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VELVET GREEN 1/2 BROTHER GOES FOR GR.1 7 October 2005
By Sarah Whitelaw |
| The once beaten Durban
Thunder (Royal Academy) is looking for his first US Gr1 win on Saturday
in the Shadwell Turf Mile (Gr1). He is a half-brother to Gp1 winners
Velvet Green (Roy) and The colt takes on a strong field which includes Australia's champion filly Alinghi (Encosta de Lago). The latter made a sparkling US debut and looks the one to beat on Saturday. She gives Bobby Frankel a strong hand in a race which he won last year as her stablemate, Three Valleys, won his last start, the Del Mar Breeders Cup Hcp (Gr2). Todd Pletcher is represented by Host (Hussonet). The latter has not
raced since February but is a class act and should be respected. Another
in the ten horse field to watch is last year's Middle Park Stakes
winner Ad Valorem (Danzig). He was a good third to Proclamation and
Soviet Song in the Sussex Stakes (Gp1) last time out and his trainer,
Aiden O'Brien, won this race with the ill-fated Landseer (Danehill)
in 2002. |