Mubtaker Bids To Carry On The Good Work

Mubtaker bids to continue his recent renaissance when lining up in the Ouija Board, Wilko And Liverpool Vets Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday.

The Marcus Tregoning-trained eight-year-old looked likely to be retired after turning in a couple of disappointing efforts earlier in the season, but he has bounced right back to form of late.

Although not quite reaching the heights that saw him finish second in the 2003 Prix de l´Arc de Triomphe, Mubtaker was only just denied a fourth successive win in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes before taking Listed races at Goodwood and Doncaster.

This will be a step back up to Group Three company and connections are unconcerned by the prospect of rain.

'He´s a fantastic old boy and has done us proud,' said Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum.

'He´s won his last two and is in great form. We´ll just have to see if he´s still good enough at the weekend.

'Any rain wouldn´t be a problem for him.'

Just seven go to post for the mile-and-a-half contest with Compton Bolter sure to be well-fancied after a surprise success in last week´s Arc Trial at Newbury.

Frank Sonata finished a disappointing last in that event after the ground turned against him and trainer Mick Quinlan has warned he will not run unless there is some rain.

Quinlan said: 'He´s really got to have some ease in the ground so we need a bit of rain.

'We took a chance and ran him at Newbury last week but he just couldn´t raise his game on that kind of ground at all.

'With so few runners, you can take a chance on good to soft. He really needs soft ground to win a race and we kept him off during the summer thinking the ground would be hard but then it rained and was ideal.'

Last year´s Arc fourth Acropolis represents Aidan O´Brien, while John Dunlop´s Kong reappears after finishing fourth behind Scorpion in the St Leger last time.

Useful dual purpose performer Self Defense runs for Emma Lavelle, while True Lover makes his seasonal bow after being off the track since finishing third to Millenary in the Jockey Club Cup last October.

(C) PA Sport