Jamie Radford gives his five horses to follow ahead of the return of the Flat Season on Saturday at Doncaster.
Arecibo (5f Handicap)
Arecibo may now be an eight-year-old but his recent fast finishing 2nd to breakaway leader, Live in the Dream, shows that Robert Cowell’s stable star is still in great spirits. Having reached a high rating of 113 after his 2nd in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot 2021, he slowly slipped down to a mark of 103 in the ratings whilst holding his own.
His run last week was only his fourth run in a handicap since April 2021; his record in them reading 1162. His 6th was in the Shergar Cup Dash last season when stuck behind a wall of horses waiting for a run and was subsequently discovered to be lame post-race.
He has strong place form in sprint handicaps such as the Portland, Ayr Gold Cup, and the Symphony Group Handicap at York. If sent down the handicapping route, he surely has a massive chance of landing a big one when things fall right for him.
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Tenebrism (Group Sprinter)
Tenebrism is being trained as a sprinter this year with trainer Aiden O’Brien admitting: “We tried to make a miler of her last year … but when we started to sprint with her it was obvious that was what she wanted to do”.
Indeed, her final run of the season, in the Champion Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October was particularly eye-catching. Although finishing out of the frame in 5th, she was on the unfavoured far side, with the 1-2-3 all racing up the centre. She finished 2nd in her group, only ½ length behind the staying on Rohaan who is an Ascot 6f specialist, having a record there of 411011.
It makes sense for Tenebrism, the daughter of Commonwealth Cup hero Caravaggio, to revert to sprinting as even in the Champion Sprint Stakes she swept through to take the lead in her group at the furlong pole only to be rundown by Rohaan in the final 110 yards. Now being trained with sprinting in mind, I fully expect her to be competitive in races like the Platinum Jubilee, July Cup and the Prix De L’Abbaye.
Subjectivist (Gold Cup Horse)
With last year’s Ascot Gold Cup heroine Kyprios a major doubt, the 2nd Mojo Star not seen since, and the 3rd Stradivarius retired, this year’s edition has a more than open feel to it. One horse that has come back into the fore is Charlie Johnston’s Subjectivist.
After winning the 2021 Ascot Gold Cup, the son of Teofilo struggled with a tendon injury that put him out for almost two years and when reappearing a distant 12th of 13 in a Group 3 in Saudi Arabia, it was feared he would never return to his best.
However, his latest 3rd to Broome in the Dubai Gold Cup painted a different picture. Here, although being drawn 14 (1st drawn 1 and 2nd drawn 5), he kept on well to finish 3rd, beaten only five lengths. He had a wide trip throughout, too, and the extra half mile at Ascot is something this thorough stayer will relish, which cannot necessarily be said of Broome.
If Johnston can nurse him back, this star stayer, who beat Stradivarius seven lengths as a four-year-old, could make the staying division his own this year, particularly when avoiding Kyprios which will be the case at Royal Ascot.
Bucanero Fuerte (Two-year-old/Juvenile)
Amo Racing had one of the leading lights in last year’s juvenile division with Persian Force and I hope that this year Bucanero Fuerte could take up the mantle. Despite being weak in the market on debut at the Curragh, I was very visually taken by his performance, running on very strongly in the final furlong when getting the memo.
The last two winners of the race have both been Group placed, and Bucanero Fuerte’s speed figure blew them out the park. I expect him to feature in high-level Juvenile Group races throughout the season, and if he can get another run in before June, then Royal Ascot looks a very possible target.
Adayar (1m 2f Group 1’s)
Since winning the Derby and the King George at 3, Adayar’s had a rather stop-start career. That same season he missed his prep for the Arc, before keenness and perhaps the heavy ground cost him. Then he was pestered for the lead in the Champions Stakes by Addeybb which only enhanced his exuberant tendencies as he was beaten turning in.
After fighting off a respiratory infection last summer he returned with an easy Group 2 win at Doncaster before another tilt at the Champions stakes. He tanked into the straight but just got pipped by Bay Bridge on his preferred ground.
He returns at five and is set to reappear in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown. He seems to be maturing with age and a race like the Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot on quick ground should be right up his street. I’d be amazed if he couldn’t win a Group 1 over 10 furlongs this year.
