John Gosden has registered a solitary success in Sandown's G2 bet365 Mile, partying with Handsome Ridge (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) in 1999, and the Newmarket conditioner's skills will be tested to the limit as he brings back Tashweeq (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) after a near 18-month absence in Friday's open renewal. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's 2015 Listed Flying Scotsman S. winner ran fourth in that year's G1 Dewhurst, but has not been since suffering injury when sixth in Saint-Cloud's G1 Criterium International at the end of that freshman campaign. “Tashweeq ran in France and got a stress fracture to his shin, and it took a long time to heal as the blood supply there is not readily the same,” Gosden explained. “He went back to Shadwell and, rather then push him back for last year, he has had a year off and has benefitted from it. He has come back fine and is in very good order.”
The bay's fitness will be fully tested by ring-sharp veteran Sovereign Debt (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who has maintained his consistency since joining Ruth Carr from the recently retired David Nicholls. The 8-year-old grey hit the board for his new yard in Kempton's Apr. 1 Listed Magnolia S. and enjoyed a bumper payday in Lingfield's Apr. 14 All-Weather Championships Mile last time. “He came out of the Lingfield race really well,” said Carr. “It is a competitive race, which you expect for a Group 2, but he has every reason to be there and, hopefully, with a big shout. He deserved that win last time, it was a big payday and that box is ticked off so maybe that takes a bit of pressure off.”
Charlie Hills's G3 Prix du Pin victor Jallota (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) has been resurgent since stepping back out of handicap company last year and returns to action coming off a second in Milan's Sept. 25 G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua and a third in the Oct. 7 G2 Challenge S. at Newmarket. “He had his first holiday ever over the winter, he's come back fresh and his work has been nice,” revealed Hills. “We are trying him over a mile first time out and, while there is a question mark over the trip, it is his first time at Sandown [in 40 starts]. I would like to think he will get it and, if he doesn't, there are plenty of nice races over seven furlongs. It would be nice if he got the mile as it gives us more options.”
Aidan O'Brien trainee Cougar Mountain (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) has been on a globetrotting mission since annexing September's G2 Joel S. at Newmarket, for which he carries a three-pound impost here, and running fifth in the G2 Challenge S. back there. He returns to European action off a Feb. 24 conditions second behind Sovereign Debt in Doha and an eighth in Meydan's Mar. 25 G1 Dubai Turf.
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