Cecil On Track For York

Rod Millman has reported that horse of the year Sergeant Cecil is well on course for the Group Two Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup at York on Friday.

After becoming the first horse in history to win the Northumberland Plate, the Ebor and the Cesarewitch in the same season, Millman's charge now has to be campaigned at Group level.

However, he was far from disgraced when he finished fourth in the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury last month over an inadequate mile and a half and the extra two furlongs of Friday's contest should see him in an even better light according to Millman.

'Everything is fine with him at the moment, everything has gone just right,' said Millman.

'We were very pleased with his run at Newbury but we know that this will be one of his hardest tasks to date, it's just at the shorter limit of his stamina.'

'The ultimate aim is the Ascot Gold Cup and we know that our horse definitely stays at least two and a quarter miles while there are question marks over most of the others.

'This is only a mile and six furlongs though so that is what makes him vulnerable, the longer the race the better for him.

'After what he did last year he doesn't owe us anything and I'm not saying there is anymore improvement in him but he will tell us on the racecourse if there is.

'He's not breaking any track records at home but we haven't asked him to.

'He ran a cracker at Newbury and the form has been franked, there was obviously something not quite right with Mubtaker last week but the second and third have run big races since and the fifth (The Whistling Teal) went and won the Ormonde.

'We're not a Group horse over a mile and a half but over two miles we probably are.'

? PA Sport