup and potentially consider another crack at the Melbourne Cup with him, but if he does see it out and he takes the Cup route through the summer, onto Goodwood and York, then Melbourne is probably unlikely as he’ll be doing plenty of miles over here.”

Also in the team for Ascot is Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}), whose poor fertility put paid to a stallion career and has seen him return to training. After a runner-up finish in the listed Paradise S. at Ascot on his first start for Appleby on May 1, the 2017 winner of the G1 St James’s Palace S. returned to the winner’s circle at ParisLongchamp when winning the listed Montretout S. under James Doyle three weeks later.

“We were delighted with his run at Longchamp, he won cosily over there and he’s entitled to come forward for that,” said the trainer. “It was nice for him to get his head in front before Ascot and to get his confidence up. He has come out of the race in good order and we’re looking forward to him running in the Queen Anne.”

 

 

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