Vintage Stakes: Visinari "will take a lot of beating" says Mark Johnston

Mark Johnston believes Visinari will “take a lot of beating” when he meets six rivals in a fascinating renewal of the Qatar Vintage Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday.

The colt created a huge impression when making a winning start to his career over six furlongs at Newmarket in early June but odds-on backers had their fingers burnt after he was narrowly beaten into third place in the July Stakes over the same trip on his latest outing.

Johnston believes the step up to seven furlongs will suit his youngster, who is a general 3-1 chance in a contest where the unbeaten Pinatubo heads the market at 13-8.

“It’s always dangerous to say ifs and buts and it wold be wrong of me to detract from the horses who beat him [at Newmarket] but my gut feeling is that he is a Group One horse and that he will take a lot of beating,” the trainer told Racing TV’s Nick Lightfoot.

“Like everybody else, I was hugely impressed with him [on his debut] at Newmarket. He’s well over 16 hands tall and does not look like at typical six-furlong horse. He’s improving all the time.

“Sometimes you get these two-year-olds who are just bigger than everybody else – they are like the tall kid at school who nobody could beat them at running and so even though they are ungainly and weak they are still fastest by the fact they have longer legs than the rest.

“I think there is bit more to him than that. It’s not going to be a case of when the others grow up to his size that they are going to be better than him. I’d like to think it’s going to be a case of him getting better and better as he strengthens and matures.”

Charlie Appleby is looking forward to seeing Pinatubo put his unbeaten record on the line.

The son of Shamardal has progressed from a debut victory at Wolverhampton to landing the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom and the Chesham at Royal Ascot, with the dominance of his latter display seeing him rocket to the head of ante-post lists for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

He heads to Goodwood in search of the four-timer, but his task is far from straightforward, with Aidan O’Brien’s Chesham runner-up Lope Y Fernandez, Mark Johnston’s highly-regarded colt Visinari and Richard Hannon’s Superlative Stakes winner Mystery Power among his six rivals.

Appleby said: “He’s come out of the Chesham in good form. I think he should suit the track with the style of how he races. It was undulating at Epsom and he managed to handle that, which is why I’m happy to go to Goodwood with him. Hopefully it will play to our strengths.

“He has got pace, but the step up to seven was always going to help him and he showed his class at Ascot. It was not a weak race as the second horse was strongly fancied and some nice form is coming out of the race, with the fourth horse finishing second in a Listed race at Ascot on Saturday.

Our experts analyse Mystery Power's success in the Superlative Stakes__

“I definitely think this is the best two-year-old race we have seen this year. Hopefully he will step forward again.”

Mystery Power must carry a 3lb penalty for his victory at Newmarket’s July meeting earlier in the month, but Hannon is unperturbed.

“I didn’t quite think he would go to Newmarket and win a Group Two like he did. He won it the hard way. He was going away at the line and I think he has improved again for that,” said the Marlborough-based trainer.

“Olympic Glory won the July Stakes and then the Vintage and King Torus did the same with a penalty. I think any more than 3lb has a massive effect. You see with these two-year-olds in novice races that 5lb and 6lb penalties gets these good horses beat, but I think 3lb is doable.

“It will be a good race as there are lot of good horses around.”

Positive is an interesting contender for Clive Cox. The Dutch Art colt faces a significant step up in class, but could hardly have been more impressive in winning by five lengths on his introduction at Salisbury.

“He was impressive first time out and I think the maiden form from Salisbury is working out well,” said Cox.

“We’ve made no secret we have liked him a lot, but this is a big step up, so fingers crossed he can acquit himself well.

“This race was always in our mind and he is a very exciting horse. He has got plenty of size and scope and a good level of ability – and he is only going to get better with time as well.

“He made a wonderful first start and although this is a big step, it is a step we are hopeful he can take.”

Saeed bin Suroor’s July Stakes runner-up Platinum Star and Mick Channon’s rank outsider Milltown Star complete the line-up.

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