Palmer hopeful of big run from Acquitted in Victoria Cup

LONDON: Hugo Palmer’s Acquitted will compete over seven furlongs for the first time when he lines up for the ultra-competitive tote+ Victoria Cup at Ascot on Saturday. The four-year-old was beaten just a neck when making his seasonal reappearance in Doncaster’s Spring Mile, his first run since being gelded last year.

Palmer, who hopes that a marginally shorter trip will suit the son of Night Of Thunder, has no concerns about the forecast softer surface for the four-year-old. “We’re trying a new trip with him, coming back to seven furlongs,” he said.

“I always thought we’d end up going up to 10 furlongs, but he travelled very strongly through the Spring Mile at Doncaster and just got touched off at the finish. We know he handles cut in the ground, and a stiff seven furlongs at Ascot should suit him down to the ground – he’s not slow.”

Also among the maximum 29-runner field is George Margarson’s Ropey Guest, who begins his four-year-old campaign after claiming a long-awaited first victory last year.

The Cable Bay gelding is owned by John Guest Racing, for whom Margarson trained Excellent Guest to win the same race at 25-1 in 2013. “We won it first time out a few years ago with Excellent Guest, a horse with a similar profile,” said the Newmarket handler.

Excellent Guest was rated 93 at the time, 5lb lower than Ropey Guest’s current mark.

“In an ideal world we could have got him rated 90, but he wouldn’t have got in, so he’s probably on his top mark,” added Margarson.