Bond Chairman seeks Listed breakthrough at Newbury

Molly Hunter
July 15, 2021 2:30 pm

Smart colt outran big odds at Royal Ascot.

Bryan Smart’s Bond Chairman bids to make it third time lucky at Listed level in the Ire Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.

Bond Chairman was fourth of 27 in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot last month – a performance which persuaded Smart a move up to this trip of six furlongs may be in order.

The Kodiac colt, a winning debutant at Musselburgh in April, had to settle for a near five-length fifth in Sandown’s National Stakes on his second career start.

But his North Yorkshire trainer saw enough when he significantly outran odds of 66-1 at Ascot to have high hopes of a big run on Friday.

“He looks in good form, we’re very happy with him,” said Smart.

“After his Ascot run, we thought it looked like he should get six (furlongs), so I’m hoping he’ll run a big race for us tomorrow.

“You don’t know until you run them, do you? You think they’ll get it but they don’t always, but that’s the thing – if you don’t run them you won’t know.

“We’ll have to do it at some stage of the season, so we’re going to go tomorrow and see how we go.”

Clive Cox’s Caturra will also line up, in a field of nine, having last been seen at the Royal meeting – over this trip when seventh in the Group Two Coventry Stakes.

“He ran very respectably in the Coventry,” said Cox.

“He’s a really nice colt, and this looks like a positive way forward at this moment in time.

“He’s a colt we’ve always liked, and I feel he’s progressing and becoming more confident.”

Martyn Meade’s Detail has just one previous run under his belt, a winning debut at Newmarket in late June.

The gelding was slowly away but led late on to prevail by a neck.

Manton trainer Meade said: “I was really pleased with the way he won at Newmarket – he missed the break and was pretty green on his first time out, but he managed to weave his way through the entire field and won quite well.

“I thought we might as well double-jump him (in grade) and put him in at the deep end to see how good he is.

“Obviously it’s a huge step up – but on that run it’s difficult to assess just how good he is, because he had such a disadvantage to start with.

“If that was as bad as I thought, then he’s got to have a good chance tomorrow.”

Richard Hannon’s Bosh is bidding for a hat trick after victories in a York maiden and then a novice at this track.

Hannon is represented as well by Goldilocks, also a course-and-distance winner last time in a fillies’ novice.

Andrew Balding’s Frankella seeks her second career success after showing some of the ability of her stately parentage when victorious in a Newmarket maiden last week.

Ian Williams’ Oneforthegutter and Charlie Hills’ Orazio both put the credentials of their winning debuts on the line – while Robert Cowell’s Little Earl bids for a second victory in six starts.