Chris Wall’s Mix And Mingle in great form ahead of Saturday’s Hungerford Stakes at Newbury racecourse
Trainer Chris Wall tells punters to forget her last run at Ascot and is looking forward to her taking on the boys in Newbury's feature race on Saturday
TRAINER Chris Wall could not be happier with Mix And Mingle as she bids for victory in the Betfred Hungerford Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
Wall's filly has had a successful season and warns punters not to dismiss her and forget about her Royal Ascot run.
Wall said: "Her main mid-season target had been the Oak Tree at Goodwood but it came up too soft for her.
"Two things worked against her in the Duke of Cambridge at Ascot. She had an impossible task from her draw as low numbers didn't have a hope in hell that day.
"We also found out that she just doesn't stay a mile. We can draw a line through that. It was not representative of what she can do.
"She won her Group 3 well over seven furlongs. She is fresh and well and if it dries up, all the better. She is in great form and I could not be more happier with her."
One horse who is coming back from a long break is Owen Burrows' Massaat.
He has not been seen since coming home last in a Group 3 at Salisbury last August and Burrows expects him to need the run.
He said: "Massaat is as fit as I can get him at home but he will be rusty and he will come on for it.
"He is a year older now and is not the easiest to get fit as he doesn't overdo himself at home, but I have been happy with his work.
"It is a good starting point for him and hopefully if he retains his old ability he should run a good race.
John Gosden runs both Nathra and Daban in this year's renewal.
Bruce Raymond, racing manager for their owner Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah, said: "Nathra and Daban breezed very well the other morning and they both looked good.
"Nathra got boxed in on her return at Ascot and could not get any sort of run at all, so you can forget that run completely.
"Daban was sixth in the Jersey last time out. We felt that she was too close to a very fast pace and she simply could not keep up with it."
Connections of Roger Varian's Spangled are hoping she can make up for lost time on what will be her first start in 344 days.
Chris Richardson, racing manager to owners Cheveley Park Stud, said: "We were hoping to run her at Goodwood but the ground was too soft.
"Drying conditions will suit her better. She had a nasty foot abscess in the spring and which took a while to come right which was frustrating.
"We took a view to be very patient and let it clear up. She is sound now and Roger has been very pleased with her."
The David Simcock-trained Breton Rock will bid to defy a penalty, while Kaspersky runs his last race in Britain for Jane Chapple-Hyam before being shipped out to Australia.
Ibn Malik (Charlie Hills), Librisa Breeze (Dean Ivory), Sir Dancealot (David Elsworth) and Poet's Vanity (Andrew Balding) complete the line-up.