Unbeaten Clearpoint heading for Gimcrack at York next week

Unbeaten juvenile Clearpoint is on course for the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York on Friday week.

The Richard Fahey-trained Ardad colt landed a six-furlong Ayr novice on debut and followed up over the minimum trip in similar company on the all-weather at Newcastle.

After overcoming a minor issue with a streaming nose, the Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned Clearpoint is set for a step up to Group Two company.

Sheikh Rashid’s racing manager Bruce Raymond said: “He is going for the Gimcrack – he is on-song for that. He is in good shape.

“He had a dripping nose. It was nothing much, but I think Richard put him on a different bedding and it changed overnight. He has never missed work, but he didn’t want to run him while he had that.

“I saw him two and a half weeks ago and he worked well. Once he changed the bedding, he was absolutely perfect. Overnight.”

Raymond believes that Fahey, who landed the Gimcrack with Sands Of Mali in 2017, is not looking beyond the six-furlong contest with the colt, who holds entries in both the Mill Reef at Newbury and the Middle Park at Newmarket next month.

“He is in the Gimcrack, the Mill Reef and all those. If he wins the Gimcrack he’s half cracked it, hasn’t he?,” added Raymond.

“You could not do the Gimcrack and Prix Morny because they are too close together. I don’t know, but after the Gimcrack, he will probably go for the Middle Park. He has done enough after that. We’ll worry about that later – he has a sprinter’s pedigree.”

Raymond also had news of Bright Diamond, who bounded clear to win a seven-furlong fillies’ maiden by nine lengths under Clifford Lee at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Karl Burke-trained daughter of El Kabeir is as short as 20-1 for next season’s 1000 Guineas after beating five rivals, yet Raymond said punters should not get too carried away.

“She wasn’t strongly fancied and Karl has some very nice two-year-olds,” said Raymond.

“He was down with me at Newmarket for something else. I don’t think he came down to watch this one run.

“She looked a nice filly walking round and he said she goes nicely, but he didn’t expect her to win like that.

“She was a bit green early and the jockey shook her up a bit. I thought she was going to drop away and finish last, and then once he gave her a couple of taps, she just took off.

“Anything that wins nine lengths has to be respected, but I’m not sure if the race was that grand.

“We will just take it easy. She looks nice. She didn’t carry a lot of condition, but I expect she will improve a bit. Karl didn’t say she goes with his better ones, anyway. But he knows what he is doing.

“She didn’t do much in the race and after the race she was as fit as a butcher’s dog. She didn’t blow and was very clear.

“She is in the Group Two Rockfel and those are the sort of races you would have to go for, really.”