Denton Hall News

Que Amoro 'highly unlikely' to run in the Temple Stakes

TRAINER Michael Dods has warned that Que Amoro is "highly unlikely" to run in tomorrow's Group 2 Casumo Best Odds Temple Stakes at Haydock because of the soft ground.

Michael says the five-year-old mare is in good form at home and ready to run but she's a top of the ground horse and, with more rain falling on already soft ground at Haydock, she's a big doubt.

The bulletin on Que Amoro - a gallant runner-up to Battaash in last year's Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes - is included in Michael's regular Weekend Update below:

WE’VE got three horses entered on Saturday but it’s highly unlikely that QUE AMORO will run in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock. She’s well in herself and ready to race but she’s a top of the ground mare and they’ve had more rain down there. We’ll make a final decision in the morning but she’s a big doubt with the ground so soft.

That leaves PENDLETON and NORTHERN EXPRESS at York and they should both run well.

PENDLETON goes in the williamhill.com Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap with Callum Rodriguez in the saddle. It was nice to see him run so well on his seasonal debut at Ascot on May 7 after missing the whole of 2020. He’d been working well at home, so we expected a good run, but he showed a good attitude to only go down by a nose to James Fanshawe’s Fresh.

That was over six furlongs and we’re pulling him back to five this time. It’s a competitive race but he seems well and, as long as the race hasn’t come to quick, he should run well.

NORTHERN EXPRESS runs in the Reg Bond “Always And Forever” Handicap, with Connor Beasley taking the ride. He won on soft on his debut at Beverley last season, and he’s run well on his two outings so far this season. He was third of six at Beverley and then second at York a couple of weeks ago.

That last run at York was over seven furlongs and he’s back up to a mile tomorrow. We’re still finding out what his best trip is going to be, but he was staying on over seven and, hopefully, he’ll get the mile. The ground shouldn’t be a problem for him, he's a nice horse, and he should run a good race.