Johnston Happy With Attraction´s Final Work-Out

Attraction enjoyed a final spin on the all-weather track at Sha Tin this morning ahead of tomorrow´s Champion Mile clash with Silent Witness.

Trainer Mark Johnston was on hand to watch his star four-year-old filly canter over two seven-furlong stretches at the Hong Kong track under work rider Mark Billingham.

The Middleham handler was pleased with what he saw and Billingham added: 'She feels great. She really wants to get on with it.'

Attraction, winner of four Group One races last season, has a tough task on her hands tomorrow as she will be taking on local star Silent Witness who is unbeaten in his last 17 starts.

The ground at Sha Tin is currently described as good which is a boost for connections as Attraction´s only bad run came on soft ground at Deauville last August.

'We are getting very nervous!' Johnston´s wife Deirdre told Racing UK.

'Mark said everything seems fantastic.

'We won´t know until she runs but he couldn´t say there is anything wrong at all at the moment, he is very happy with everything.

'He has been out looking at the ground with his stick. It´s drained so quickly that, hopefully, we won´t have any fears about the ground.

'There are 13 runners she´s drawn three but Silent Witness has got one which is the inside so he´s got the best draw for him. It´s going to be tough but there we go.'

Both Attraction and Silent Witness usually like to be in the front rank throughout which raises the possibility of an early speed-duel, particularly as Silent Witness has the rail.

However, Mrs Johnston would be quite happy to see Attraction settle in second although the tactics will be left to big-race pilot Kevin Darley.

She added: 'Silent Witness´s typical style is front-running so if he goes off we will be quite happy to sit as we have always said we don´t have to lead but if anything else is going faster they are going too fast but he´s a bit different as he´s a sprinter.

'Kevin knows the horse so we will leave it to him on the day.'

Felix Coetzee will be on board the Tony Cruz-trained Silent Witness again tomorrow and he has hinted that he may consider a change in tactics on the likely odds-on favourite.

He told At The Races: 'We have been very fortunate with the draw and I must was pleased with Attraction´s draw as it gives me a few more options.

'I saw the filly going for a canter the other day and she seemed pretty fit and everything and I guess it´s all going OK with her.'

Silent Witness will be having a first try at a mile tomorrow but he has been gradually stepped up in trip by Cruz, winning the Chairman´s Sprint Prize over six furlongs before scoring over seven last time in the The Queen´s Silver Jubilee Cup.

The El Moxie gelding only beat Town Of Fionn by a length and three-quarters that day but Coetzee is confident his mount will get a mile.

'You see the form of that seven-furlong race and it´s clear I didn´t really get stuck into him I just pushed him along conservatively - I had an eye on the big screen to see what was coming,' he added.

A total of 13 runners go to post for the Group One prize with Cruz also running Bullish Luck and Perfect Partner while the ex-John Gosden-trained Tiber also takes his chance.

? PA Sport