Final Venture ready to take on world's best, says Midgley

Paul Midgley’s five-year-old was twice a winner at the Dubai Carnival and was beaten just over two lengths in the Temple Stakes prior to his Listed success on Merseyside under Oisin Murphy.

Final Venture will now run in the King’s Stand Stakes, the five-furlong Group One sprint a week today.

While Midgley is not making any bold predictions, he fully believes Final Venture deserves to be in the field.

“He’s come out of Haydock really well, had a canter and will got to Ascot now,” said the North Yorkshire handler.

“I’d say his Temple Stakes run might have been a career-best, if anything he’s getting quicker.

“The only problem when you go to Ascot is you are not just taking on the best sprinters from England, but the best in the world.

“I saw we were 66-1 and while I’m not saying he’s going to go and win or anything like that, he deserves his place and has a live outside chance.

“I’d hope he’d beat more than beat him. He’s got form at Ascot, but the only negative is how competitive it is – there’s not much between a lot of them.”

Meanwhile Midgley, who trains at Westow, said Naggers is under consideration for a trip to Ireland for the Rockingham Handicap at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

Dutch Connection could make his seasonal reappearance in the Ganton Stakes at York on Saturday. Charlie Hills’s five-year-old holds entries in the Queen Anne and the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot.

However, with owners Godolphin having other options for those races, he may turn up on Knavesmire this weekend.

Dutch Connection came to prominence when winning York’s Acomb Stakes at the 2014 Ebor meeting.

“He is fit and ready to run and he is a horse we need to get on the racecourse soon,” said Hills.

Dutch Connection is one of 17 entries. Richard Fahey’s Forest Ranger and Gabrial, and the Richard Hannon duo of Kool Kompany and Oh This Is Us feature, in a potentially strong field, as do Mondialiste and Custom Cut from David O’Meara’s yard.