Rob Roy to be hero

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), April 29, 2005

Byline: By Peter Hilton

Sir Michael Stoute has a superb record in the 2000 Guineas and he can win the season's first Classic for the sixth time when he sends out the hugely promising Rob Roy on the Rowley Mile tomorrow.

The master of Freemason Lodge has already won the historic contest with Shadeed, Doyoun, Entrepreneur, King's Best and Golan, and Rob Roy looks another ace in the pack for the Ultimate-Poker.com-sponsored event.

Forget the fact that he was beaten in his prep race in the Craven Stakes over course and distance earlier this month as he was stuck in a traffic jam just when he needed to be roaring up the fast lane.

By the time Michael Kinane had extricated him the race had been burgled by Irish raider Democratic Deficit, but Rob Roy still ran on with great gusto to finish second, beaten only a head.

Given that he had run only once before, when storming home in a Newmarket maiden last back-end, that was a huge step forward and confirmed that all the vibes coming out of HQ over the winter were right.

Rob Roy will have picked up invaluable experience despite his defeat, and when he gets the chance to stretch out into the dip tomorrow with a clear sight at goal, we should see the real deal.

Godolphin hotpot Dubawi is sure to be a major stumbling block, but this colt is bred to win the Derby and it would be no surprise at all to see him run a great Epsom trial by securing a place.

Excuses were made for Iceman as much as Rob Roy after the Craven, but while he must surely be on the premises, he has had enough chances without impressing as a potential Classic winner.

Rob Roy is the one to be on, with Dubawi and Iceman to follow him home.

The main support race on tomorrow's card is the VCbet Palace House Stakes, which gives Ashdown Express a great chance of returning to the winner's enclosure after a long absence.

Chris Wall's six-year-old went through last season without a victory to his name but ran some cracking races in defeat, notably when going down by a neck to Frizzante in the July Cup.

He looked as good as ever when finishing a half-length second to Quito on his seasonal debut earlier this month and must go close even though he is dropping down to five furlongs for the first time.

Daring Ransom has given the impression he is a colt with a big future in two career runs and Jeremy Noseda's charge looks the answer to the Listed McKeever St Lawrence Newmarket Stakes.

The son of Red Ransom overcame a tardy start to beat the well-regarded Tarraman in a York maiden last October, and showed up well in defeat on his seasonal bow at Newmarket earlier this month.

Daring Ransom was beaten nearly four lengths into third behind Rocamadour in the Feilden Stakes, but he was messed about when looking for a way through from the back and is better than the bare result.

Majestic Desert proved herself one of the top fillies of her generation at a mile when second to Attraction at Royal Ascot last year, but she has found victory to be elusive since then.

Nevertheless, Mick Channon's filly has not done much wrong and she will be hard to beat in the EBF Marriott Goodwood Park Hotel Conqueror Stakes at Goodwood.

She is sure to have been sharpened up with a couple of runs in Dubai over the winter and did enough when third to Moon Dazzle last time out to suggest she still has plenty of appetite for the game.