MAPUTO, highly impressive winner of a Class 2 handicap at Newmarket’s July festival last Thursday, heads the Mark Johnston team that comprises three of the five-strong field in the Listed EBF Stallions Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton.

The manner in which the fast-improving son of Cape Cross routed Red Avenger by six lengths off a mark of 95 strongly suggests he will prove competitive in Group company later this campaign, and tonight’s Listed event, the highlight of Hamilton’s season, appears a good stepping stone to bigger and better things.

Charlie Johnston, assistant to his father Mark, who trains Maputo, winner of four of his six starts, said: “It wasn’t really plan A to go to Hamilton with Maputo, but it became apparent during the week that the race was breaking up. Given those circumstances it would have been daft not to have turned up for a race worth £40,000.”

With such valuable prize-money on offer, the Kingsley House stable also runs Mister Impatience and Alta Lilea. Johnston said: “Mister Impatience ran well at Ascot in the Queen’s Vase. The ground is a slight worry with him as we think he’s better with some give, but he’ll take his chance.

“Alta Lilea has a chance of picking up some black type with the race splitting up. Liam Jones gets on particularly well with the filly and is coming up to ride her.”

The Mick Channon-trained Cruck Realta, winner of a Newbury Listed race last month, was last in a Curragh Group 1 last time and steps back down in grade.

Irish raider Hold The Line completes the quintet.

Of the turnout, clerk of the course Hazel Peplinski said: “Naturally we’re disappointed considering it’s a £40,000 race.

“Maputo may have frightened a few away but he wasn’t in the equation until quite late. We’ll definitely review it. We like the name Glasgow Stakes, as we’re close to Glasgow, but we might change the conditions or even make it a 0-95 handicap.”

Going
Hamilton good to firm (watered)
Haydock good to firm (watered)
Newbury good to firm (watered)
Newmarket good to firm (watered)
Nottingham good to firm (watered)
Pontefract good to firm (watered)
Kilbeggan good to firm (watered)

Today’s key pointer
Since the start of 2007, Saeed Bin Suroor is 8/18 in three-year-old maidens at Nottingham, for a level-stakes profit of £16.62 to £1 stakes. Fossola runs at 3.35.

Pointer courtesy of Raceform Interactive

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