Summer Time For Toormore, Dutch Connection & Richard Pankhurst

Time/Date -15.15hrs local time/Saturday, July 9, 2016
Racecourse/Country - Ascot/UK
Surface/Distance - Turf/1m

Godolphin launches a three-strong challenge on the G2 Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile with Toormore, Dutch Connection and Richard Pankhurst tackling the feature race at Ascot on Saturday, July 9.

Toormore (Richard Hannon/Tom Marquand) beat Dutch Connection by a neck in the G2 Bet365 Mile at Sandown Park on April 22 and the five-year-old has subsequently run well in a pair of mile G1 races, finishing fifth in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 14 and taking fourth in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 14.

Richard Hannon commented: "If Toormore runs the same race as he did in the Queen Anne Stakes, he will go close. He is fit and moving well. I have been pleased with him at home and he should take plenty of beating."

Four-year-old Dutch Connection (Charlie Hills/George Baker) was ninth in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes but showed a high level of form last year, winning the seven-furlong G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and finishing second in the mile G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.

Charlie Hills said: "Dutch Connection is going really well at home and we are looking forward to getting him back on the track with conditions that he should like.

"Hopefully, he can give a good account of himself and then we can look at races like the G2 Lennox Stakes or G1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood."

Richard Pankhurst (John Gosden/Nicky Mackay) also boasts winning form at Ascot, having stormed to an impressive victory in the seven-furlong Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2014.

The lightly-raced Raven's Pass four-year-old has only made two starts since, winning a Haydock conditions race over seven furlongs in September and coming home seventh in a mile Listed race on Polytrack at Kempton Park in November.

John Gosden commented: "It will be good to see Richard Pankhurst back and the ground should suit him."

A field of 10 for the Summer Mile also features G2 winners Kodi Bear and Custom Cut plus recent Listed victor Mutakayyef.