Tregoning on ‘fact-finding’ mission with Ribhi in Free Handicap

Marcus Tregoning is hoping Ribhi can put himself in the picture for the Classics when he makes his seasonal debut in the Listed bet365 European Free Handicap at Newmarket on Tuesday.

The son of Dark Angel will take on four rivals in the seven-furlong contest, which is a recognised trial for the 2000 Guineas.

Ribhi will again be partnered by Jim Crowley, who steered him to victory in a six-furlong conditions race when last seen at Salisbury in September.

Having won a maiden at the same track on debut, he had his colours lowered in a Listed race at Doncaster on good to firm ground on his second start, before winning on soft last time out.

“The race has obviously cut up to a small field because I suppose people are worried about how the ground is everywhere,” said Tregoning.

“It is getting pretty quick and we haven’t had as much rain as we should have done.

“He seems to be going there in good form. We are going there off the back of a couple of wins last year and we are just trying to find out where were are and how far we think he is going to get.”

The last winner of the European Free Handicap to achieve victory in the 2000 Guineas was Mystiko in 1991, while the last participant to win the 1000 Guineas was Harayir, the runner-up in 1995.

“It can happen,” said Tregoning. “We will just have to see and hopefully build on it. Ribhi might get a mile, so we are going that route anyway.

“Hopefully he will run well and we can gauge something from this race, although it is difficult to gauge things in a small field.

“It is a fact-finding mission, but going back in trip should help. He is much the same as he was last season. He is in good shape and I’m looking forward to seeing him run.”

Rivals include the Richard Hannon-trained Tacarib Bay, who was third in the Group Three Horris Hill at Newbury on his second of two starts, Hugo Palmer’s Yarmouth novice winner Power Of Beauty and Honey Sweet, trained by Karl Burke.

Ryan Moore rides Tacarib Bay, and told Betfair: “You couldn’t say he is obviously well-treated off his mark of 103, but he has had just the two runs and his third in the Horris Hill on soft ground certainly suggests he could be competitive here.

“He did best of those who raced prominently there. There seems to be some rain forecast on Tuesday, which would obviously be fine for him, but decent ground should also be OK for this Night Of Thunder colt, I’d have thought.”

The Charlie Appleby-trained New Science completes the line-up and heads the market on his seasonal debut.

The Lope De Vega colt comfortably beat subsequent dual Group One winner Angel Bleu in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July.

He stayed on from the rear to take third behind Sovereign Prince on his latest appearance in the Listed Jumeirah Classic over a mile at Meydan in February.

“New Science has definitely come forward from his run in Dubai. If he brings the best of his two-year-old form to the table, it will make him very competitive,” Appleby reported on the Godolphin website.

Last year’s Qipco 2000 Guineas runner-up Master Of The Seas makes his return in the bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket, trying nine furlongs for the first time at a track he is yet to finish outside of the first three at.

It is the first time the son of Dubawi has run at Group Three level since landing the Craven Stakes at this meeting 12 months ago and Charlie Appleby will be hoping his four-year-old will be on his best behaviour having seen his season end in disappointing circumstances when fancied for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

He was withdrawn at the start on that occasion having reared in the stalls, but has been gelded in the interim and that could be the key to a successful four-year-old campaign which starts on home turf for the Moulton Paddocks inmate.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “Master Of The Seas is a horse we haven’t seen since his antics at the Breeders’ Cup.

“His preparation has gone well and he’s been gelded since that start and I think the step up in trip will suit him.

“We’re looking forward to it (Craven meeting), it’s an exciting time of year and hopefully we can tick some boxes this week and roll into the Guineas meeting with the right horses.

“Conditions look there to suit and we are expecting a big run.”

Master Of The Seas is the clear favourite, while John and Thady Gosden’s Megallan will be looking to repeat the form that saw him edge out Sir Busker in the Group Three Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last August. Last year’s Dante runner-up is rated the biggest danger to the market leader.

One intriguing runner in the line-up is Catch Twentytwo, who makes his debut for Jane Chapple-Hyam. The mount of Robert Tart has raced exclusively in South Africa so far, winning three of his 12 starts, and arrives via Mauritius from Mike de Kock.

The four-year-old will spend the summer with Chapple-Hyam before being reunited with De Kock, and the handler is looking forward to seeing how her new import gets on while in her care.

“He’s going to get a shock on the straight track at Newmarket, he’s going to be looking for the bends!” she said.

“He came to me because he was en route to Mike De Kock in Dubai and got held up in quarantine in Mauritius, Mike said to look after him for six months and give him a couple of runs and then he’ll go over to Mike.

“We felt that rather than sit and wait and go straight into Group Ones, we’d dip our toe in at Group Three and see how he gets on.”

Although a regular in Graded company when racing in South Africa, Chapple-Hyam did add a note of caution to her assessment of the Elusive Fort gelding, but with her time with the horse limited, she is keen to get a run under his belt.

“Just bear in mind, a big open track at Newmarket probably isn’t the right call for him, we probably should be on a turning track, but it’s on our door step, two miles down the road and thought why not.

“He arrived on Christmas Eve, so he’s had time to get used to the wet and cold of England and he’s an interesting horse, he’s rated 116 and we’ve got to start somewhere,” said Chapple-Hyam.

Others to note include Andrew Balding’s track-and-trip winner Bells Rock and the Roger Varian-trained Father Of Jazz, who was beaten less than a length in the Magnolia Stakes at Kempton last month.