Maarek ready for Newbury run tomorrow Connections of Maarek would prefer the Newbury ground to be riding a little softer as he tries to regain the winning thread in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy on Saturday. The six-year-old was a Listed winner on his seasonal bow at Naas in April and went on to finish a creditable fifth in the Duke of York Stakes before finishing well down the field on fast ground in the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot. All those runs were for David Nagle, but the Pivotal gelding has since transferred to the care of Barry Lalor and made a fair start for his new handler when beaten nearly eight lengths at the Curragh last week. Lalor said: "He had been off the track for a while before the Curragh and we really would have preferred softer ground. "He didn't get the best of runs, he just had a few traffic problems around the four-furlong pole, but he ran well enough. "My assistant is over in Newbury and she said the ground is perhaps not quite as soft as we'd hoped. "We'd like it a little softer but we will take our chance. "All being well, the plan could be France for the Foret and then Ascot for the Champions Sprint."
