William Haggas challenges Lake Forest to shine at Doncaster

could book his ticket to Australia if he runs well over seven furlongs in the Betfred Park Stakes at on Saturday.

William Haggas’ son of No Nay Never is one of 16 left in the hunt for the Group Two prize following Monday’s confirmation stage.

The Somerville Lodge handler is eager to test the colt’s credentials up in trip after last year’s Gimcrack hero rattled the crossbar in two top sprinting contests this summer.

Owned by Brighton and Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom, in partnership with Ian McAleavy, he was runner-up behind Inisherin in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, before bumping into when filling the same spot in Newbury’s Hackwood Stakes.

Having missed the chance to step up in distance in the City of York Stakes when getting upset in the stalls, Lake Forest could later this year be bound for Australia's prestigious Golden Eagle at Rosehill.

Haggas said: “The plan is to go to Doncaster for the Park Stakes and I’m hoping for some dry ground there.

“It looks a good place to go and he looks for all the world that he wants seven furlongs now, so we’ll try him and that will open a few more options if he gets it.

“He could possibly go to Australia in the autumn. If he gets the seven furlongs well, that will be right on his radar.”

Kinross, winner of the race two years ago, Noble Dynasty, Nostrum, Shouldvebeenaring and Al Shabab Storm are also in the mix.

The other Group Two on the card is the Betfred Champagne Stakes, where Charlie Appleby’s Aomori City sets a tall standard based on his performance in Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes.

He beat Hugo Palmer’s Wolf Of Badenoch there and the two may meet again. Palmer could also run Seagulls Eleven, the Superlative Stakes runner-up.

Aidan O’Brien has left in Bernard Shaw, a nine-length Dundalk winner, Aftermath, Monumental and Camille Pissarro.

Bay City Roller, unbeaten in two for George Scott, John and Thady Gosden’s Chancellor – who is twice a winner at Doncaster already – and Richard Spencer’s Righthere Rightnow are others of interest among the 11 still engaged.