18-Oct-2008

Stimulation looks to me to be the most likely winner of the opener, the Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes. The Hughie Morrison-trained colt has remained highly progressive all season since winning the Free Handicap over today’s course and distance at the Craven meeting back in April. His penultimate run in the Group 2 Betfair Cup at Glorious Goodwood, when he was beaten just a neck by Paco Boy, looks really good now in light of that colt’s subsequent exploits, which have established him as probably the best seven-furlong performer in Europe. Stimulation was the only one who was able to match Paco Boy’s acceleration in the Betfair Cup, and the pair pulled clear.

On his only run since, Stimulation ran a cracker to finish third behind Pressing in the valuable Topkapi Trophy over a mile at Veliefendi in Istanbul last month. He missed the break a little that day and had to be rushed up early by Darryll Holland. It was a bit of a stop-start race throughout, and the jockey had to ask Stimulation to improve twice. Even so, he quickened up nicely in the home straight to give chase to the highly talented winner, and only just got done for second spot by Linngari on the line. Linngari is quietly fancied for the Champion Stakes this afternoon, so that was no disgrace at all in the context of the Challenge Stakes, a Group 2 contest. Stimulation loves it at Newmarket, and the drop back down to his specialist distance of seven furlongs is ideal.

STIMULATION WON (SP 9/2)

© The Irish Field, 18th October, 2008