Tis Marvellous primed for another World Trophy bid

Popular eight-year-old is fresh from back-to-back Beverley Bullet wins.

Tis Marvellous has gone close in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes in the past two years and has a good chance to make it third time lucky when he lines-up in the five-furlong Group Three at Newbury on Saturday.

Clive Cox’s stable stalwart rolled back the years to record back-to-back Beverley Bullet victories last month and drying conditions will be in the eight-year-old’s favour at his local track.

Even though this race takes place away from his beloved Ascot, his handler points to his previous efforts in this contest and is confident of a bold showing.

“Tis Marvellous won the Beverley Bullet for the second year running on his last start and therefore it is nice to have an opportunity up a level in Group Three company without a penalty,” he said.

“I hope the ground will continue drying and he’s run very well in this race before. Obviously he is at home at Ascot and Beverley, but he has run well at this track as well and finished second in his maiden here many years ago.

“He’s in good order and has come out of Beverley very well indeed.”

Cox also saddles Diligent Harry who has disappointed in two outings since going close at Doncaster on the opening day of the Flat turf season.

However, he finished second at the track in the Hackwood Stakes in 2021 and Cox is refusing to rule the four-year-old out as he drops back in trip.

Trainer Clive Cox saddles two in Saturday's Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury
Trainer Clive Cox saddles two in Saturday’s Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury (John Walton/PA)

He continued: “We also run Diligent Harry, who didn’t go to the Flying Five at the Curragh because of the rain forecast last weekend.

“He has his first run over five furlongs (since February 2021) and we are looking forward to that. He’s run very well here in the past when he was just beaten in the Hackwood last year.”

John Ryan’s Manaccan is disputing favouritism having landed the Listed Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster 10 days ago.

Despite the quick turnaround, his handler is convinced this is the ideal next step up the ladder.

Manaccan, here ridden by Ryan Moore on their way to winning the Cazoo Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster, has the chance to follow up in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury
Manaccan, here ridden by Ryan Moore on their way to winning the Cazoo Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster, has the chance to follow up in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury (Tim Goode/PA)

“He ran a great race at Doncaster and I’m very pleased with how he came out of that,” said Ryan,

“We’re quite hopeful the ground will keep drying and that will definitely be key for him as he prefers faster ground and good ground, so we will want it to dry out a little bit. But he’s in good form and this looks the next step up.

“The race comes a little bit quicker than ideal to some, but he seems to have bounced out of Doncaster very well and we’re happy to go again. The ground was a bigger thing than the timing of the race. He seems well at home and can hopefully go there and show his stuff.”

Roger Varian is willing to draw a line through Mitbaahy’s run in the King George Stakes and believes the best of his form this season would give him a chance of landing the GBP 39,697 first prize.

He said: “He’s in great form and I would be very happy to put a line through Goodwood.

“Prior to that I thought he was very unlucky to not win the Coral Charge at Sandown and before that he was looking very progressive. Hopefully that progression continues on Saturday.”

Others to note amongst the 12-strong field include Irish raider Teresa Mendoza, Patrick Owens’ Adaay To Remember and Andrew Balding’s Chil Chil, who was seen in Group One action at Haydock earlier this month.

“I think if she’d got some cover at Haydock she could have been third again, as she was last year. She will want the ground to dry up, which it should do. I think she’ll go very well,” said Alastair Donald, racing manager for owner King Power Racing.

Solid Stone, here ridden by William Buick (right) wins The Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes in 2021, looks for back-to-back wins in the race on Saturday
Solid Stone, here ridden by William Buick (right) wins The Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes in 2021, looks for back-to-back wins in the race on Saturday (Steven Paston/PA)

Earlier on the card is the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes, where Sir Michael Stoute’s Solid Stone is defending champion and is reported to be “working as good as he has ever worked” ahead of running in the 11-furlong contest once again.

“He’s working as good as he has ever worked. He’s working really, really well,” said Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Solid Stone’s owner Saeed Suhail.

Godolphin seem to have a strong hand in the contest with Saeed bin Suroor’s Dubai Future and Charlie Appleby’s pair of Siskany and Kemari all decked out in the royal blue silks.

Bin Suroor said of his Wolferton Stakes winner: “He’s a Royal Ascot winner and he’s a horse who always tries very hard.

“He’s in very good condition, this is the right race for him and I’m looking forward to seeing a good run from him. He’s in good form.”

The highly-regarded Lysander is tried in a first-time tongue-tie as he bids to build on some encouraging efforts in Pattern company this summer, while Hughie Morrison’s filly Stay Alert was a Listed winner at this venue earlier in the season.

Fancy Man (Richard Hannon), Max Vega (Ralph Beckett) and Lady Excalibur (Alan Jones) also go to post.

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