Racing: Rebel fires a warning shot on road to Ascot

Back in May, Cockney Rebel produced a piece of work on the Newmarket training grounds that had those who saw it gasping. Yesterday, the dual Guineas winner announced his readiness to rejoin the big-time fray with another sparkling spin, his first full-scale gallop since he cracked his pelvis at Royal Ascot in June.

The setting was the all-weather strip that runs alongside the Cambridge Road, a left-handed, slightly uphill, sweep with the Rowley Mile, the scene of the colt's greatest triumph, as a backdrop. As the star tracked his lead horse and levelled off for the final half-mile of the test run, it was clear that rider Michael Tebbutt was on the Ferrari, not the Ford.

Cockney Rebel hardly needed a nudge to quicken clear in a matter of strides, without apparent effort. "It was unbelievable," said his trainer, Geoff Huffer. "We were stunned, really."

After winning the Guineas at Newmarket (at 25-1) the son of Val Royal followed up in the Curragh version (at 6-4 favourite) but met with disaster in the St James's Palace Stakes (at evens), suffering a stress fracture inside the final furlong. But despite veering across the track in discomfort, he was beaten less than two lengths into fifth.

"He's come back more muscular and stronger than ever, and is in really great form," said Huffer. "And I shouldn't think there will be a problem in going back to Ascot; if he isn't hurting this time he won't remember what happened last time.

"Michael was really, really pleased with him. He rode him work before the 2,000 Guineas and he said that this gallop was better."

The next target for Cockney Rebel, who carries the colours of Essex businessman Phil Cunningham, is the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at the end of September, when he is likely to face a rematch with St James's Palace Stakes winner Excellent Art, and a clash with the best older miler, Ramonti, who won the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal meeting and has since beaten Excellent Art a head in the Sussex Stakes.

"It's looking all systems go for the QEII," added Huffer. "We'll step his work up now and hopefully everything will keep going as well as it is."

The winner of the first Classic of the year is on the comeback trail; the name of that of the last will be identified in 17 days' time, in the 231st St Leger. But it is unlikely to be that of Derby third Aqaleem, the former favourite, who was yesterday all but ruled out of the Doncaster feature by his trainer, Marcus Tregoning, and removed by the race sponsors, Ladbrokes, from their betting.

"Aqaleem has met with a training setback," said Tregoning, "and his participation at this stage has to be in doubt. It appears that he has pulled muscles in his hindquarters during some routine work."

Aidan O'Brien, who has won St Legers with Milan, Brian Boru and Scorpion, still has seven colts engaged in the oldest, longest Classic, the septet accounting for half the remaining field.

The new St Leger favourite, at 7-2, is one of the Ballydoyle raiders, Ebor runner-up Honolulu, ahead of another, Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune. As well as that pair, O'Brien can chose from Mahler, Macarthur, Acapulco, Yellowstone and Song Of Hiawatha.

On the strength of his fine effort at York last week over the St Leger distance under 9st 2lb in a big field of older horses, Honolulu, a son of Montjeu, has been the horse for money. "His price has halved in the last 48 hours," said Ladbrokes spokesman, Dave Williams. "The weight he carried against older horses behind Purple Moon in the Ebor looked special."

The only home-trained colt disturbing the Co Tipperary hegemony in the market is the third favourite Lucarno, just behind Aqaleem at Epsom. But George Strawbridge's US-bred has not yet been confirmed a runner. "I'd like him to run and I'm training him for the race," said John Gosden yesterday, "but it will be up to the owner."

Newmarket-based Gosden has another candidate in Raincoat, in the Khaled Abdullah colours. "I am very pro the St Leger," he said. "It is such an important part of the programme to have a top-level test for staying three-year-olds. The industry cannot afford to ignore stamina and go the way of America, where 10 furlongs is regarded as an endurance test. If we concentrate on only speed the logical conclusion is that we'll end up breeding just quarter horses."

ST LEGER (Doncaster, 15 September) Ladbrokes: 7-2 Honolulu, 4-1 Soldier Of Fortune, 9-2 Lucarno, 6-1 Macarthur, Mahler, 8-1 Veracity, 12-1 Raincoat, 16-1 Acapulco, 20-1 Samuel, Speed Gifted, 40-1 Celestial Halo, 50-1 Song Of Hiawatha, dbt Yellowstone.

Chris McGrath

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