Shane Foley has already lit up Naas today with a massive priced treble. However in the Listed Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Woodlands Stakes, the first day back after lockdown was taken to another level by the performance of rags-to-riches speedster, Sceptical

Three successes at Dundalk had already established the fact that Sceptical was an unbelievable bargain for his 2,800 pound purchase in August 2019.

The Godolphin cast-off has been doing owners James McAuley and Jim Gough proud, excelling for trainer Denis Hogan.

The highest rated sprinter in the country coming into this, the Exceed And Excel gelding raced prominently under seven pound apprentice Joey Sheridan.

Unable to use his allowance here, Sheridan let his mount take a dispute of the lead travelling well halfway.

Pushed along to lead a furlong and a half out, the hugely exciting four-year-old quickened clear inside the final furlong to impressively dismiss Southern Horse by three lengths.

“He’s a special horse and so easy to train. I’m delighted for Jim Gough and James McAuley. They picked him out. Jim’s gutted he’s not here as he loves his racing but he has a good horse and he’ll probably go to Ascot next week for the King’s Stand," said Hogan.

“He might be entered in the Diamond Jubilee as well and other than that there is the Greenlands. They are the three options at the moment.

“He’s the best horse by far that I’ve ever had. I saw him doing a bit of work at Charlie Swan’s last Tuesday. I’ve seen a lot of horses go up that gallop and I’ve never seen a horse go up it as quick and powerful.

“He’s exciting and the kid on his back is exciting as well. He was in the deep end there today and it didn’t faze him one bit. He said it was comfortable and there was still a bit of greenness there.

“He’d never been on grass before but I wasn’t worried as Dundalk is a quick surface and that is beautiful out there today. The ground staff deserve some credit through all the dry weather to produce good to firm safe ground with a brilliant cushion of grass.

“I’d say it will be the King’s Stand as he showed there that he has plenty of boot. That was a big step up in grade as he beat handicappers well the last day but he beat pattern horses well today.”

Paddy Power and Betfair go 7/1 from 12/1 about Sceptical for the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

(AM & EM)