YOUNG RASCAL IMPRESSES IN MATCHBOOK FLOODLIT STAKES

Young Rascal is set for an international campaign after defying a 184-day absence to win the Listed Matchbook Floodlit Stakes at Kempton Park. The 12-furlong Polytrack contest has a history of a producing horses who go on to score at the highest level, most notably 2015 Dubai World Cup victor Prince Bishop, and Young Rascal is now under consideration for the G1 Hong Kong Vase in early December. Mastery won both races in 2010.

Young Rascal (William Haggas/Tom Marquand, 4/1), who landed three G3 prizes in 2018, had not raced since finishing sixth in the G2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket in May, after which he was gelded. The four-year-old settled in fourth of the six runners in the early stages before improving to track leader Spirit Of Appin (Brian Meehan/Martin Dwyer, 7/1) as the field rounded the home turn. Spirit Of Appin tried to kick away in the straight, but could not shake off Young Rascal who seized the advantage passing the furlong marker and ran on strongly to score by three lengths. Godolphin challenger Loxley (Charlie Appleby/Adam Kirby, 5/1) stayed on to take second inside the final 100 yards, with Spirit Of Appin a further half-length back in third. The 5/6 favourite Royal Line (John Gosden/Rab Havlin) never threatened and finished a well-beaten fifth.

William Haggas said afterwards: “We were hoping for that sort of performance from Young Rascal. He is a talented horse who lost his way in the spring for whatever reason – he did not run properly in the John Porter Stakes and then he ran badly in the Jockey Club Stakes. We cut him, gave him a lot of time off, and he has come back well. He has been training very well to be fair. We had him in the St Simon Stakes [at Newbury], which was abandoned, and fortunately this race fitted in quite nicely eight or nine days later. My plan had always been to give him the summer off here and then try to get invited to Hong Kong for the Vase, which I think he will, and then go to Australia for the Sydney Cup with a prep race beforehand.

He added: “Now he is gelded, he has no stallion value obviously and we have to race around the world for some money. He is a very sound horse and today was a great start. He will have bigger challenges to come, but let’s get on with it. I think he will stay, and Saudi Arabia has thrown a spanner in the works by putting on a $2.5 million staying over a mile and seven furlongs, which could be very tempting. I need to go out and have a look at their track first, but I gather it is a big galloping so that would be good. Then there is obviously the Dubai Sheema Classic and Dubai Gold Cup as well. We have lots of options and it is great that he has jumped the first hurdle. If he can jump the others, we will be very pleased!”