Clover backing Al Nayyir to bloom in Rose Bowl

Lonsdale Cup second shoots for Listed glory at Newmarket.

Tom Clover’s Al Nayyir will attempt to build on his narrow York defeat in the Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket.

The Dubai Gold Cup runner-up is a more than handy addition to Clover’s Kremlin House string and showed his quality on stable debut, pushing Vauban all the way in the Lonsdale Cup.

Beaten only a short-head on the Knavesmire, connections took comfort in the fact the narrow loss proved they have a key player in the staying division.

Now Al Nayyir’s trainer is keen to run in this Listed event on the Rowley Mile before a return to deeper waters at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day in October.

“Al Nayyir is in great shape, I’m very pleased with him and he’s trained great since York,” said Clover.

“I’m looking forward to him running, I just hope there isn’t too much rain overnight ideally. There looks to be some rain but I don’t know how much.

“He seems very well in himself and with a bit of luck, he will run a really big race tomorrow. Ascot on Champions Day is the plan, so hopefully that will work out.”

Also seeking to book his ticket for Champions Day is Dermot Weld’s Harbour Wind, who has already struck at Listed level this term and arrives having finished second in the Group Three Prix Gladiateur earlier this month.

Fiona Craig, racing adviser to owners Moyglare Stud Farm, said: “Because he’s already won a Listed race this year he’s got a penalty, so he’s going to have to give weight away to some useful horses, but the ground will be OK.

Harbour Wind at Leopardstown
Harbour Wind at Leopardstown (PA)

“We hardly had any rain in Ireland since probably June and it’s been fast ground and he’s not a horse who can go on that. If you run him on firm, he’s going to be crippled the next day.

“We’ve been trying to avoid Kyprios given they’re in the same ownership, so it didn’t make any sense to run him in the Irish Leger.

“We’ve waited for this and if he runs a good race, we might try to run him in the stayers’ race at Ascot on Champions Day.”

Aidan O’Brien sends over the hat-trick seeking Fighter after landing comfortable knockout blows at the Curragh and Leopardstown recently, while Irish raiders account for almost half of the seven-strong field with Gordon Elliott’s Samui also facing the starter.

Park Hill runner-up Night Sparkle represents Andrew Balding, with Jamie Osborne’s Drawn To Dream and Archie Watson’s Beamish completing the line-up.

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