Touleen trialling Classic aspirations with Rockfel run

Touleen puts her unbeaten record on the line when she heads to Newmarket for the BoyleSports-sponsored Rockfel Stakes on Friday.

Trainer Owen Burrows had pondered delaying the talented daughter of Lope De Vega’s jump into Group company until the bet365 Fillies’ Mile later in the autumn.

However, with conditions to the youngster’s liking on the Rowley Mile, Touleen – who is as short as 14-1 with Coral for next year’s 1000 Guineas – will bid to send her team into the winter with plenty to dream about.

Burrows said: “She’s produced two very pleasing performances so far and we’ve been very happy with her since Leicester, she ticks a lot of boxes.

“She was in both this and the Fillies’ Mile and she couldn’t do both of them. Even though I think she will handle a bit of cut, it’s been a dry week and we knew what we were dealing with on Friday.

“If we had hung on for the Fillies’ Mile, the weather might change and it might be very soft and you also then worry if a mile on soft ground would stretch her at this stage of her career.

“Hopefully we’ve picked the right one and she is still lightly raced having run in two novices, so it makes sense to go up through the grades gradually.

“It will be nice for everybody if she can run well Friday and then we have something to dream of over the winter.”

Touleen enhanced her reputation by downing Simon and Ed Crisford’s Zanthos at Leicester earlier this month, with the duo set to lock horns yet again in a race the father-and-son training team won with Carla’s Way two years ago.

Despite being highly respectful of their East Midlands conqueror, connections of Zanthos are hopeful the €1million breeze-up buy – who had impressed on the July course on debut – could turn the tables this time around.

“At Leicester she was a bit keen and a bit fresh and didn’t have her racing head on and didn’t put as good a performance up as she had done on debut,” explained Chris Wall for owners Victorious Forever.

“We’re hoping that run will have taken the gas out of her and she will be a bit more settled at Newmarket, where the track might suit her better as she likes to bowl along and we can let her do that.

“We hold Touleen in high regard and she’s a very good filly who will take a fair bit of beating. But we’re hoping for a good run and if the Zanthos who turned up on the July course turns up here, she should be very competitive.”

Sir Mark Prescott’s Moon Target bids to leave a disappointing showing in the May Hill at Doncaster in the past and return to the smart form that saw her win her first two outings with ease before going down narrowly to subsequent Group One winner Precise in the Prestige Stakes.

“Her first few runs were all good and I suppose in her Goodwood race she ran better than we realised,” said Prescott.

“I was disappointed she got beat, but the winner won the Moyglare and the third won the May Hill – (but) I was disappointed to finish behind the third in the May Hill.

“I have no excuse at all for Doncaster and the filly seems fine.

“She won all right on the July course and it’s not the same thing as the Rowley Mile, but it’s the nearest you can get, so fingers crossed she can run well.”

Like Moon Target, Albany Stakes runner-up Awaken was also a beaten favourite last time, but George Boughey’s daughter of Mehmas is backed to leave that Salisbury non-event behind and serve a reminder of her potential now stepped up in trip.

“We just made an absolute howler of a mistake running her on bottomless ground at Salisbury in the Dick Poole,” said Harry Herbert of owners Highclere Thoroughbreds.

“Billy Loughnane told me he knew on the way down to the start it was not going to work and he very much looked after her.

“We can put a line through that race as that is obviously not her true running. She has bounced out of that really well and looks fantastic. Her work stats and data has been really good and we need to learn more about her now and where she fits in the big picture.

“She needs seven furlongs and is getting on to probably wanting a mile, but I think the mile bit will come next year now. A stiffish seven furlongs at Newmarket I think should suit her, I just hope she handles the track and the dip as the ground is perfect for her.

“She’s a very talented filly who is very much about next year, but while she’s in rude health we’ll throw her hat in the ring and see how she gets on. Hopefully she’s one to really look forward to.”

John and Thady Gosden won this with Commissioning in 2022 and now look to repeat the dose with Prix du Calvados third Nandita.

“Nandita has been in good form since the run in France and we probably didn’t think the ground would be as it is, but the fact it is is why we’re having a go as it’s important to her,” explained Henry Lascelles, racing manager to owner Lady Bamford.

“The French race was a strong race and there is a bit of substance to the form. The winner looks smart and of the fillies behind us, one has subsequently run well in a Group race and another nearly won a nice race at Newbury.

“It’s a tall order but we think it’s worth having a go.”