Jessica Harrington’s Torcedor endured a fruitless expedition to Dubai on his last start but is on more familiar ground for Wednesday’s Group Three Longines Sagaro Stakes at Ascot.
Torcedor was fifth to Order Of St George in last year’s Ascot Gold Cup and runner-up to his old rival in October’s Long Distance Cup. In between he also chased home Order Of St George in the Irish Leger.
However he finished last at Meydan on World Cup night five weeks ago although Harrington said on Tuesday: “We’ve put a line through Dubai. I’d say it was the travelling. It might have been a bridge too far. He likes the track at Ascot so we’re hoping for a big run.”
There will also be Irish interest at Ascot when Ballydoyle’s two-year-old The Irish Rover lines up in the opener.
He was third to Skitter Skatter on his Dundalk debut and his better fancied stable companion that day, Sergei Prokofiev, has since stepped up to win impressively next time.
Harrington has two runners at Dundalk on Wednesday evening although House Call could find Ballydoyle's Bond Street tough to beat in the three-year-old maiden.
Rockfish overcome a slow start to win over 10 furlongs here three weeks ago so a 5lb penalty might not stop Wayne Lordan's mount following up in the mile handicap.
Solar Heat has ground to make up on Universal Focus from their run last month but the novice chase winner can turn that around in the apprentice handicap.
