by Tom O'Ryan
Sugarfoot can provide Ryedale trainer Nigel Tinkler with by far the biggest success of his career in tomorrow's inaugural running of the £150,000 Tote International Handicap at Ascot.
The four-year-old, in the pink of condition at present, landed the Crocker Bulteel Handicap at Ascot a fortnight ago and finished an excellent fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup back in June.
Both those races were over a mile. While it is probably not in Sugarfoot's favour to revert to seven furlongs tomorrow the shorter distance is not expected to inconvenience him.
His latest success was achieved in gritty fashion, Sugarfoot striking the front at the furlong marker and battling on gamely to beat Tertium by a length.
Langton-based Tinkler reports his stable-star to be in equally fine fettle as he prepares for tomorrow's tough test.
His rivals will include Jo Mell from the in-form Tim Easterby yard, and a host of others with fighting chances. But they've all got Sugarfoot to beat.
Perugino Bay (2.45) has excellent prospects of returning to the winning trail after his good effort to finish fourth to Inya Lake in last weeks Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood.
The Nap vote is awarded to Beauchamp Magic (3.15), a steadily improving horse who finished 12 lengths clear of the rest when narrowly beaten by the in-form On Call at Lingfield recently. He now looks poised to go one better under Pat Eddery.
Armchair punters have a treat in store tomorrow with three meetings being televised - Ascot, Newmarket and Haydock.
The £20,000 Coral Handicap at Haydock gives Mungo Park an opportunity to win a major prize.
Although something of a law unto himself, Lynda Ramsden's charge is a decent sprinter when things go his way, as he proved recently with a fluent winning display at Newcastle, his favourite course. He should not be overlooked tomorrow.
The speedy Blue Melody (2.05) and the highly regarded Mutamam (4.20) are two others to consider at Haydock.
At Newmarket, that formidable duo David Loder and Frankie Dettori can win the £15,000 Sweet Solera Stakes with the potentially high-class Kareymah.
Closer to home, at Redcar, Jason Weaver has a rare ride for Henry Cecil aboard Oberon's Mistral in the Rothman's North South Challenge Series Handicap, and looks set to hit the target.
This three-year-old lost his maiden tag in pleasing style at Windsor last time. Now into handicap company, the he can oblige again.Weaver can also click aboard John Dunlop's Rahayeb (2.20), a beaten favourite on her debut, and the John Wharton-trained Include Me Out (4.30), who has shown enough on his last two starts (runner-up both times) to suggest this modest handicap is within his compass.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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