Appleby looking forward to Bow start Charlie Appleby believes that the nature of Sandown's stiff track should suit Bow Creek in the bet365 Mile on Friday. Having made the switch from Mark Johnston's yard over the winter, the four year-old will make his first start for the Newmarket handler in a competitive renewal of the Group Two contest. The son of Shamardal will be looking to complete a hat-trick of victories at Group Two level having won the Celebration Mile at Goodwood before signing off for the season with a win in the Boomerang Mile at Leopardstown last September. Appleby said: "Bow Creek won his last two starts for Mark Johnston but like any new recruit, we are just starting to get a handle on him. "He is very straightforward to train and to deal with and does whatever we ask of him. Although he has got a penalty to carry, we are looking forward to running him and the stiff mile at Sandown should suit him. "Whatever he does at Sandown, he will come on a lot for it." Richard Hannon will be double-handed in the race with both Shifting Power and Baltic Knight taking their chances for the champion trainer. While the race will mark a first start for Shifting Power since finishing fifth in the Group Three Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood, it will be a third run of the year for Baltic Knight who was last seen finishing fifth behind Tullius in the Doncaster Mile last month. Hannon told his website: "We think Shifting Power has the ability to win a Group One this season, and this looks the perfect starting-point. "He was probably 3lb short of the top grade last season, but he is a big colt who needed to fill his frame, and he did really well physically through the winter. "His form is rock-solid - he has already finished in the frame an Irish Guineas - and, while he has been off since Goodwood, he has done plenty and worked well for Hughesie on Tuesday and again did a sharp breeze yesterday, so he is ready to roll. "We also run Baltic Knight, who is rated 5lb inferior to Shifting Power so has a bit to find. He is a decent performer and hopefully might nick a bit of place money." Custom Cut will bid to leave his low key performance in the QE II Stakes at Ascot on his final appearance last season behind and continue his rapid progression from earlier in the campaign which saw him notch five successive victories, including three at Group race level. Trainer David O'Meara said: "There was a combination of things (as to) why he didn't run well at Ascot. It was a case of having a bad draw and then going too quick to try to get over to where he wanted to be. "Custom Cut is in good form and it will be good to see him out again. He hasn't got a great draw in stall eight and it will be difficult carrying a penalty, but it is a good starting point for him. We could possibly look at the Lockinge afterwards." Although Top Notch Tonto failed to get his head in front at all last season, trainer Brian Ellison feels that the five-year old is in a more forward position compared to 12 months ago. Ellison said: "I think he's going to run regardless of the ground. "He's done well over the winter and is in great form. He's in better form now than he was this time last year."
