Luther aiming to hit high note in Royal Lodge

Charlie Fellowes’ Luther takes the next step in his promising career in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket.

The colt, who is by Frankel and out of the Musidora winner Give And Take, started his career in a Salisbury maiden in late June and made an instant impression with a comfortable success.

His next start was then at the same track, where he stepped up in grade to take on the Listed Stonehenge Stakes and went down by just half a length to Andrew Balding’s New Century.

The latter horse boosted the form when travelling to Woodbine in Canada to win the Grade One Summer Stakes in good style, whereas Luther remained in Listed company next time out in the Ascendant Stakes at Haydock.

There he met eight rivals and proved himself to be much the best, striding to a two-length victory under Daniel Tudhope, with Fellowes hoping his class can help him negotiate an outside draw.

“He’s been very well, he’s been training well and we’ve had a clear run, so we’re very happy,” said Fellowes.

“The New Century form has worked out great and when he won the Haydock race, he did it as well as you could possibly ask.

“Who knows what he beat at this point, but he beat them nicely. This is another step up, so we hope he can take the step forward. He’s a horse we really like and we think he’s good enough.

“The first two times at Salisbury, he looked a bit green, whereas at Haydock he looked more like the finished article.

“Newmarket is a different course, it is undulating and the draw gods have not been too kind to us as he’s drawn on the end (stall seven) again and I’d much rather he was in the middle, but he’s a lovely horse and we’re hoping for the best.”

James Owen will be represented by Wimbledon Hawkeye, a Gredley Family-owned Kameko colt out of the owners’ Sea The Stars mare Eva Maria.

The bay made a winning debut on the all-weather at Kempton in May before finishing third in the Group Two Superlative Stakes on Newmarket’s July course.

The Acomb Stakes at York was the next port of call and there the colt was the runner-up, coming home a length and three-quarters behind Aidan O’Brien’s highly-regarded Classic hope The Lion In Winter.

The form from the race was further strengthened when the fourth-placed The Waco Kid went on to win Thursday’s Tattersalls Stakes.

Owen said: “We were really pleased with his run at York and hopefully he can put up a similar performance or even improve on that Acomb run. Hopefully there is lots more to come.

“He’s always shown a fair level of ability and it’s our first season training two-year-olds. When he won on debut, he was 100-1 in places, but had always shown plenty at home.”

Andrew Balding’s Royal Playwright steps up to a mile after attempting to make all when third to the high-class Field Of Gold in the Solario Stakes.

Big-race pilot Oisin Murphy is optimistic of another bold bid and has been buoyed by some encouraging signs at home.

He said: “His work was very good last Saturday and I think he will improve for going a mile. I think he is getting better all the time and I’m looking forward to riding him.

“You could say at Sandown he was not suited by me making the running on him, but I was wary of them putting the brakes on and meeting traffic from an inside draw. Hopefully he is really stepping up.”

Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore team up with Galway Festival winner Puppet Master, with Moore telling Betfair: “This is my first time aboard Puppet Master, but he looks to have an obvious chance off the back of his two runs to date.

“He made his debut over a mile at Killarney when green throughout, but ran on well in the final stages when the penny started to drop. The colt improved for that debut when last seen at Galway, handling the soft ground to run away an easy winner by four lengths.

“This looks an interesting race with tough competition from Luther, Wimbledon Hawkeye and Angelo Buonarroti, who all hold strong form claims, but my lad should handle conditions well and can run a nice race.”