Cry Of Freedom is ideal work companion for Awzaan

The son of Alhaarth enjoyed a fantastic juvenile campaign, winning each of his four starts, culminating in an impressive display in the Group One Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket.

Ridden by Richard Hills for the first time this year, the three-year-old enjoyed a workout yesterday with his elder stablemate Cry Of Freedom on trainer Mark Johnston's private Tapeta gallop in Middleham, and connections could not be happier with the colt at this stage of the season.

"This was his first big piece of work this year and we decided to work him with Cry Of Freedom as he is a horse with lots of ability but he wasn't going to make it hard work for Awzaan," said Johnston.

"Cry Of Freedom is a horse who travels well but he doesn't really put it all in at the finish, so he's an ideal work companion in that respect.

"We don't tend to work the three-year-olds with older horses, but we thought this would work well and it was a good piece of work over what is a very stiff six furlongs in a 30mph headwind.

"At the moment I'm very happy with where Awzaan is.

"We are still four weeks away from the Guineas and he's probably 19 kilos away from where we want him to be, so it's pretty much right."

Awzaan – one of the horses on show at today's Middleham Open Day sponsored by Welcome to Yorkshire – is set to tread a familiar path to Newmarket. Johnston's 1994 Guineas winner Mister Baileys, as well as his 1000 Guineas heroine Attraction a decade later, having headed to the Rowley Mile without the benefit of a prep run.

"Mister Baileys had a couple of racecourse gallops at Ripon and Thirsk before he went on to win the Guineas; Attraction went to Ripon before she won the 1000 Guineas. I'm not going to start changing things now," said Johnston.

"There are a number of reasons we'd go to Newmarket rather than stay up north. One is because you are virtually guaranteed some decent ground, two is Sheikh Hamdan (Al Maktoum, owner) and Richard (Hills, jockey) will be there, and three he's going to run in the Guineas there, so it makes sense."

YORKSHIRE-based jockey Brian Hughes will have his first ride in the John Smith's Grand National aboard Beat The Boys.

Alan Swinbank's stable jockey is one of a possible six entries from the yard of Gold Cup-winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Stable jockey Paddy Brennan will ride Irish Raptor in his bid to follow up his Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph on Imperial Commander, with David England on Ballyfitz and Tom Molloy aboard Ollie Magern.

However, Hello Bud, the intended mount of the trainer's teenage son Sam, and Knowhere (Brian Harding) need horses above them in the handicap to come out.