Ward confident Roman Mist can make her Epsom presence felt

Kempton Listed winner tackles Princess Elizabeth Stakes.

Roman Mist bids to provide Tom Ward with the biggest win of his training career to date when she lines up in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom on Saturday.

His stable star accounted for one of the leading fancies, Sir Michael Stoute’s Potapova, when they went head-to-head in Kempton’s Listed Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes earlier in the season and the Lambourn-based trainer sees no reason why the four-year-old, who has thrived on the all-weather of late, will be unable to confirm the form in this Group Three event.

“The track is obviously a question mark, but she’s going there in great form having won a Listed race last time. We’re going in there hoping she’ll run a nice race,” said the trainer.

“She’s tough as nails and you know she’s going to be trying her best. If some of the others don’t quite perform, then she’s going to be bang there whatever.

“I love this filly, she’s great – she’s won a Listed race and deserves to take her chance in a Group Three. She’s got a nice draw and a very good jockey (Richard Kingscote) in the saddle and hopefully we will go close.”

Roman Mist is a best-priced 7-1 for the one-mile contest, while as well as Potapova, there is Hughie Morrison’s Mrs Fitzherbert and William Haggas’ Bashkirova ahead of her in the betting. The duo fought out the finish of the Conqueror Fillies’ Stakes last time and will lock horns once again on the Surrey Downs.

Technique is looking to get the father-and-son training partnership of Freddie and Martyn Meade off to the perfect start as she is the team’s first runner.

Meade senior won the race with Wilamina in 2018 and hopes to be on the mark again with the game daughter of Mastercraftsman.

“She runs quite well fresh, she’s acted on the track before when running in the Oaks there, but she’s a much stronger filly now. She has developed well from three to four, she’s a proper horse now and I’m hoping we’ll see the best of her on Saturday,” he said.

“It’s a great way to start (with Freddie) and she is one of our better horses. She’s lightly raced and she’s done nothing wrong, she’s just not had the rub of the green really on a few occasions. So hopefully things will go her way on Saturday. We won the race with Wilamina a few years ago, so it would be great to do that again.”

In the other Group Three on the card, Modern News could bring up a hat-trick for Charlie Appleby in the Cazoo Diomed Stakes.

Although beaten when fancied in the Lincoln on the opening day of the Flat turf season, he made no mistake on his next start when picking up Newbury’s Spring Cup and followed up that victory with a Listed success at Windsor.

Newbury Races – Saturday April 16th
Modern News, here winning at Newbury, goes for Group Three glory in the Cazoo Diomed Stakes (Steven Paston/PA)

Appleby, who also saddles Zakouski, told the Godolphin website: “Zakouski is a solid horse and likes a bit of cut in the ground.

“Modern News was last seen winning at Listed level at Windsor and is stepping up to Group level and stepping up in trip, which we think will suit him.

“He deserves to have a crack at running at Group level.”

Simon and Ed Crisford have won this race twice in the last five years and rely on Finest Sound, who was last seen finishing second in the Group One Jebel Hatta at Meydan in the spring, while Charlie Hills’ Mutasaabeq was beaten only a neck in the Group Two bet365 Mile at Sandown and connections retain plenty of belief in the son of Invincible Spirit.

John and Thady Gosden’s Megallan and York handicap scorer Escobar complete the six-strong field.

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