Fury camp full of expectation

PA Sport Reporters
April 17, 2021 2:00 pm

Lightly-raced colt bids for winning return in Newbury Group Three.

The Tyson Fury camp hope he can show his big-race potential in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes at Newbury.

Unraced at two, the Iffraaj colt impressed with a debut victory at Doncaster in July, but did not appear again until finishing down the field in the St Leger – an admirable run for one so inexperienced – before rounding out his 2020 campaign with a hard-fought Ascot success on testing ground.

Part-owner Phil Cunningham is expecting to learn plenty on Sunday, which will be a busy afternoon for connections and trainer Richard Spencer.

He said: “It’s a big day for us on Sunday – with Tyson, Revich in the Spring Cup and Insomnia in the Greenham.

“Tyson is the main one, I suppose – everyone thinks he is the most exciting horse in the yard, and this could be a season-defining run for him.

“He’s wintered well and is in good form. It’s a strange one with him – it’s almost like he’s a two-year-old going into his three-year-old career, rather than a three-year-old going on at four in terms of the planning, because he only had the three runs last year.

“We ran him at Ascot last year really to give him another spin, with this year in mind.

“The ground should be good for him, and I think we have got the trip right – although we’ll see on Sunday, because he could move up or down, but we need to see if he can be competitive at this level.

“We have a plan in mind for him, depending on Sunday, but we’d certainly hope to be moving up in grade rather than down.”

Another Group race win for @JimCrowley1978 this season 👏
Al Aasy wins the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes at Newmarketpic.twitter.com/6yVBy5VNxy
— Great British Racing (@GBRacing) July 9, 2020

Leading the opposition in a race registered as the John Porter is the William Haggas-trained Al Aasy.

He looked a horse of potential last term, improving from an initial fifth behind the all-conquering Mishriff to win a Newmarket maiden before adding the Group Three Bahrain Trophy to his tally.

However, he disappointed when last of six in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. He has not run since that effort in July, and Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold is eager to see the Sea The Stars colt resume winning ways.

Gold said: “I hope he’ll run a very good race. He’s been working well and they’ve all been happy with him so far.

“We need to get back on track with him and see where we are. Nothing particularly came to light after Goodwood.

“All I know is they’ve been very happy with him so far this spring, so we need to get on and find out where we are.”

Euchen Glen returned to winning form last term (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Euchen Glen has to concede weight all round after a fine second half of the 2020 season.

The eight-year-old made a limited impact on his first five starts following a 701-day absence, but victory in the Old Borough Cup at Haydock in September sparked a renaissance, and two Group Three successes followed – including over this course and distance in the St Simon Stakes.

Euchen Glen failed to sparkle under top-weight in the November Handicap on his final outing, but trainer Jim Goldie reports preparations to have gone well.

He said: “It’s his first run back, and the ground is going to be faster than what is was when he won there last year.

“He seems in good nick. We gave him a spin around Musselburgh a fortnight ago, so he’s had a day out and he’s working well.

“He’s a year older, and I don’t think we can expect him to be improving at his age, but he might be.

“He’s giving weight away to younger horses, but there is something to be said for having been there, seen it and done it.

“When he won the John Smith’s Cup (in 2018) that would have been decent ground, so he does handle it.

“Hopefully this will tell us whether he might go to Royal Ascot and will tell us where we’re going trip-wise – whether we’re going up in trip or down in trip, or sticking to a mile and a half.

“We’re looking forward to it.”