Iberian heading back to the scene of his finest hour

Charlie Hills’ 2023 Champagne Stakes winner Iberian returns to Doncaster on Saturday for the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Cammidge Trophy Stakes.

Having failed to see out the mile in the following year’s 2000 Guineas, the Lope De Vega colt also disappointed in the Prix Jean Prat and did not run again that season.

He returned at Southwell in December following wind surgery to narrowly get back to winning ways and Saturday sees him step back up in class and return to the scene of his finest hour.

“I think it will have done his confidence some good, it was great to see him get his head in front on the all-weather and it has been the plan to run him in the Cammidge for a while,” said Hills.

“We don’t know what the ground is going to be like yet, but we’re happy with him and it looks like the ground should be OK by the weekend so the plan is to run.

“It’s the place where he put up his best performance, so that has to be a plus.”

Hills has two entries towards the head of the weights in the William Hill Lincoln in Cicero’s Gift and Galeron, although the former also has the option of the Listed Doncaster Mile.

“At the moment we’re just holding off making a final decision, as Cicero’s would prefer some cut, so it would be nice to get a drop of rain. I think we’ll run Cicero’s in the Listed race and Galeron in the Lincoln,” said Hills.

“Cicero’s has been gelded now, we’ve had a very good run with him through the winter and I think he’s a pretty decent horse. I probably shouldn’t have run him on his last start, he just needs a bit of cut in the ground.

“It looks a good race for a Listed, but at this time of year it was going to be.”

Galeron was trained by Hills as a young horse to win the Goffs Million at the Curragh and finish fourth in the 2000 Guineas in 2023, but he spent last year in Australia.

“He’s been doing pretty good, he came back to us around January,” said Hills.

“It’s hard for a horse relocating from Australia and I wouldn’t have thought one has come back to the UK too many times.

“It’s great to have him back and we’ll see how he gets on, he should run pretty decent.”