Dancing Gemini follows familiar Mile route at Sandown

Dancing Gemini could follow in the footsteps of Charyn and continue on the path to the top of the mile division when he bids to follow up his early-season Doncaster success in the bet365 Mile at Sandown.

Roger Varian’s Charyn was successful at Listed level on Town Moor before taking this en route to Royal Ascot, Jacques le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes glory last term and having won the same event in South Yorkshire, Roger Teal’s four-year-old is given the chance to make another statement at this trip.

“It looks like being very competitive, but he’s come out of the race at Doncaster well and we’re looking forward to running him,” said Teal.

“We said we would take a similar path to what Charyn did last year and the timing is right for us to run again.

“I think the mile is the place for him at the minute as he has that really nice turn of foot and I know Kieran Shoemark wouldn’t put us off going up in trip, but I think after his performance at Doncaster you’ve got to give him another crack at this distance.

“It’s a stiffer mile than Doncaster and it will answer a few more questions for us.”

Chief among the opposition is John and Thady Gosden’s Lead Artist, who won three times last term and having finished the season up at nine and 10 furlongs, drops back in trip looking to set up a trip to Newbury for the Lockinge Stakes.

“I think John said they were a little easy on him over the winter after his trip to Bahrain where he got struck into, so he needed a bit of time, but he’s in good shape and ready to start back,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“We’ll get him back and see where we’re at. I’m sure he’ll improve a bit for the run, but we’ll just see if we are up to a Lockinge – I think that’s the main idea.

“We sort of think he didn’t get home over a mile and a quarter in Bahrain. It looked like the race was over at the furlong pole, he had stretched away and won and in the last 100 yards he was folding a bit, hence we’re dropping back to a mile.”

Also with the Lockinge in mind is David Menuisier, who expects his Sun Chariot heroine Tamfana to come on for her first effort of 2025.

“She’s in good form, but I expect her to run a bit like Master Builder did at Epsom on Tuesday and need it a little,” explained Menuisier.

“They are both at the same stage in terms of training and you expect them to run well but perhaps lack that little kick at the end, as she’s only at around 80 per cent.”

He went on: “She was a winner at Sandown last year and this is 100 per cent the right race to start her off in. But we should improve a good deal for it and then end up at the Lockinge in a few weeks time in perfect shape.”

Another who registered big-race success last year was Richard Hannon’s Haatem who after placing in Classics both at home and in Ireland, got his day in the spotlight when landing the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He now returns from a long layoff and Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing, said: “It’s a starting place and he’s been off the track a long time so he won’t be going there fully wound up, but he’s been working well and we’re looking forward to getting him back on the course.

“It’s very much the plan to stick to a mile for now and we’ll have to see how he fits in with the rest of them.

“He was very impressive last year and won the Craven before placing in a couple of Guineas before then winning again at Royal Ascot over a trip that was probably a little short for him.

“He’ll certainly race over a mile for now but depending on how we get on, we might explore further with him later in the season.”