Racing: Fantasy's focus on fillies

WITH three of Europe's top sprinters in his stable, Richard Hannon's only problem is trying to keep them apart on the racecourse. Yesterday, the plans he outlined for Lyric Fantasy, Mr Brooks and Shalford for the rest of the season showed that he has been only partly successful in that task.

The unbeaten Lyric Fantasy, brilliant winner of York's Nunthorpe Stakes last week, will eschew taking on older horses in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp and will instead attempt to confirm superiority over fillies of her own age in Newmarket's Cheveley Park Stakes on 30 September.

Mr Brooks, runner-up to Lyric Fantasy at York, will contest the Haydock Park Sprint on Saturday week, where Hannon will also run Shalford. The latter, found to be suffering from a throat infection after disappointing in the July Cup won by Mr Brooks, will work after racing at Salisbury on Thursday.

The pair, who are both ideally suited by six furlongs, are also likely to travel together to Florida at the end of October where they will run in the Breeders' Cup Sprint over that trip at Gulfstream Park.

Brian Rouse partners Karinga Bay for Geoff Lewis in the Group Three Spreti-Rennen over 10 furlongs at Baden-Baden today.