Whistlejacket in search of more Group One honours

Ante-post favourite Whistlejacket and the supplemented Defence Minister are among 12 confirmations for the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Whistlejacket has won three of his six starts for Aidan O’Brien, including a victory on Newmarket’s July Course in the Group Two July Stakes, and he is poised to return to Headquarters in a bid for back-to-back Group One wins following success in the Prix Morny at Deauville.

O’Brien has also left in the impressive Round Tower Stakes winner Ides Of March, beaten National Stakes favourite Henri Matisse, Camille Pissarro and Treasure Isle.

Defence Minister is two from two for trainer Hamad Al Jehani and the Wathnan Racing team, having supplemented a debut win at Newmarket with victory at Haydock.

He missed Saturday’s Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on account of soft ground after being supplemented a week ago and connections have now added him to the Middle Park field at a cost of £20,000. He also holds an entry on Thursday’s Tattersalls Stakes.

Wathnan Racing’s adviser Richard Brown said: “With all the rain and a very changeable forecast we want to have a range of possible targets for Defence Minister. He’s a very promising colt but we know he wants decent ground, so we are keeping all our options open at this stage.”

Michael O’Callaghan’s Black Forza and Charlie Appleby’s Gimcrack runner-up Shadow Of Light also feature along with Andesite (Karl Burke), Dash Dizzy (Charlie Johnston), Intrusively (Ed Bethell) and Jouncy (Andrew Balding).