Divine Comedy could scupper Sagaro hat-trick for Coltrane

Divine Comedy has been tasked with ending the Longines Sagaro Stakes domination of Coltrane at Ascot on Wednesday.

Andrew Balding’s eight-year-old is a standing dish in the staying division and has won this Group Three event for the past two years, but he has to concede match fitness to Harry Eustace’s challenger Divine Comedy, who went down fighting at Nottingham on her return to action.

Eustace said: “She ran well at Nottingham. She was well-in at the weights that day and it’s a bit tougher, but it’s another small field. In a tactically-run race, she has a run under her belt and seems fine. I’m looking forward to running her.

“The step up in trip should help. She’s very versatile regarding trip, but it should bring a bit of improvement in her.

“I think the market’s got it right with Coltrane the one to beat, but as I say, in a small field you just never know.”

Popular Gold Cup winner Double Trigger is amongst the many dual winners of the Sagaro Stakes, but Coltrane has the chance to become the first hat-trick hero when he returns to one of his favoured tracks.

Balding told Sky Sports Racing: “Obviously he loves the track and he’s won the last two runnings of the race.

“He’s a wonderful horse, (but) he’s very difficult to read at home because I could run faster than him most mornings, so you just never know quite where we’re at with him.

“His fitness levels are good and he seems happy and well, so we’re looking forward to it.

“It would be lovely to think he could win a third Sagaro, we’d all settle for that. He’s a very special horse and we just hope he runs his race and he’ll be competitive.”

Only four head to post, with Yashin making his first outing for Michael Bell and Ralph Beckett’s Feigning Madness completing the line-up.