Crisford camp eye Royal Ascot after Croupier bounces back

Simon and Ed Crisford warmed up for their bid to land a £350,000 mile race on Saturday by collecting another worth £50,000 and setting up a crack at Royal Ascot.

Croupier is not quite the calibre of Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes-bound stablemate Jadoomi but he is a more than useful four-year-old and collected the Sky Bet Hambleton Handicap in game fashion.

Bouncing back from a tame effort in the Lincoln, he struck by a head under William Buick, and Ed Crisford said: "He's a lovely horse. They went quite hard up front and William sat just off it a bit. He rode a very nice race and the horse travelled into it very well. I thought they were coming after him but he kept finding more.

"We can head to the Hunt Cup now, that's the plan and it could be a good race for him,  the strong pace and big field should suit him.

"It's nice to see him bounce back because we probably shouldn't have run him on terrible ground in the Lincoln. He's come back in good style."

Jadoomi will be having his first run of the year on Saturday but Crisford said: "He's in great order and we're looking forward to it. We don't want the ground to dry out too much for him but I expect a big run."

The Crisfords doubled up when Chesspiece landed the 1m4f handicap.

Murphy magic

Fresh from Dante glory aboard The Foxes, Oisin Murphy doubled up with Great State's impressive victory in the Westow Stakes.

Replacing the banned Oisin Orr, Murphy steered the son of Havana Grey to a two-and-a-half-length success on another fine day for the rider.

Murphy said: "He was a very easy ride and he's owned by my good friend Sheikh Sultan, who will be watching on with delight. He has a very bright future."

Great State's win in the 5f Listed contest completed a hat-trick following two wins in handicap company, and was his fourth success from his last five starts.

Winning trainer Richard Fahey said: "We had hoped to go for one of the strong sprint handicaps at Ascot, but he won't be rated in the 90s now.

"He's a very easy horse to deal with and is a pleasure to train. He's a talented horse for sure."

Regional (right): wins the 5f handicap at York

Regional roars home

Regional continued Ed Bethell's fine form and picked up a deserved victory with an "electric" success in the 5f handicap.

The five-year-old, who finished third in the Stewards' Cup last season, denied Korker by half a length under Callum Rodriguez to take Bethell's strike-rate in the last fortnight to 27 per cent.

"I wasn't expecting him to make the running, but he's a decent horse and always has been," he said. "He came third in a Stewards' Cup and was unlucky in other handicaps, so I'm delighted for him.

"He ran off 100 in the Stewards' Cup and I think that's his mark in handicaps, which might make life difficult, but there's the City Walls Stakes back here now he's shown he's electric. I didn't think he was and he's shown me he's quick enough."

Ascot bound

Cuban Thunder was introduced at 25-1 for the Coventry Stakes following his win in the 6f maiden and looks set to head to Royal Ascot for his next start.

Winning trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis said: "He ran a belter at Newmarket, but he's a very laid-back individual who's half-asleep when he races. He was more professional here.

"He will get seven furlongs in time, but he will have the option of the Coventry too, especially if there's cut in the ground. He's a lovely horse."

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