The lightly-raced Santillana can continue to make up for lost time by winning what promises to be a fascinating Tarmac Condition Stakes at Newbury tonight. The John Gosden-trained five-year-old managed to win in each of his first three seasons, despite spending a lot of the time sidelined through injury and being limited to just six races before the start of this campaign.
He won once as a juvenile, then was unbeaten in two races at three and was off the course for 18 months with a damaged hock after beating Glory Of Dancer in the Thresher Classic Trial at Sandown in April 1996.
He made a triumphant return over 10 furlongs at Newmarket last October before finishing a creditable fourth to Taipan in a Group One race in Italy a month later.
Sheikh Mohammed's decision to continue to keep the son of El Gran Senor in training has yet to pay off this season, but Santillana has at least showed that he has retained plenty of ability.
He is taken to beat another Sheikh Mohammed runner, Apprehension, as well as Ajlaan, a winner at Duabi in March, the tough Taufan's Melody and the useful Ghalib.
Antarctic Storm, promoted from fifth to third behind Star Invader at Chester, can strike for Malton trainer Richard Fahey in the Amec Civil Engineering Handicap at Ripon. All his three victories last term came over tonight's distance of a mile.
Secret Spring, a staying-on sixth of 17 to Virtual Reality at Bath on his seasonal debut, will be hard to beat in the Tote Handicap over an extended nine furlongs at Folkestone.
The Editor can make the news at Yarmouth where he represents trainer Henry Cecil in the Nogdam End Novice Stakes rather than Eaton Square.
He got off the mark in good style at Thirsk earlier this month and gets the nod over Michael Stoute's Newmarket winner Caribbean Monarch.
Al's Alibi landed a mile and a half handicap at Newbury two weeks ago and William Muir's five-year-old can repeat the trick over an extra furlong and a half on his return to the Berkshire track for the Kenneth Robertson Handicap.
