Russian Rhythm heads for Ascot

RACING: Cheveley Park Stud's promising juvenile filly Russian Rhythm is on course for a crack at Saturday's Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot.

The daughter of Kingmambo made a successful racecourse debut at Newmarket at the end of last month and Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park, says she is on target for the six-furlong Ascot contest.

He said yesterday: "She seems to have come out of the race well. It looks to be a very hot event and she will take her chance.Two of the fillies that finished behind Sir Michael Stoute's charge at Newmarket have since come out and won again, and Fancy Lady, who was second at headquarters, could reoppose.

"I think it was obviously a very competitive race at Newmarket and many of the participants were highly regarded and fancied on that day but all she could do then was win," Richardson said.

Both fillies will be stepping up in class in this Group Three contest but Richardson is not worried by the higher level.

"This race seems to be the next logical step. She's a beautifully bred filly but missed the Cherry Hinton as it came a bit quickly. Sir Michael is pleased with her at the moment," he said.

The filly holds some big entries for later in the season, including engagements in the Peugeot Lowther Stakes at York and the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket but her targets depend on her performance this weekend.

Marcus Tregoning has earmarked the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury as the next target for Mubtaker following the horse's brave effort to beat all but Millinery on his belated return to action at the Newmarket July meeting.

Angus Gold, racing manager to Mubtaker's owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: "We're keen to win a couple of group races with him rather than pitch him in against the very best, which is why we shied away from the King George.

"He was only just ready for the Princess of Wales's Stakes and Marcus tells me he's in sparking form and taken his race well."

Jimmy Quinn was yesterday booked to step into Kieren Fallon's shoes on board Mine in the Tote International Stakes at Ascot.

Unless the weights rise substanially, he will take over the mount on Saturday as the four-year-old is set to carry only 7st 13lb, which is well below the champion jockey's minimum.