Caspian Prince out to continue Dash domination
Veteran speedster is already a three-timer winner of Epsom sprint.
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Veteran sprinter Caspian Prince bids to win the World Pool “Dash” Handicap for a fourth time from seven attempts at Epsom on Saturday.
The admirable 12-year-old has taken the prize for three different trainers – Tony Carroll in 2014, Dean Ivory in 2016 and Tony Coyle in 2017.
He has also finished down the field three times – for Carroll in 2015 and in 2018 and 2019 for his current trainer Mick Appleby.
The Rutland-based handler reports his stable stalwart to be in fine shape, although he would have preferred a higher draw than four.
“He’s in good order. Hopefully he should run well,” said Appleby.
“He’s not got the best draw, though. We could have done with a better one and I hope they don’t get much rain.”
In contrast, Tim Easterby is hoping for easier conditions and is not sure if high numbers for his two runners – 19 for Sunday Sovereign and 16 for Copper Knight – is as much as advantage as it used to be.
“You don’t have to be drawn high these days. A lot of the winners have been coming from low recently,” he said.
“Both are in good form and as long as the ground is good and not too firm, both will run well. The softer the better for both of them.”
Two past winners – Ornate in 2019 and Duke Of Firenze in 2013 – represent Bawtry trainer David Griffiths.
Ornate was in action only last Saturday in the Listed Achilles Stakes won by King’s Lynn, and Griffiths feels that is what he needed ahead of going for the Dash again.
“He came out of the race really well. He had a good blow. He runs off a good mark,” said Griffiths.
“He’s in good form, he loves Epsom and I think his run at Haydock last week will have put him spot on Saturday.”
Duke Of Firenze, who is aged 12, sneaks into the contest right at the bottom and runs off a feather weight.
He has been as busy as ever and will be running for the 15th time in 2021, including on this course when he was third to Recon Mission in April.
“He’s had two wins this year. He’s been running well and ran well at Epsom,” said Griffiths.
“He didn’t run brilliant the last twice, but that’s probably because of the (soft) ground and he likes Epsom. He comes alive there.”
Century Dream goes for a third win in the Cazoo Diomed Stakes.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the seven-year-old was successful in 2018 and again last year when it was run at Newbury.
Duke Of Hazzard makes his first appearance at Epsom but connections expect him to handle the track.
The five-year-old, trained by Paul and Oliver Cole, is a three-time winner at Goodwood which has similar undulations.
“He’s in the best form of his life. We’re very happy with his work. He’s a well-balanced horse so I think the track will suit him,” said Oliver Cole.
A fascinating contender is Maximal, the only three-year-old in the field.
The Galileo colt, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, has finished second behind two Classic hopefuls, Hurricane Lane (Cazoo Derby) and El Drama (French Derby) in two races over a mile and a quarter in the spring. He drops down to an extended mile for this Group Three.
There are four three-year-old fillies in the other Group Three on the card, the Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
Martyn Meade, trainer of Statement, believes the 12lb allowance given to the younger fillies could help give her the upper hand.
“It is a very generous weight allowance and she is in great form. I think she’s pretty well in,” said the Manton handler.
“It’s a different race to what she has run in before, but I think she can step up to that taking on older fillies.”
Illykato, Nazuna and Thank You Next are the other three, while the older ones include two five-year-olds in Maamora and Posted.