Defence Of Fort heading to Solario Stakes on Saturday

Peter Chapple-Hyam hopes Defence Of Fort can enhance his Classic credentials in the Fasig-Tipton Night Of The Stars Solario Stakes at Sandown Park on Saturday (20th August) after impressing with a perfect piece of work during a racecourse gallop at Newmarket.

The son of Starspangledbanner, who was picked up for just £19,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September yearling sale, will bid to follow up his impressive debut success at Ascot last month when putting his unbeaten record on the line in the Group Three contest.

Although Defence Of Fort is one of the least experienced among the 11 entries received for the seven-furlong prize, Chapple-Hyam is optimistic regarding his colt’s chances after watching him impress in a piece of work at the July Course on Friday.

Chapple-Hyam said: “We were going to go to York for the Acomb but we decided to come here instead.

“The horse really wants a mile and York is a very fast seven furlongs and he will just get taken off his feet early on, so we thought it best to go to Sandown where it is a stiff mile.

“He worked over seven furlongs with a lead horse on the July Course on Friday. The ground was a bit on the slow side as they had just watered it but everything went perfectly.”

While delighted by the four and three-quarter length winning margin Defence Of Fort recorded on his debut, Chapple-Hyam claims he was not surprised to see him run well first time out.

He added: “It did surprise me the way he won but I did think he would go very close.

“He is a nice horse and he had worked well beforehand when I took him up to the watered gallop in Newmarket.

“He had done everything right going into the race. You couldn’t have been anything but impressed by the way he won.”

Over the years Chapple-Hyam has secured many bargain buys including dual Group One winner Dutch Art who he picked up for just 16,000 Guineas.

Although Defence Of Fort has a long way to go to live up to that status, Chapple-Hyam admits he was taken by him the moment he saw him.

He added: “When I saw him it was just the way he walked was what I liked about him and I’ve been quite lucky buying horses over the years.

“This one was £19,000, which was just a bit more than Dutch Art cost. He could prove to be a bargain buy but let’s see if he is a good horse first.”

The Newmarket handler boasts an impressive CV having secured the Derby at Epsom Downs with Dr Devious in 1992 and Authorized in 2007, along with saddling Rodrigo de Triano to glory in the 1992 2000 Guineas among a host of other top-level victories.

In recent years Chapple-Hyam has seen his numbers dwindle while his last Pattern race success came back in 2015 when Marcel secured what was then the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster. However he is not complaining about the position he finds himself in.

He added: “We’ve not got many horses but we haven’t had many for a long while and we still keep on going.

“You just have to get on with it and not whinge. If you don’t like it go, but if not carry on and that is what we are doing.

“Defence Of Fort has got a long was to go to be a Classic contender and it is a case of taking it one step at a time.

“I’ve said to everyone that has seen him, it will either be Exeter or Epsom he ends up at so let’s hope it’s the latter!”