Royal Ascot swerved as Pearl Secret eyes fourth victory

The normally reserved North Yorkshire trainer waxed lyrical about the colt following his winning debut at York last year and he looked even better when making a winning return in a Doncaster handicap in April.

The three-year-old secured his third victory from as many starts with another brilliant display of speed on Knavesmire on Dante day, but Barron is keen to take things slowly with his charge at this stage.

“He’s fine and he could go to Sandown,” said Barron. “He won’t be going to Royal Ascot. I’d like him to get a bit more knowledge before we throw him in against the big boys.”

One Barron-trained sprinter who is already firmly established is Hitchens, who won a Group Three prize at the Dubai Carnival at Meydan.

His likely target is the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and a possible clash with Australia’s wonderhorse Black Caviar.

n Jockey William Buick believes Epsom Derby fourth Thought Worthy can throw down a serious challenge to Camelot in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster.

John Gosden’s colt will have to make up more than 11 lengths on Camelot on form from last Saturday’s Investec Derby as the Aidan O’Brien-trained victor chases the first Triple Crown since Nijinsky prevailed in 1970.

Buick and Gosden have won the final Classic of the season for the past two years with Arctic Cosmos and Masked Marvel, and the jockey was pleased with his Thought Worthy’s performance at Epsom.

Thought Worthy is a full-brother to Gosden’s 2007 Leger winner, Lucarno, in the same ownership.

“I don’t think he had any problems at all, he ran very well and I was very proud of him,” Buick said. “It was a straightforward race and he ran as well as I could have hoped, to be honest.

“Obviously the winner, Camelot, is an exceptional horse and different class in his age group, certainly. Main Sequence and Astrology are solid horses too, and he’ll improve. Come September, he might just be right for Doncaster.”

Buick finished one place higher in the Oaks but was far less satisfied about the result with Gosden’s The Fugue – winner of York’s Musidora Stakes – getting badly hampered.

“She should have won the Oaks, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

“She was unlucky, she got squeezed out and that finished the race for her.

“I’m not sure, I suppose the Irish Oaks is an option, but I’ll leave that (decision) to the owner and the boss.”

n Footballer Wayne Rooney’s venture into horse racing continues to pay few dividends after Pippy finished last again at Carlisle yesterday. The Tom Dascombe-trained juvenile was also last on its racing debut at Chester.

Rooney’s other two-year-old, Tomway, has only beaten three horses home in two starts.

Today’s race cards and returns: Page 21.