Appleby eager to assess Big Mojo’s Commonwealth Cup prospects

Mick Appleby is eager to see if can become his next sprinting superstar when he puts the Commonwealth Cup hopeful’s credentials to the test on Royal Trials Day.

The Rutland handler enjoyed success at the summer showpiece with Big Evs back in 2023 and it is now the turn of Big Mojo, who won the Molecomb and was only a length away from Breeders’ Cup glory as a two-year-old, to state his claims when lining up in the eventmasters.co.uk Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes.

“He’s in good order, he’s wintered really well and been working well and we’ve been really pleased with him,” said Appleby.

“We’ll find out more tomorrow about where his future lies and he has strengthened up a lot, but we’ll soon find out if he gets the six furlongs or not and it’s a stiff six at Ascot – if he sees that out, he’ll get six anywhere else.

“The Commonwealth Cup would obviously be the aim, depending on what happens tomorrow.”

Also in the Group Three event is Archie Watson’s Coventry Stakes runner-up Electrolyte and Charlie Johnston’s Middle Park third Dash Dizzy, while Karl Burke is double handed with impressive Spring Cup scorer Rebel’s Gamble and Prix Robert Papin winner Arabie, who has done much of his racing in France.

Meanwhile, Ascot regular heads a stellar cast of 11 in the Listed eventmasters.co.uk Paradise Stakes.

The five-year-old was beaten a neck in this contest last year before also finishing second to Charyn in the Queen Anne at the Royal meeting and is back on home soil after a winter on his travels.

Trainer said: “He’s well and it’s well documented that he seems to run best at Ascot, so it’s a nice starting point, albeit it has a very different shape to the race to last year, so we’ll see.

“He seems great. He’s a horse that makes my life very easy. He likes being in work and we’ve had a smooth prep since his trip abroad, so I hope he’ll run well.

“We’re just going to see how he fares at Ascot and it’s a different kettle of fish this year. I think it looks a lot deeper than last year, so we’ll just see how competitive he looks in that company over a mile before deciding where he goes.

“Eventually it will be back to Australia, but it just depends at what point he heads down there.”

Docklands’ chief market rival is likely to be John and Thady Gosden’s Sardinian Warrior, who now steps up in grade for a first start on turf after winning three in a row on the all-weather last term.

“He made great progress when winning three on the bounce at Southwell last year, of course winning well on his final start, which was when in a handicap for the first time,” said Thady Gosden of the Saxon Warrior colt, who holds an entry for both the Lockinge Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes.

“He’s wintered well since and a Listed race over a mile seems the right place to give him his first start on turf. It’s as strong a Listed race as you can find but we’ll learn a lot from it.”