Grapeshot has good chance

LUCA CUMANI can land a rare success in a big two year old race with Grapeshot at Newmarket today.

The trainer believes in giving his youngsters plenty of time to learn their job and most of his horses are trained not to peak until at least their second season.

He lists Barathea, Commanche Run, Kahyasi, Markofdistinction and Only Royale as the best he has trained significantly that quintet ran only four times between them as juveniles.

Grapeshot himself is an unfurnished colt, just the sort to come into his own next season.

But he has fully justified his trainer's decision to break with his usual kid gloves treatment.

He has improved significantly with each of his three outings to date and has shown form good enough to give him a leading chance in today's Listed Somerville Tattersall Stakes.

After a promising debut at Newmarket, the colt got the better of subsequent Group One winner Bahamian Bounty in a maiden on the same course.

And he showed he has a future in pattern races himself when upped in class for the Group Three Lanson Champagne Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in July.

The fast track and firm ground put the emphasis firmly on speed that day, unsuitably so for a colt whose long suit promises to be stamina.

Yet Grapes hot stuck to his task gamely to finish a close third behind Putra, subsequently promoted a place on the disqualification of runner up Sahm.

Today's galloping track will bring the colt's staying power more into play and he looks another likely winner for bang in form Frankie Dettori.

However, the Italian may have to settle for place money on St Leger also ran Sharaf Kabeer in the Racing Post Godolphin Stakes.

Busy Flight, who by contrast leapt to prominence at the Leger meeting, is a fast improving three year old who will be a tough nut to crack in this Listed event.

The colt created a very favourable impression at Doncaster in the way he ran his rivals into the ground in the Troy Stakes, scoring cleverly by a length and a quarter from Sharaf Kabeer's stable companion Kalabo.

A 4lb penalty is unlikely to prevent his following up here.

Law Commission can get back to winning ways in the Charles Wells Bombardier Bitter Rated Stakes provided he behaves himself at the start.

The six year old broke out of the stalls on his latest intended appearance at Good wood last month and had to be withdrawn.

A previous strong finishing second at Newbury suggested he remains on a handy mark despite two recent wins and the gelding can prove the point here.