Horse Racing
Haydock emerges as possible target for Samangan
Connections of Samangan will consider supplementing last weekend’s Prix Maurice de Gheest hero for the Betfair Sprint Cup if conditions remain quick at Haydock.
Having rounded off his juvenile campaign with three successive wins, hopes were high for the son of Blue Point as a three-year-old, but he has taken a while to find his feet.
However, having performed creditably at Group One level over six furlongs in the Commonwealth Cup and over seven in the Prix Jean Prat, the intermediate distance of six and a half proved right up his street as he narrowly denied the charge of the William Haggas-trained Division at Deauville.
Francis-Henri Graffard’s colt is entered in the British Champions Sprint at Ascot in October and the Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp also appears an obvious target – but with fast ground viewed as crucial and little to no rain on the horizon, he could make a trip across the Channel early next month.
“He wasn’t right at the beginning of the year and he’s been running well in these races. I think putting the cheekpieces on really sharpened him up and thankfully his day came,” said Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for the Aga Khan Studs.
“He’s not in it, but we will keep an eye on the Haydock Park Sprint because that falls right for him and although a straight six (furlongs) is probably at the sharp end for him, he can do it.
“If we had good, fast ground we might supplement him for that, but if it was to get too soft we wouldn’t go there.
“We’ll keep an eye on that race for him and see where we go after that, but he will be ground dependent as we wouldn’t run him on soft end-of-year ground.”
