Stewards' Cup Date For Ridge Ranger

The Kevin Ryan trained Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) heads the weights for the £250,000 Qatar Stewards' Cup at Goodwood July 30. Ryan's 4-year-old is a progressive sprinter having won the G3 Coral Charge at Sandown recently and he will have other options around that time also including the G2 Qatar King George S. and the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. However one horse definitely on target for Britain's most valuable six furlong handicap is Ridge Ranger (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}). Fresh from her maiden pattern victory in the G3 Summer S. over six furlongs at York last weekend Ridge Ranger will head to Goodwood with course form having won a five furlong handicap at last year's 'Glorious' meeting. The half-sister to G1 King's Stand S. winner Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is trained by Eric Alston who commented, “She came out of her win at York with no bother whatsoever and I think her owner and breeder Con Harrington would like to go back to Goodwood with her. She will have to carry a 6lb penalty, but her rating has gone up to 110 now anyway.“
The 5-year-old finished last season rated 98 but has brought her form to another level this season, her York win a career best. “She won over six furlongs earlier in her career but then seemed to get quicker, so we started running her over five. We thought five furlongs was her trip after she won at Goodwood last year but she was very good at York,” added the veteran trainer. Alston, who trained the dual Group 1 winning sprinter Reverence (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) is quite familiar with the family of Ridge Ranger as, in addition to winning recently with her promising 3-year-old half-brother Acclaim The Nation (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), Alston also trained the pair's mother. “I trained her dam Dani Ridge (Ire) (Indian Ridge {GB}) and Ridge Ranger is a very strong filly like her mother, only a lot better!”