Mick Channon eager to take Woodcote test with Sayesse

Mick Channon's Sayesse takes the next step up the ladder in the Investec Woodcote Stakes at Epsom on Friday.

Won 12 months ago by subsequent Coventry Stakes hero Buratino, Sayesse is the most experienced juvenile in the field having had three outings, winning the last two.

"He's a smashing horse, but he only ever just does enough," said Channon.

"He goes out every morning, goes up the gallop, does nothing flashy and I can't tell you any more, he just does what he has to do.

"He carried a penalty at Newmarket and with the new two-year-old system, we won't know how it works until after Ascot. Before you always knew what races to aim at, but it's a bit different now.

"We're looking forward to seeing how he gets on."

Ed Dunlop's Tibr won on his debut at Lingfield last month, but is facing different ground conditions this time.

"He won at Lingfield on good to firm and the ground is the unknown, we'll have a look at it," Dunlop told At The Races.

"He's American bred but is a horse we like, he won nicely first time.

"He's obviously got to go around Epsom, but he's not that experienced. We're pleased with him, though."

Ryan Moore will be aboard Tibr and is looking forward to the ride.

"This race has thrown up a couple of Royal Ascot winners in the last two years. My colt did it well when winning on his debut on turf over five furlongs at Lingfield and, even though it was only a five-runner race, the form has worked out well," he told www.betfair.com.

"I was actually on the third in that race and I liked the way that Tibr picked up and won his race. He is a good-looking colt, too.

"You should never assume juveniles will automatically be as effective over an extra furlong - we saw that with the stable's Global Applause - but on breeding it shouldn't be a problem.

"These Distorted Humor's get a lot of good horses up to 10 furlongs in the States. There are obviously a few horses in here with similarly unexposed profiles to mine, but I'd be hopeful of a good show, though soft ground would be an obvious unknown."

Hugo Palmer's Hyperfocus was very impressive on his sole start to date and has been kept fresh for this.

"Hyperfocus, drawn in one, will hopefully start off our Epsom meeting with a good run in the Woodcote," Palmer told his website.

"He has done really well physically since winning impressively on his debut at Leicester on good to soft ground in April, and I have been very happy with him in his recent work.

"He is a bigger, stronger colt now, but obviously the opposition is a lot hotter than it was at Leicester."

Mark Johnston's Sea Of Snow is two from two and could prove tough to crack while David Barron's Danielsflyer and Richard Hannon's Legendary Lunch are other previous winners. Phil McEntee's The Lady Hysteria makes her debut.


today's racing

Error occured
{{disciplineGroup.DisciplineFullText}}
{{course.CountryName || course.Country}}