Witness Stand will bid for back-to-back Group Two wins in the Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes at Newbury today.
A surprise 25-1 winner of the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood late last month, the four-year-old will get the opportunity to prove that success was no fluke for the training partnership of Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole ahead of a planned trip to Paris on Arc weekend in early October.
“He’s come out (of Goodwood) really well, he did a really nice piece of work today,” Insole told Sky Sports Racing.
“We were thrilled with that performance and I don’t think it was a fluke.
He loves the track and loves the conditions and had a great prep run at Chester on ground we thought was probably a little bit quick.
“He was always going to have to raise his game to compete at Group Two level, but we were hopeful he would – we bought him to hopefully win Group races and be there on the big day and that’s what he’s done already in his first year with us.”
While Insole admits Witness Stand may be more at home on softer ground, he is not overly concerned about letting him line up on what are likely to be quick conditions today.
He added: “Hopefully he can progress again and going into the Hungerford he’s got course and distance form, winning a Listed race there last year.
“We could do with a little bit of rain and it doesn’t look like there’s going to be much, but hopefully this will be a stepping-stone to the Prix de la Foret.
“He’s been running on quick ground the last twice and I’m sure he’s pretty versatile.
I think soft ground plays to his strengths and we’re obviously not going to get that today, but I wouldn’t have too many concerns really.”
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