Formerly a rock-solid pattern-race performer, Caspar Netscher has to prove he
still has the right material as he returns from a failed spell at stud in
Tuesday’s Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Previously handled by Alan McCabe, Charles Wentworth’s flagbearer took the
Gimcrack and Mill Reef at two and the following year’s Greenham and
Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German Two Thousand Guineas) to earn his place at
Morristown Lattin Stud, but with a minority of his mares in foal the
rehabilitation process for a return to racing has been undertaken by David
Simcock.
“He has settled in well and I couldn’t be happier with him,” that trainer
said. “He has proven very straightforward, but we haven’t rushed him. He was a
horse who was let down to become a stallion and the likelihood is that he will
improve for the run. The Lennox seems a nice starting point for him, it looks
like being a competitive race and I am looking forward to running him.”
Heading the opposition is Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Summer Mile
winner Aljamaaheer, who was gaining compensation in that July 13 Ascot contest
following third and second placings, respectively, in the Lockinge at Newbury
May 18 and Queen Anne at Royal Ascot a month later.
“Aljamaaheer took his last race in his stride and I don’t have any concerns
dropping back to seven furlongs,” trainer Roger Varian said. “He has run well at
the track in the past and we are just hoping for no more rain.”
Richard Hannon saddles a trio of live contenders, with Richard Hughes siding
with the Criterion winner Producer, who had earlier beaten Aljamaaheer in the
King Richard III at Leicester April 27 prior to his latest win in the
seven-furlong contest at Newmarket June 29. Also in the armory are Libranno and
the progressive Professor, who rattled up a brace of six-furlong listed
successes in the space of eight days last month in the Sandy Lane at Haydock and
Cathedral at Salisbury.
“Hughesie is very keen on Producer, who did a super piece of work last week,”
Hannon commented. “He is a seven-furlong specialist and has won around the track
so, together with his preference for fast ground, he is ticking all the right
boxes. He is such a straightforward horse that he can be ridden any way which,
at Goodwood, is another plus.
“Libranno has the outside draw which won’t make things easy, but he was only
beaten two lengths in this race as a three-year-old, and did even better 12
months ago when chasing home Chachamaidee. Professor is an improving
three-year-old, who has won two listed races and has a cracking draw just one
off the rail, so we go there with three live candidates.”
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