Sport : Horse Racing

CORONATION RIGHT UP CHANNON'S STREET

21st June 2012, 06:06pm

Mick Channon: Two leading contenders

Mick Channon: Two leading contenders

Mick Channon is excited about saddling Samitar and Laugh Out Loud for Friday's Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Samitar gave the West Ilsley handler his first major Classic success when springing a surprise in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Young jockey Martin Harley keeps the ride in this Group One contest.

Laugh Out Loud finished down the field in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, but has since taken her game to a new level by winning a Listed race at York and the Group Two Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly.

Frankie Dettori rides Laugh Out Loud for the first time.

"I'm not worried how Samitar does it, but you've got to be positive one way or another," Channon told British Champions Series TV.

"In France the time before last, although we made the running, we were always waiting for the lead horse to come and we were stuck in front. Everything went wrong, but that's horse racing.

"You need a bit of luck. Martin got it spot-on at the Curragh.

"There was good pace in the race they took her along and from halfway you knew if she picked up, she was going to win.

"We always knew Laugh Out Loud was pretty good. She always had speed, this filly.

"They had a fair bit of rain overnight (in France) and it just loosened it up, but good ground would be perfect."The once-raced Cardigan takes a big step up in class following a taking Haydock maiden success on her sole juvenile appearance.

The William Haggas-trained filly carries the colours of Raymond Tooth, who won this prize with Indian Ink in 2007.

Tooth's racing manager, Tony Stafford, said: "We probably wouldn't have run on her on fast ground, so the rain has helped her.

"William has always liked her and he's not one for wasting entries.

"When she ran at Haydock we knew William liked her, but I don't think we expected her to win quite so emphatically.

"He has other smart fillies and thinks she is quite good, so we are not just going there for the day out.

"It's obviously going to be tough for her having only run once as she's tackling more experienced horses, but she's well bred and when she won at Haydock it was good to soft ground.

"She's ready to run now and there haven't been that many suitable opportunities for her up until this point."

Chris Wall runs Pontefract winner Intense Pink, who was last seen finishing down the field in a Haydock Listed race over six furlongs.

Wall said: "We're throwing her in at the deep end both in terms of class and trip and, realistically, she probably doesn't have a winning chance.

"But we want to see if she'll stay and the owner was mad keen to have a runner at Royal Ascot, so we'll give it a go.

"She won't be inconvenienced by the ground and I suppose the more rain they have, the more it would help her."

The field was significantly reduced by one after Maybe was declared a non-runner.

Aidan O'Brien's filly, third in the 1000 Guineas and fifth in the Oaks this season, suffered a stone bruise shortly after declaration time yesterday.

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