Top-Class Field For Craven

Raven´s Pass, Confront and Twice Over are among a quality 19-strong entry for the banshahouse.com Craven Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.

John Gosden has said his Dewhurst Stakes third is likely to make his seasonal debut in either this Group Three over the stanjames.co.uk 2000 Guineas course and distance or Saturday week´s Bathwick Tyres Greenham Stakes at Newbury.

Raven´s Pass is a best-priced 6-1 for the first Classic of the season on May 3 while Sir Michael Stoute´s Confront and the Henry Cecil-trained Twice Over are also prominent in the ante-post betting.

The Brian Meehan-trained City Leader, winner of Ascot´s Royal Lodge Stakes and second in the Racing Post Trophy, is ready to run next week.

Ben Sangster, whose family own the grey colt, said: "That´s the plan. We´ll see. We´ll know a lot more after the race on Thursday.

"That´s the bottom line. We´ll see what ability he´s got and what distance he wants - it´s a fact-finding mission. He seems in very good form.

"Jamie Spencer was down at Manton on Thursday morning and partnered him in a nice bit of work over a mile and he worked well. We´re hopeful he´s going to give a bold showing.

"Physically he´s done very well over the winter. He´s not grown too much, he´s thickened out nicely and we´re looking forward to watching him run on Thursday."

Aidan O´Brien has three entries - Great Rumpuscat, The Bogberry and Zulu Chief - while a fourth Irish-trained possible is John Oxx´s Red Eye Express, winner of his only race at Cork last season.

Oxx said: "We´ve no good ground in Ireland and we need somewhere for Red Eye Express to run, so the Craven is a possibility at the moment. He´s also entered in a race at Dundalk and we will make a decision on Monday.

"He´s only had one run and is quite inexperienced, but we need to bite the bullet at some point to find out just how good he is.

"He has an entry in the Guineas which is why we are keen to test him. He´s been going well at home and we don´t know if he is in that league or not, but he´s a nice horse and has pleased us with his work.

"He´s fit and ready to go and has done well over the winter. He´s a big horse who has strengthened up a bit and matured a lot. He looks a smart sort of horse and we think he has gone the right way."

Others being considered for the Craven include Peter Chapple-Hyam´s Declaration Of War, Paul Cole´s River Proud and Scintillo from Richard Hannon´s stable.

(C) PA Sport