Fresh from a momentous start to the turf season at Doncaster, Jack Channon heads to Newcastle in search of further riches on Good Friday, firing a two-pronged assault on the Midnite All-Weather Sprint Handicap.
Channon picked up both the Spring Mile and Lincoln last weekend and is excited about his two contenders for this £150,000 contest, with course and distance scorer Ferrous joined by Sarab Star, who has been excelling over seven furlongs and now drops in distance.
Channon said: “They both go in there with a fantastic form chance, but they are also both in great nick so I’m really excited for it.
“We’ve had a great start to the season and we’d love to keep it going. They are two different types of horse. Ferrous is a proven course-and-distance horse and with Sarab Star we’re trying a new trip we think will suit, but are not 100 per cent sure.
“Sarab Star is drawn one and Ferrous 15 so they are either side of the track, but I think they are both capable of winning the race and just need that little bit of luck.”
Irish challenger Sir Les Patterson could prove the biggest danger to the Channon duo following a pair of victories at Dundalk.
He is trained by Stephen Thorne, who was Ireland’s champion all-weather trainer last season and has had this race in mind for some time for a horse he feels could be a Group performer masquerading as a handicapper.
He said: “This has been the grand plan with Sir Les Patterson. His performance the last day was frighteningly good, because we felt he was just ready to start back and would take a big step forward from it.
“The handicapper did not miss him, which means he will have to lump top weight, but he is relatively unexposed under these conditions. It will take the performance of a Group horse to win but, in fairness, his work lately is showing that.
“He performed well on straight tracks last year, including at York before we bought him. I think the stiff six furlongs at Newcastle will suit him better than Dundalk as he stays seven. Something to aim at late would be ideal as well because he has ended up getting there too soon in his recent wins.
“We are well aware how difficult it will be to take a race as competitive as this off top-weight, but we have been delighted with his preparation and would not swap him for anything.”
Also in the mix is Karl Burke’s Marshman, who was third in the race when sent off favourite 12 months ago and now drops back to the trip he is most accustomed after testing the waters over further when third in the Lady Wulfruna Stakes. Clifford Lee takes the ride as he returns from an injury-enforced absence.
“I thought we should have won last time and he ran really well up at seven furlongs at Wolverhampton,” said Nick Bradley of the owners Nick Bradley Racing.
“Sam James thought he was well handicapped off 105 and the drop back to six furlongs shouldn’t be a problem. He should like the track as he’s not the quickest away out the stalls. He’s well enough drawn and he would go there with a good chance I would say considering it’s a big-field handicap.”
