ED DUNLOP'S horses have made a brisk start to the Flat turf season and his impressive Kempton winner Monaassib can follow up in the Scottish Equitable/Jockeys Association Abernant Stakes on the first day of Newmarket's Craven meeting today.
Despite looking backward in his coat at the Sunbury track, the six year old was always up with the pace and after taking up the running two furlongs from home he only required hands and heels riding to score a shade comfortably by three quarters of a length from Oh Nellie.
Monaassib is bound to have come on for this run and can make his fitness count to land this Listed contest at the main expense of the evergreen Carranita.
Monaassib's performance will be a direct pointer to the chances of Oh Nellie in the Shadwell Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes 35 minutes later. But Neville Callaghan's filly may find the Barry Hills trained Elegant Warning too good in this 1000 Guineas trial.
Elegant Warning showed progressive form last year and rounded her season off in tremendous style at Doncaster. Held up and behind in the early stages, the daughter of Warning was hampered with two furlongs left to travel and appeared to face a very stiff task but she quickened nicely to lead approaching the final furlong and drew readily clear to win by five lengths from Open Credit, who reopposes today.
With Hills' yard in such sparkling form Elegant Warning is napped to get her season off on a winning note.
Despite fast ground several good horses turn out at Cheltenham with old adversaries Strong Promise and Viking Flagship renewing rivalry in the Faucets For Mira Rada Showers Silver Trophy Chase over two miles and five furlongs.
Viking Flagship came out on top in the Queen Mother Champion Chase but Strong Promise was three and a half lengths too good for David Nicholson's former two mile champion in the Mumm Melling Chase at Liverpool.
Although Martha's Son, the winner of both these races, is absent today this pair will not have matters all their own way with last year's winner Gales Cavalier also in the line up.
But Strong Promise should come out on top over this trip, despite being 3lb worse off with Viking Flagship, and register his sixth win of the campaign.
