Neil Morrice has a look at a few UK and Irish horses who could impress in the coming weeks including Mighty Moth, Mr Vango and more!
DARK HORSES
RIVER KING – trainer Richard Hannon
RIVER KING was a springer in the market and went off a shade of odds-on for his novice at Nottingham but ran into a potentially smart foe in Excellent Believe. He broke on terms but it seemed his rival got the jump on him by going a dozen lengths clear, never to come back. Sean Levey was hard on himself for getting beaten, but the combination can make amends as soon as there is some appreciable rain.
METAL MERCHANT – trainer: Jack Channon
METAL MERCHANT couldn’t land a blow on his reappearance in the Newbury Spring Cup and still looked as if the race would do him good when underwhelming in the Victoria Cup over 1400 metres at Ascot. They say that good can come out of bad, and the fact that the Make Believe gelding is now only a couple of pounds above his last winning mark could bring about some improvement on his next outing.
URBAN LION – trainer, Jack Channon
In the same mould as Metal Merchant but a year younger, URBAN LION is one to have on your radar for Royal Ascot. He was the subject of a gamble for the Spring Cup at Newbury only to race on the wrong part of the course and finish second. While he was in a sense unlucky not to win, his trainer has resisted all temptation to run him subsequently in order to protect his handicap mark. He’s in great form, and will be an attractive ante post proposition for that meeting in the Royal Hunt Cup.
STANHOPE GARDENS – trainer, Ralph Beckett
STANHOPE GARDENS was beaten a neck by none other than Derby favourite Delacroix in the Group 2 Royal Lodge at Newmarket last autumn and has been conspicuous in his absence from the course this season. That is about to end as he is due to reappear in the Old Sarum Conditions Stakes at Salisbury on Saturday. Though he is being played as a late card for the Derby, the son of Ghaiyyath could easily enter calculations. His stable houses Dante winner Pride Of Arras, but before that triumph jockey Rossa Ryan had been unable to split the pair and he could yet have a decision to make regarding his mount in the Premier Classic.
HAVANA HALO – trainer, Dominic Ffrench Davis
Havana Grey filly HAVANA HALO has been easy to back but outperformed her price on both starts at Newbury and Windsor, latterly against colts when beaten just over two lengths into fifth in the race won by Rajaking. She handles faster ground and is one to be on next time, with a £30K race at Chester at the end of the month the plan.
