'Greek freak' back on top

Exciting Greek import Ialysos regained the winning thread with a narrow victory in the Coral Charge at Sandown.The 'Greek Freak', as he is known, had only one defeat to his name after running below par in the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot, and trainer Luca Cumani dropped him in class for this Group Three event. Christophe Lemaire looked in a brief spot of bother up the far rail, but Ialysos (9-2) picked up well when a gap appeared and held favourite Triple Aspect by half a length. "He had an excuse last time - the ground was overwatered at Ascot and he has done all his running in Greece on fast sand," said Cumani. ""He always looked like a nice horse, but neither Greek form nor sprinters are my particular territory - it's all Greek to me! He'll go for the Nunthorpe. I'd think he'd have too much weight for the Stewards' Cup."Cumani and Lemaire rattled up a quick double thanks to Acrostic's triumph in the valuable Coral Challenge.The 7-1 chance had finished fourth on both of his previous outings this summer and surpassed those efforts to deny Crackdown by a head, with favourite Mirrored third. Cumani said: "We ran him at York over nine furlongs to see if he was a Magnet Cup horse, but he did not stay so we brought him back, and this was a good alternative. It will be more of the big mile handicaps for him now." Totesport trimmed the four-year-old into 7-1 from 12s for the totesport Mile at Glorious Goodwood.