‘Long-term project’ Alpinara set for eagerly-awaited start at Newbury

Sir Mark Prescott expects Alpinista’s sister Alpinara to be more of a long-term project as she gets ready to make her debut at Newbury on Saturday.

Bought for 2,500,000 guineas at Tattersalls by Kia Joorabchian for his Amo Racing team, given Prescott knows the family inside out the Frankel filly becomes the first association between owner and trainer.

As well as training Alpinista to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Prescott also oversaw the career of her Listed-winning dam Alwilda and her granddam Albanova, with whom Prescott can see some similarities.

“She’s like her grandmother. She’s not completely unlike her full-sister Alpinista, who won first time up as a two-year-old in July and was naturally sharp,” said Prescott.

“She’s like Albanova, her grandmother, in that she is big, scopey, will stay and will keep on improving.

“When Albanova was five she won three Group Ones – but not until she was five! If this one did the same we’d all be thrilled, but it may take a bit of time.

“She’s more of a long-term project, we all know that her time will be in a year or maybe even two years, but she’s a nice, big, scopey filly at present and we expect her to run respectably without setting the Thames on fire.”

Alpinara is one of nine declared for the first division of the Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes, which also includes William Haggas’ 1,700,000 guineas purchase My Ophelia from the family of My Prospero while Ralph Beckett’s Peerless Spirit is closely related to Midday.