Noseda Sweet On Araafa

Jeremy Noseda is anticipating further improvement from his unsung Irish 2000 Guineas winner Araafa when the colt spearheads his Royal Ascot team in the St James's Palace Stakes next Tuesday.

The Shalfleet trainer revealed at a press conference at the course today that he feels the colt, who defeated George Washington in the Curragh Classic on his latest start, has not had the credit he deserves for the victory.

Noseda, whose powerful team for the Royal fixture will also include Secret World, Petrovich and Vague, said of Araafa: 'He went on the fast ground at Newmarket which came a bit quick for him as he'd had a little setback 18 days beforehand, and so if it comes up quick next week it won't worry me and he showed in Ireland that he handles the soft better than some of the others too.

'He delighted me in his work this morning and he is a horse that has improved dramatically from two to three. I don't think that in early March I honestly thought of him as a Group One horse but after riding him in two pieces of work back in March Shane Kelly said that he was a completely different horse to last year.

'He's a proper Group One horse and hasn't had the acclaim he deserves compared to George Washington.'

Noseda had considered running Secret World in the St James's Palace but the trainer now appears set to aim the colt, winner of a division of the Wood Ditton Stakes on his debut, at the furlong-shorter Jersey Stakes.

The trainer went on: 'I will speak to his owners Paul and Susan Roy at the weekend but I think my personal preference is the Jersey ? stepping up from a maiden to a Group Three is a big step, but to ask him to jump into a Group One is a huge step.

'He's a nice horse but still has a lot to prove and next week is the acid test for him.'

Noseda completed a clean sweep in the Wood Ditton races by landing the other leg with Petrovich who hasn't been seen since and now his sights are set on a Listed contest.

The trainer said: 'We were thinking about going for a Derby trial with him but unfortunately he had a slight setback.

'But I'm pleased with him now and the aim is to run him in the Hampton Court Stakes over a mile and a quarter ? it's an ideal stepping stone.'

Another member of the Noseda team to have suffered a reverse this season is the UAE 1000 Guineas winner Vague and the trainer continued: 'She suffered a stress fracture in Dubai but is coming to hand with each piece of work she does.

'She would want fast ground back on turf and is likely to get it and I feel she is definitely worth her place in the line up for the Coronation Stakes, but I would have preferred another couple of weeks with her.'

In the King Edward VII Stakes Noseda may rely on Vodafone Derby seventh Sixties Icon, who like Secret World represents the same connections as the ill-fated Majors Cast, killed in a gallops accident on Tuesday morning.

Noseda observed: 'Sixties Icon is suited by good or slightly easier ground and that would encourage us to run, but we may stick to the original plan and give it a miss. I need to talk to the owners but he has come out of the Derby well.'

In the Royal Hunt Cup the stable is to rely on Stagelight, for whom a success would be a surprise and Noseda concluded: 'He broke down 10 days before the UAE Derby but our intention is to run him in the Hunt Cup in which he could put up a bold show, but whether he's ready to win it I'm not sure.'

Other planned runners for the yard at the meeting include La Chunga (King's Stand Stakes), Park Esteem (Ribblesdale) and Soldier's Tale (Golden Jubilee, if conditions were to prove suitably slow).

? PA Sport