Superlative fancy Ancient Truth ‘has come forward again’

Charlie Appleby feels Ancient Truth has a “live chance” of providing him with a fifth victory in Saturday’s bet365 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.

Since breaking his duck with Boynton in 2016, the Moulton Paddocks handler has saddled a trio of subsequent Group One winners to land this Group Two prize in Quorto (2018), Master Of The Seas (2020) and Native Trail (2021).

Having made a successful start to his career on the Rowley Mile in mid-May, Ancient Truth followed up over this course and distance last month and Appleby is looking forward to raising his sights.

“He’s two from two and has got that experience on this track now and I feel he has come forward again from his last run if anything,” he said.

“The timing is hopefully suitable and I feel he has hopefully come forward mentally and physically.

“It’s a good Superlative, as it always is, and hopefully we go there with a live chance.”

The Richard Fahey-trained Columnist and George Boughey’s Pentle Bay both bring Royal Ascot placed form to the table, having finished third and second in the Coventry and Chesham Stakes respectively.

Columnist was beaten just a neck as a 50-1 shot at the Royal meeting and Fahey is keen to discover whether his charge possesses the required stamina for this step up from six to seven furlongs.

He said: “I was a bit shocked how big of a price he was at Ascot, but he ran a good, solid race.

“You’ve got to take it on trust that he’ll stay seven. His six-furlong form looks very good, so we’ll see what happens.

“He’s never been stopping in his races and he’s a relaxed type. We’re happy with him, so if he can stay seven and bring that Royal Ascot form, I’m sure he’s got a big chance.”

Pentle Bay found only the hugely impressive Bedtime Story too strong in the Chesham and Boughey believes he merits his place in the line-up.

“It’s probably going to be slightly different ground, as it was very fast at Ascot, but very fair, safe ground. He’s been training great since and deserves a crack at this sort of level,” said Boughey.

“I think a stiff seven (furlongs) will suit him and he looks like he has a more stout pedigree than a few of them at the top end of the market.”

Bedtime Story’s trainer Aidan O’Brien sent over City Of Troy to score here in impressive fashion 12 months ago and this time relies upon The Parthenon, who after finishing fifth in the Group Three Marble Hill Stakes on debut, opened his account at short odds at Gowran Park.

“The Parthenon was taken out of the Railway Stakes on the day and he is clearly open to considerable improvement after just the two starts, which included a win over this trip at Gowran last time,” jockey Ryan Moore told Betfair.

“He will need to improve to win this but obviously the potential is there.”

Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven is a similarly unknown quantity, having confirmed the promise of his debut second at Haydock with a clear-cut win at the same venue next time.

A son of the trainer’s 2000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold, Seagulls Eleven is owned by a clutch of current and former Brighton footballers including Billy Gilmour, Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana.

“We’re really looking forward to him running. He’s always done nice things at home and he’s very versatile as far as ground is concerned – he ran very well on soft ground at Haydock and then won very nicely on firm ground at Haydock,” said Palmer.

“We’re looking forward to seeing him take his chance and seeing how he gets on going up in grade.”