Racing
With Your Blessing primed for Rosehill Sprint
The Missile Stakes will firm as a target for With Your Blessing if he kicks off his campaign with a win.
An early season shot at another stakes race could be on the cards for With Your Blessing if he can return in a similar vein of form to last campaign.
The six-year-old resumes in the Schweppes Sprint (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday having turned in a peak performance at his most recent appearance in March when narrowly beaten in the Group Two Liverpool City Cup (1300m).
Trainer John Thompson confirmed the Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 9 is on the radar for With Your Blessing, provided he performs to expectations first-up.
"If he won on Saturday we'd look at that," Thompson said.
"He went through a few grades last time and got beaten a lip in stakes grade at his last run.
"He has come back really well and he has been trialling super."
With Your Blessing has been given three trials to tune up for his return, winning the past two, and regular rider Alysha Collett will again be aboard from barrier seven.
A noted performer fresh, With Your Blessing has won three of his eight first-up runs and is versatile in all track conditions.
"He won first-up last time in and he goes well fresh," Thompson said.
"It doesn't matter what the track is like either. Wet or dry, he handles it."
The Sprint has attracted a handy field that includes 2023 Skyline Stakes winner Corniche, who has only raced once in the past 12 months, the consistent Brudenell and in-form Storm The Ramparts.
A field of 12 has been accepted for the Listed Winter Challenge (1500m) led by The Ingham winner Robusto, promising gelding Accredited and Estadio Mestalla, who was an upset winner of the Winter Stakes (1400m) last start.
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