CELERIC, scaling the staying peaks like a latter-day Sherpa Tenzing, can continue his ascent up the ranks by taking the Group Three Bonusprint Henry II Stakes at Sandown today.
The defection of Double Eclipse has deprived the £40,000 contest of some of its flavour, but Celeric, winner of the Group Two Yorkshire Cup for David Morley at York last time, still faces a formidable opponent in John Dunlop's Sagaro Stakes winner Orchestra Stall.
Morley's challenger has to concede 2 lb to Orchestra Stall but is a confident selection to come out on top.
Celeric, the winner of four races as a three-year-old, added a further five to his haul at four in 1996, in the process crossing the divide between handicapper and Pattern-class performer.
Successful in a handicap over the York's Ebor course and distance in May of last year, the Mtoto gelding came fast and late to defeat Snow Princess by three-quarters of a length in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle the following month.
Then came two more victories at York in the Listed Foster's Silver Cup Rated Stakes on Magnet Cup day in July and the Listed Lonsdale Stakes on the Juddmonte International card in August.
Given Celeric's upward spiral, his trainer was sure to pitch him into Group races and after a good second to Double Trigger in the Doncaster Cup, the bay broke his Pattern duck in the Group Three Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket in October, battling on courageously to hold Ebor winner Sanmartino by a head.
Celeric needed his reappearance in the Jockey Club Stakes at the beginning and probably found the mile-and-a-half a bit on the sharp side, but ran a respectable fourth to Time Allowed.
He stepped up on that in the Yorkshire Cup, bravely forcing his way through a gap entering the final furlong and just holding the late thrust of Luca Cumani's Mons by a short-head.
Five years old and hardly lightly-raced by today's standards, Celeric nevertheless appears still on the upgrade and should be able to follow up.
Frankie Dettori, who takes the ride on Celeric, can complete a double aboard Crumpton Hill in the Doubleprint Whitsun Cup Rated Stakes.
Neil Graham's gelding ran a fine race when third in Royal Ascot's Royal Hunt Cup last June and confirmed that with a victory in the valuable Bunbury Cop at Newmarket the following month.
He was burly and edgy for his reappearance in the Victoria Cup at Ascot at the end of last month and faded from the distance, without being knocked about, to finish 16th of 25 to Tregaron.
He should step up markedly on that performance.
Ultra-consistent Hever Golf Rose, in her last season before retirement, won her first race since the 1995 Prix de l'Abbaye when lifting the Prix de Saint-Georges at Longchamp last time and will be a tough adversary in the Group Two Tripleprint Temple Stakes.
Redcar stages the £20,000-added Tote Zetland Gold Cup (Handicap), in which preference is for Champagne Prince.
Peter Harris' four-year-old produced a game effort to win a 16-runner handicap at Newmarket on his latest outing, leading inside the final furlong to beat Sharp Consul by a neck.
Carl Lowther, an apprentice with a bright future, rode a very cool race on that occasion and claims a useful 7 lb.
