Toscanini Up In Trip For Minstrel Stakes
Toscanini races over seven furlongs for the first time in more than a year when going for the G2 Friarstown Stud Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh, Ireland, on Sunday, July 17.
Time/Date - 15.05hrs local time/Sunday, July 17, 2016
Racecourse/Country - The Curragh/Ireland
Surface/Distance - Turf/7f
Toscanini races over seven furlongs for the first time in more than a year when going for the G2 Friarstown Stud Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh, Ireland, on Sunday, July 17.
The Michael Halford-trained four-year-old has been racing over shorter distances, including when rallying strongly to beat Flight Risk by a neck on his latest appearance in the six-furlong Listed Dubai Duty Free Jumeirah Creekside Dash Stakes at the Curragh on June 25.
But he was fifth over seven furlongs in the G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot in June last year and chased home Gleneagles in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes, run over the same course and distance as the Minstrel Stakes, in September, 2014.
Michael Halford reported: "It has been a while since Toscanini ran over seven furlongs but he had a good level of form over this distance as a two-year-old.
"He is settling a lot better in his races, so we felt that the step back up in trip was worth a try, and he likes the Curragh.
"There was plenty of rain at the Curragh on Thursday night and we would ideally like it to dry out a little. Good ground or quicker would ideally favour us."
Toscanini, drawn four and with James Doyle in the saddle for the fifth time, takes on eight others including seven-furlong G2 scorer Adaay and multiple G1 winner Gordon Lord Byron.
