Mouthwatering Cheveley Park Showdown Moves a Step Closer

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Senorita Bonita (Starspangledbanner), Sun Goddess (Sioux Nation) and Libertango (No Nay Never) remain on course for a tantalising clash at Newmarket on Saturday, with the top-class trio featuring among eight fillies confirmed for the G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes.Senorita Bonita has won three of her four starts to date for Simon and Ed Crisford, with her only defeat coming at the hands of Aidan O'Brien's Victorious (Wootton Bassett) in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.The daughter of Starspangledbanner resumed winning ways when beating George Boughey's Libertango in Newmarket's G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes in July, before making the breakthrough at the top level with a dominant display in last month's Prix Morny at Deauville.Sun Goddess has won her last four races for O'Brien, a sequence that includes Group 1 victories in the Phoenix Stakes and Moyglare Stud Stakes, as well as a runaway success in the Harry's Half Million By Goffs at York.Libertango, meanwhile, had the measure of Sun Goddess when winning the G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and has also won the G2 Lowther Stakes at York since chasing home Senorita Bonita on the July Course.Joseph O'Brien has left in Star Of State (State Of Rest), runner-up to Libertango on the Knavesmire, before plundering a valuable prize on Irish Champions weekend, as well as Alwaysanangel (Harry Angel), who was third in the Duchess of Cambridge and has since won in Listed company at Cork.The Andrew Balding-trained Moonrise (Churchill {Ire}), Robson Aguiar's Controlla (Night Of Thunder) and Ballydoyle outsider Snowing (No Nay Never) complete the potential field.Elsewhere on the card, 10 juvenile colts remain in the mix for the other Group 1 contest, the Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes.The G2 Coventry Stakes winner Great Barrier Reef (No Nay Never) leads a five-strong Aidan O'Brien team that also includes Carry The Flag (No Nay Never), Confucius (No Nay Never), Marco Polo (Night Of Thunder) and Man's Best Friend (No Nay Never), while son Joseph could saddle the impressive G1 National Stakes winner Folsom Blues (Blue Point).Michael O'Callaghan's Push The Boat Out (Kodi Bear) turned over Great Barrier Reef when winning last month's G3 Round Tower Stakes at the Curragh and could take him on again, with the home team headed by Charlie Appleby's dual winner Inner City Blues (Blue Point) and Clive Cox's G2 Norfolk Stakes scorer Orthodox (Havana Grey), who needs to put a disappointing run in the Morny behind him.Inner City Blues has been given a break since doubling his tally in the G2 July Stakes and Appleby is looking forward to testing his powers at the top table.“I worked him last week up at Newmarket and he worked well,” said Appleby. “I was pleased and he needed it as well as he's been dormant since the July Stakes. That has definitely brought him forward and, from what I've seen the last week, he's definitely back on his A-game. I'm looking forward to it.”Aguiar's supplemented Dundalk winner Force Noir (Persian Force) and the Adrian Keatley-trained Hell Of A Spin (Naval Crown) are the other possible runners.Aidan O'Brien is responsible six of the 13 juveniles to stand their ground for the G2 Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes, including Aix La Chapelle (Justify) and Giant Sequoia (Frankel).The hot favourite is Appleby's Listed Ascendant Stakes winner First Law (Too Darn Hot), but the Moulton Paddocks handler has warned that he is not a certain starter.Appleby added, “If the ground is quick, I would contemplate giving the Royal Lodge a swerve. We know he handles slow ground, so we could keep an eye on Doncaster and the Futurity Trophy.“It's supposed to be a dry week and I'm not overly sure the quick ground and, dare I say it, the dip, would be to his liking, so it's something I will be keeping an eye on. If it is quick, he might be unlikely to turn up there.”Karl Burke's unbeaten colt Burning Up (Too Darn Hot) is also in the mix, along with Ed Walker's G3 Solario Stakes winner Alfred Wallace (Dubawi).The post Mouthwatering Cheveley Park Showdown Moves a Step Closer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.