Highland Avenue

Highland Avenue did well to stay on as well as he did to finish second to Mostahdaf in the Heron Stakes at Sandown last Thursday. Settled towards the rear of the field early on and along the inside, from his stall one draw, he travelled well into the home straight, but he had to make his ground on the far rail, probably on the worst of the ground. Three horses remained over there from the three-furlong pole, and the other two, Nando Parrado and Imperial Sands, faded to finish fourth and sixth respectively, whereas the first and third, Mostahdaf and Bullacre, raced well away from the far rail up the home straight. Highland Avenue did well to get the better of Nando Parrado on the far side, and he stayed on strongly all the way to the line, going down by just a half a length to Mostahdaf.

It was a fine run by Charlie Appleby’s colt, conceding 3lb to all his rivals. Second in a Kempton novice stakes last December on his only run at two, he had won his three races this year before Thursday, the last of the three the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket’s Craven meeting, when he kept on well to beat his stable companion Secret Protector, with subsequent Chester Vase winner Youth Spirit back in fourth. He handled the soft ground at Sandown too, and he had gone well on better ground when winning the Feilden Stakes. He holds an entry in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, and he would be of interest if he took his chance in that. He stays a mile well, the stiff mile at Ascot could suit him.
Sandown, 20^th May 2021