Twilight takes Palace test after lengthy absence

Royal Ascot runner-up Twilight Calls attempts to defy a 326-day absence when he reappears in the Howden Palace House Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Henry Candy’s five-year-old was a winner over the course and distance on his seasonal debut before going on to finish fifth in this Group Three contest 12 months ago.

He subsequently proved himself to be a top-level sprinter by getting within a head of King’s Lynn in the Temple Stakes before finishing second to the imperious Nature Strip in the King’s Stand Stakes at the Royal meeting.

That appearance at the Berkshire track was to be Twilight Calls’ final action of 2022 with injury ruling him out of the remainder of the campaign, but Candy – who won this race with the Twilight Calls’ grandsire Kyllachy in 2002 – believes he has lost none of his ability while on the sidelines.

“He seems in good from at the moment, touch wood,” said Candy. “I’m looking forward to it.

“Time will tell, but I don’t think he is any less of a horse hopefully.

“He was a tad unlucky at Haydock and then just ran into one at Ascot and after that it was disappointing, but he just needed the time and the rest. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.”

Manaccan arrives having won three of his final four outings last term, with handler John Ryan employing the services of Frankie Dettori this time around.

“We’re delighted to have Frankie on board, that’s a good partnership for any horse,” said Ryan.

“I think the horse is fit and well and has done enough to get on a racecourse. He’s been off the track a while of course, but he’s been doing enough at home and the other horses in the yard seem to be running well which would give us a bit more confidence.

“They are top-class horses in a top-class race and if he’s good enough, he should be able to take them along.

“We were a little bit concerned when we heard that Newmarket had decided to water when there is a chance of rain, even though it has subsided a little bit. The chances are if it does get in and there’s rain on top of ground they have watered, then we won’t run.”

He added: “You would love to think he is a horse you could go to Ascot with and if we go there, then we would hope to be looking at the King’s Stand and if that’s your path, you want to be running well in this.”

Mick Appleby’s Raasel found the scoresheet three times last season before finishing the year in Group One contests and has most recently been seen competing at Meydan, while Equilateral has also been running in Dubai and represents the same trainer-owner combination of Charlie Hills and Fitri Hay as last year’s winner Khaadem.

Hills also saddles Kennet Valley Thoroughbred’s Equality – who is the mount of William Buick – while another trainer double-handed in the race is Clive Cox with stable stalwart Tis Marvellous and recent Bath third Get Ahead

“Tis Marvellous has wintered well I’m pleased to say. It’s good to get these sprinters back into gear,” said the Beechdown Stables handler.

“Get Ahead just got slightly hampered at the start at Bath before finishing off really well. She has come out of that race well and I’m just hopeful we don’t get too much rain to dampen her chances.

“She’s in excellent form and looks and feels stronger this year and I hope that is confirmed in her performance.”

Adam West could record the biggest victory of his training career if Live In The Dream can build on his unbeaten start to the season.

The four-year-old has accounted for Robert Cowell’s Arecibo at both Lingfield and Pontefract and will now attempt to complete the three-timer on the Rowley Mile.

“Originally we were going to head straight to the Temple Stakes but he has come out of Pontefract so well that we thought we would come here as well,” said West.

“He’s very quick away and these straight courses probably don’t lend themselves to his best attributes.

“But while he’s fit, ready and confident, we will give it a go and I think over the Craven meeting it showed you have to be balanced to come out of the dip and he should be able to do that because he is very strong and has good core strength due to his short back.”

Existent outran his odds to finish second in this event 12 months ago and Stuart Williams’ charge is amongst the runners once again, this time partnered by Oisin Murphy.

Also looking to defy the bookmakers’ estimations is Tees Spirit who won five times last term, including the Epsom Dash and the Abergwaun Stakes at Tipperary.

That Listed victory has a strong look to it, with the runner-up Erosandpsyche finishing second in a Group One next time and the third Moss Tucker downing Tenebrism last month.

Trainer Adrian Nicholls said: “Tees Spirit is in great order, he has been working very well and I’m really pleased with him.

“I don’t really take what the betting says, I think he’s definitely good enough and massively overpriced.

“He won in Tipperary and then Moss Tucker went and franked the form the other day, while the second from that race went and finished second in a Group One. His only blips last year were on heavy ground at the Curragh and at Longchamp and apart from that, his form is there for everyone to see.

“We’re going to hopefully find out a bit more on Saturday, but the Nunthorpe is my main target. He’s obviously going to come up against some of these and even better rivals in a race like that, so we want to be seeing how we get on.”