Sir Mark Prescott is hardly renowned for his Group One-winning juveniles but he has a likely candidate for Racing Post Trophy glory at Doncaster in Celestial Path.
Prescott is more celebrated for his achievements with older horses, but given the right runner he is more than capable of priming them for glory at the highest level, as he showed when sending out Hooray to win the Cheveley Park Stakes four years ago.
Celestial Path has something to find on favourite Elm Park on official ratings, but the Footstepsinthesand colt has impressed in two starts to date and appears to be making significant progress with every run.
A one-and-a-quarter-length winner over seven furlongs at York on his debut in July, he took the step up to both Listed class and a mile in his stride when claiming a comfortable success at Haydock last month.
That was a far from brilliant race but Celestial Path defied his greenness and the fact he was running in snatches to eventually power through with ease, running out a four-length victor under no pressure at all.
This clearly is a massive hike up the scale, but Prescott is not one to tilt at windmills and Celestial Path merits plenty of respect.
Portamento can bring up his hat-trick in the Scott Dobson Memorial Doncaster Stakes following his demolition job at Haydock last week.
Godolphin’s runner was very much favoured by the weights and made no mistake as he ran out a 10-length winner of what was a pretty uncompetitive conditions event on testing ground.
He had previously beaten Estidhkaar on softer ground to break his maiden so the terrain clearly presented no worries, and having also shown up well on fast ground at Newmarket, the Shamardal colt seems thoroughly versatile. He can gain a deserved Listed success with more still to come next term.
* Doncaster card in Friday’s Star.
SELECTIONS:
AINTREE: 2.00 Red Merlin, 2.30 Deadly Sting, 3.00 Module, 3.40 Mr Moonshine, 4.15 Kilfinichen Bay, 4.50 Volcanic, 5.25 Jacks Last Hope.
CHEPSTOW: 1.55 Fletchers Flyer, 2.25 Minella On The Line, 2.55 Tokyo Javilex, 3.35 Blaklion, 4.10 Vieux Lion Rouge, 4.45 Majala, 5.15 Somerby.
DONCASTER: 1.40 Withernsea, 2.10 Portamento, 2.40 Open Eagle, 3.15 Dungannon, 3.50 CELESTIAL PATH (NAP), 4.25 Them And Us, 5.00 Louis The Pious, 5.30 Can’t Change It.
LEOPARDSTOWN: 2.05 Stellar Glow, 2.35 Foolish, 3.10 Giovanni Canaletto, 3.45 Tigris River, 4.20 Private Party, 4.55 Lady Giselle, 5.25 Black Benny.
NEWBURY: 1.50 Lexington Times, 2.20 Glorious Protector, 2.50 Silver Rainbow, 3.30 Layl, 4.05 Lulani, 4.40 Stosur, 5.10 Asker.
STRATFORD: 2.15 Mystery Drama, 2.45 Unidexter, 3.20 Timesawastin, 3.55 Roberto Pegasus, 4.30 Kilcascan, 5.05 King’s Request, 5.35 Grimley Girl.
WEXFORD: 2.20 Exxaro, 2.50 Solita, 3.25 The Bold Beckey, 4.00 Chief Of Panama, 4.35 Tulpar, 5.10 Call Rog, 5.40 Captain Carol.
WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.45 Sparbrook, 6.15 Exceedingly, 6.45 Pretend, 7.15 I Am Not Here, 7.45 Meebo, 8.15 Rock Of Leon, 8.45 Real Jazz.
DOUBLE: Celestial Path and Module.