Nation leads Ballydoyle team in Middle Park Aidan O'Brien sends a formidable quartet into battle in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday. Ryan Moore has sided with Sioux Nation over U S Navy Flag (Seamie Heffernan), Fleet Review (Donnacha O'Brien) and Declarationofpeace (Wayne Lordan). Of Royal Ascot and Phoenix Stakes winner Sioux Nation, O'Brien, who has saddled four previous winners of the six-furlong contest, said: "He's in good form and has had a little break since the Curragh. The better the ground, the better for all of them." Beckford was runner-up behind Sioux Nation in the Phoenix before chasing home Verbal Dexterity in the National Stakes. Leading National Hunt trainer Gordon Elliott is searching for a first top-level success on the level, and said: "Beckford has come out of the National Stakes well. "He didn't get home over seven furlongs on a testing surface that day and this drop back to six on better ground should be in his favour. Newmarket is a proper racecourse and I don't think he will have any problem handling its undulations. "It would be very nice to win a Group One on the Flat but don't worry, there is no chance that I will be switching my attention away from jump racing - I have absolutely no plans to do that." Trainer Karl Burke is confident Unfortunately will make his presence felt. After seeing off high-class filly Heartache in the Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte, Unfortunately returned to France to claim Group One glory in the Prix Morny, leading home stablemate Havana Grey to give Burke a one-two. He has subsequently been snapped up by leading owner-breeders Cheveley Park Stud, and Burke feels everything points to a big performance on the Rowley Mile. "He's in great nick and looks really well," said the Spigot Lodge-based trainer. "It's a tough race, but he hasn't let us down yet and I'm sure he'll put up a big show. "There's probably not a length between three or four colts on their form. "The ground definitely won't be an issue. He ran on the track in his opening maiden and didn't particularly come down the hill great from the dip, but that was first time out. I'm not unduly worried about that." The Society Rock colt has come from fairly humble beginnings having been beaten on three of his first four starts, but the application of a visor has seen him raise his game to a different level. Burke has always felt his charge had masses of potential. "I told plenty of people he was a good horse early on and I expected him to run very well in his first maiden at Newmarket. There were two or three good horses in that and he got beaten three and a half lengths and finished fifth but, like all of ours, he improved a bundle," Burke continued. "I think the main thing is the visor - it has found a lot of improvement. "He's not an ungenuine horse, but he just showed signs on a couple of occasions he wasn't fully concentrated and when we worked him in the visor at home, he worked really, really well. "The twice he's had the visor on the track he's won two Group races, so hopefully he can make it three out of three."
