Diego Ventura puts his unbeaten record on the line in Thursday’s Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket.
After a comfortable debut win at Naas under Gavin Cromwell, he was quickly acquired by Wathnan Racing to join Hamad Al Jehani’s growing operation in Newmarket. James Doyle will be aboard as the son of Mehmas aims to maintain his winning streak in Group Three company after a promising first outing for Al Jehani at Ascot.
"Diego is on track for Thursday, and Hamad has been very pleased with him," said Richard Brown, racing adviser for the owners. "I was impressed with his performance at Ascot; he missed the break, got squeezed at the start, and ended up on the rail behind horses, forcing James to switch out. Despite everything going wrong, he still managed to win, which was great to see."
Stepping up to seven furlongs at Newmarket, connections believe his smooth running style will help him handle the additional distance. "It was a very pleasing performance. He’s not specifically bred for seven furlongs, but his running style suggests he’ll appreciate the step up," Brown added. "We’re slightly venturing into the unknown, but James feels he’ll be better over this distance. It’s a bit of a fact-finding mission for us."
The pre-race betting sees formidable contenders from Coolmore and Godolphin, represented by Monumental and Symbol Of Honour, respectively. Monumental, trained by Aidan O’Brien, last ran close to Bay City Roller in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, while Symbol Of Honour, trained by Charlie Appleby, finished second in the Flying Scotsman Stakes.
Appleby commented on Symbol Of Honour: "We were pleased with him at Doncaster, where he stepped up to seven furlongs for the first time after a little break. He has come on since that run and should be very competitive again."
Hugo Palmer’s The Waco Kid, who previously performed well in the Acomb Stakes at York, is also looking to make his mark at this level. "He’ll face different ground this time, but he handled the slow surface at Doncaster well, and most Mehmas horses cope with a bit of cut," Palmer said. "We’re hopeful for a good run."
The field is completed by Karl Burke’s Assertively, Stuart Williams’ Balzarini, and Huscal, who will aim for a hat-trick after thriving in lesser company for Charlie Hills.