Bunyan has Mill Reef aim for Hit The Bid Mehmas heads 40 horses left in the Group Two Dubai Duty Free Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on September 17 following the latest scratching stage. Richard Hannon's talented colt has already won twice at this level, taking Newmarket's July Stakes and Goodwood's Richmond Stakes. Aidan O'Brien has four entries going forward - Courage Under Fire, Intelligence Cross, Leo Minor and Sportsmanship. Another Irish trainer, Darren Bunyan, is targeting the Mill Reef for Hit The Bid, who belied his odds of 50-1 to win the Group Three Curragh Stakes recently. "Hit The Bid came out of the Curragh Stakes very well and is fresh in himself. He was no more than 90 per cent fit going into it, so naturally we were very pleased with his performance," said Bunyan. "We feel he deserves to step up to a race like the Mill Reef on the back of that. "I don't see six furlongs being an issue for him. Five or six furlongs is fine and another race I had my eye on was the Flying Childers at Doncaster. "The biggest problem for him is the ground - even the last day Leigh (Roche, jockey) said he changed his legs five or six times as he wasn't enjoying it. "He wants it quick and hasn't really had those conditions yet. "It is definitely all ahead of him. He will have a maximum of one more run this season and then we will put him away for next year." North Yorkshire trainer Bryan Smart is looking to run his impressive Ripon winner Alicante Dream, while fellow Listed scorers, the Simon Crisford-trained Mokarris and Ed Walker's Global Applause, are others in the mix. Crisford's exciting two-year-old would be returning to the scene of his impressive Listed success in July following his fine recent effort when second to Blue Point in the Gimcrack Stakes at York. "He ran a fantastic race at York and he has come out of that race really well," said Crisford. "The Mill Reef could be a possibility but he is ground dependant as he needs it quick."
