Marcus Tregoning’s exciting colt Mohaather will make his seasonal debut in the Group 3 Watership Down Stud Greenham Stakes at Newbury Racecourse this Saturday.  The handsome son of Showcasing owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum was last seen over course and distance when landing the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes in October.

“I think we’ve had a pretty straight forward winter.  It has been relatively mild compared to last year when we got all the snow. We’ve had a good run him and he seems in good form,” Tregoning told Newbury Racecourse.

“He was quite immature [last year], so mid-summer when it was very dry, I had a discussion with Angus Gold, and we decided to send him back to Shadwell. He was well looked after and spent about a month there to give him a break.  It did him well and he then came out and won his last two races.”

Reflecting back on his final two starts last season, Tregoning said: “Ultimately the Horris Hill was an indication that we might have a nice horse.  He had been working very well at home and I was impressed in the way he won.

“He is still learning. I think he has more to offer because he was still a bit green. When he hit the front there, he just had to be caught hold of a little.  He definitely has ability and we will see if he has trained on.”

Mohaather could face up to 13 rivals in the Classic trial, including Champion two-year-old and QIPCO 2000 Guineas current favourite Too Darn Hot.

“I think the worry is if you have a potential Guineas horse is that you have the Guineas before the Guineas. We don’t really want that. I see it as a trial. He will go well prepared and in very good form.  Hopefully he will run a nice race and we’ll see what happens. There are no guarantees he be will good enough to win it, but he is in very good form.”

Tregoning, who trained Sir Percy to finish second in the 2006 2,000 Guineas and win the Derby, added: “Sir Percy was champion two-year-old, this horse didn’t get the chance to be but they have a similar sort of speed. Sir Percy got further, this horse I would think a mile would be about his trip.

The Dubai Duty Free Trials Weekend at Newbury Racecourse takes place this Friday 12 and Saturday 13 April. 

The going at Newbury is soft, good to soft in places. A prolonged spell of showers are forecast today before clearing to leave mainly dry weather for the rest of the week.

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