July Stakes Plan For Dascombe Colt

Tom Dascombe won Newmarket's G2 Arqana July S. in 2008 when a rookie trainer and he is hoping the race is kind to him again next week when he takes the wraps off his exciting juvenile Finniston Farm (GB) (Helmet {Aus}). The colt made an impressive winning debut in a hot looking maiden at Haydock May 27 and having skipped Royal Ascot Dascombe is keen to test the colt on the July Course on Thursday week. “He's a very exciting horse and all being well I think we'll head to the July Stakes with Finniston Farm,” he said. The form of Finniston Farm's win was franked when third placed Learn By Heart (GB) (Frankel {GB}) won in good style at Doncaster on Friday and Dascombe is confident the 65,000gns yearling purchase will be up to the task at Newmarket. “We won the July Stakes in 2008 with Classic Blade and the Superlative Stakes with Firth Of Fifth, but I think we just got lucky that year. This horse would be 10 times better than the pair of those. He's possibly as good a horse as I've had. I'd be disappointed if he's not good enough to be competing in those kind of races.”

Among others, Finniston Farm will also face a juvenile already proven at Group 2 level after Richard Spencer gave the go ahead to his G2 Coventry S. winner Rajasinghe (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}). Spencer had the option of waiting for the G1 Darley Prix Morny Aug. 20 but was keen to strike again sooner while the colt is in such good form. “Rajasinghe is absolutely bouncing after Ascot and the revised plan is to go for the July Stakes. The Morny and other such races are a long way off just yet and the July course is only just down the road,” Spencer told the Racing Post on Monday. “I know he'll have a penalty to carry but it's been done before and it will be interesting to see what turns up to take him on. After that we can think about Group 1s and such.”