Feared In Flight Primed For Group One Racing Post Trophy Bid

The Barry Hills-trained Feared In Flight is on course to prove his mettle in an exciting renewal of the £200,000 Group One Racing Post Trophy (3.40pm), run over a mile at Doncaster on Saturday, October 27.

Charlie Hills, assistant trainer to his father Barry, revealed this morning: 'Feared In Flight is on target for the Racing Post Trophy and he still looks well in his coat.'

The Hawk Wing colt made a winning debut at York in May prior to an unlucky run when third in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and then ran with credit when beaten just over three lengths by Hatta Fort in the seven-furlong Group Two Weatherbys Superlative Stakes at Newmarket in July.

Feared In Flight stayed on well in the final furlong at Newmarket and ran a similar race over the same trip at the Curragh on September 14, when making headway from the rear to finish seventh of 19 to Luck Money in the prestigious Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Million.

Hills reported: 'The mile will really suit him on Saturday although he would probably want a little bit more rain than we have seen, but the track and trip will be ideal.

'He has been running in good company most of this year and things have not quite gone his way. He has not run a bad race and we feel that there is more to come from him. He ran a good race in Ireland and just probably did not have enough pace to go with them that day.

'This will be his last run this season. He is out of an Alzao mare and he looks like he should stay well next year. A mile and a quarter would not be a problem but we will see how we go.'

Feared In Flight looks set to face a high-class field that is likely to include the Group One-placed Declaration Of War, who will bid to give trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam back-to-back wins in the race following the success of subsequent Epsom Derby winner Authorized last year. The trainer also saddled Commander Collins to success in 1998.

Other likely contenders in the season's final Group One contest include Group Two Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes hero City Leader, impressive Group Two Beresford Stakes winner Curtain Call, Group Three victors Ibn Khaldun and River Proud, as well as the Aidan O'Brien-trained King Of Rome and Frozen Fire, while Sir Michael Stoute could saddle the well-regarded pair of Tajaaweed and Confront.

The Racing Post Trophy is the highlight of a seven-race card that also features the Listed £28,000 Coral Stakes for two-year-olds over six furlongs.

The Racing Post Trophy, first staged in 1961, has been won by three subsequent Epsom Derby winners in the past six years, with High Chaparral (2001) and Motivator (2004) triumphant on Town Moor and last year's winner Authorized landing the spoils at Newbury as Doncaster Racecourse underwent a stunning redevelopment. The 2002 renewal was won by the following year's Ladbrokes St Leger hero, Brian Boru, while American Post prevailed in 2003 before landing the French 2,000 Guineas.