Montassib aiming to state Champions Day cast at Newbury

Group One winner Montassib will be out to book his ticket to British Champions Day when he makes his belated seasonal return in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes.

Last year’s Haydock Sprint Cup hero has been kept on the sidelines so far this term, but with William Haggas eager to tee-up another crack at the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes – a race in which he finished fifth at the end of last season – he is content to see the seven-year-old make his first-ever start over five furlongs at Newbury on Saturday.

“He had a setback in the spring but is good now,” said Haggas. “I do think he’ll need the race even though he is pretty fresh and well, but he’s never run over five furlongs before.

“I want to run him in the sprint on Champions Day and this gives me the most time to get him there. If I waited for the Bengough at Ascot in early October, I would only have two weeks to get him ready and this gives me a good month.

“I’m not fancying him too much but I hope he will run well and he’s in good order at home.”

With Cieren Fallon continuing his successful association with Montassib, Haggas’ number one and St Leger-winning rider Tom Marquand partners consistent stablemate First Instinct, as the Somerville Lodge handler fires a two-pronged attack on the Group Three event.

Haggas added: “She’s been great this year. She’s not very big but is as tough as anything and in an ideal world wants a stiff five or an easy six furlongs.

“She just ran out of ground at Beverley in the Bullet and I think they will go hard on Saturday and she will come home well. She’s a very genuine filly.

“She’s not been at her best on slow ground in the past, but we’re getting towards the end of the season now and felt it was worth a shot.”

Mick Appleby’s Shagraan was ahead of First Instinct when claiming the Beverley Bullet last time, while Jonathan Portman’s Rumstar is amongst the market leaders, as the Nunthorpe fifth seeks a third victory in a brilliant season.

Also thriving of late is course specialist Rage Of Bamby, who returns to the scene of her thrilling Hackwood Stakes success after arguably a career best when fourth in Group One company at Haydock last month.

She is another who may not be suited by the trip, but connections are keen to take their chance with the five-year-old and Sam Hoskins of owners Hot To Trot Racing said: “The way the programme book is we’re having to float around a bit on trip and ideally we would stick at six furlongs but she showed plenty of dash in the Sprint Cup at Haydock.

“She has a 3lb penalty for winning here in the Hackwood back in July but she’s remained in really good form since then. It was a storming run last time at Haydock and she’s going to be retired at the end of the season, so why not have a go again?”

Rage Of Bamby’s latest efforts represent a remarkable turnaround from her lacklustre showings at the beginning of the campaign and with the trainer-jockey combination of Eve Johnson Houghton and Charlie Bishop still basking in their big-race triumph in Ireland last weekend, they have the chance to land another notable prize closer to home.

“It’s so great the success they are having and Eve and Charlie are such a good team, what an amazing season they have had,” added Hoskins.

“We know she loves the track and when she got beat here in the Hungerford, it was only because she didn’t get the trip.

“It’s obviously a competitive race and we’re back down in trip but if she gets into a good rhythm, she will have a good each-way chance again.”

A total of 11 runners will head to the start in Berkshire, with Simon and Ed Crisford’s Cover Up and Jack Channon’s Queen All Star both arriving after handicap wins last time.

Local handler Clive Cox is eager to take advantage of conditions as he saddles Kerdos.

He said: “This will hopefully be the easiest ground he’s run on for a while and hopefully that will put things back in his favour.”

Ed Walker’s Balmoral Lady, Kevin Ryan’s Grand Grey and TJ Kent’s Habooba complete the line-up.