Hanagan targets Royal Ascot joy

It comes after Hanagan completed a particularly impressive workout on Mukhadram ahead of next week’s Prince of Wales’ Stakes over 10 furlongs.

Trained by Skipton-born William Haggas, Mukhadram – the winner of the Sky Bet York Stakes last summer – pulled well clear of the well-regarded Ektihaam on the gallops.

Owned by Sheikh Hamdan al-Malktoum, Mukhadram had the Prince of Wales’ Stakes in his grasp 12 months ago after Hanagan caught his rivals napping with a bold piece of front-running.

Horse and rider were only collared in the closing stages by the James Doyle-inspired Al Kazeem, who showed great resolution.

Treve, the undisputed champion of Europe, will pose an even more formidable challenge.

Trained in France by Criquette Head-Maarek, the filly won her first five starts before losing her unbeaten record on her reappearance at Longchamp in April, going down narrowly to subsequent Prix d’Ispahan and Coronation Cup winner Cirrus Des Aigles in the Prix Ganay.

Head-Maarek is now preparing her filly for a first trip across the Channel – she will be ridden by Frankie Dettori – and could not be happier with her condition.

“She seems fine. She had a good piece of work last Tuesday. That was the last piece of work she had to do before Ascot,” said the trainer.

“There are no complications -– she’s on her way.”

In the meantime, Hanagan – the 2010 and 2011 champion jockey and 14-1 with Leeds-based bookmakers William Hill to be top jockey at Royal Ascot – could be at York on Saturday if Haggas runs the lightly-raced Zaraee in the £100,000 Betbright Charity Sprint.

The race will be the centrepiece of the annual Macmillan Charity Day which has raised more than £6m for good causes over the past 44 years, and which will again feature a silent auction and special race featuring aspiring jockeys.

Irish trainer Pat Shanahan is confident Ralston Road will get the extreme distance of the Gold Cup when the four-year-old lines up for the stayers’ championship at Royal Ascot on Thursday week.

Ralston Road may be a 66-1 outsider for the two-and-a-half-mile Group One, but his trainer believes the colt will not fail for lack of stamina.

He warmed up for Gold Cup duty with a game effort that saw him dead-heat with Malton trainer Peter Niven’s progressive Clever Cookie in the Listed Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup at York 10 days ago. “All is good. It’s all systems go for Ascot and the Gold Cup,” said Shanahan.

Daryl Jacob was delighted to be back riding out for champion trainer Paul Nicholls this morning having been sidelined by injury since the Cheltenham Festival.

Jacob suffered a broken leg, knee and elbow after a nasty fall from Port Melon prior to the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in March, but is nearing a return to competitive action.

With Sam Twiston-Davies revealed as the new No 1 jockey at Ditcheat at the end of April, Jacob decided to go freelance.

He said: “I’m not sure when I’ll be back race-riding. I’m just taking things day by day and I want to make sure I’m 100 per cent when I come back.”

A torrential downpour forced Pontefract to abandon last night’s meeting.