Skip to content

Coral Charge: Raasel primed for Sandown challenge as connections hope sprint star's rise is not over yet

Raasel has risen from a mark of 73 to 108 after winning seven of his last nine starts for Mick Appleby and owners The Horse Watchers; King George Stakes at Goodwood is main target for sprinting star

Raasel (left) impresses at Haydock
Image: Raasel (left) impresses at Haydock in the Listed Achilles Stakes

Raasel's ascent up the sprinting ladder may have surprised some ahead of his outing in the Coral Charge at Sandown on Saturday - but not his shrewd owners who snapped him up for a meagre 10,000 guineas.

Having won on his debut for Marcus Tregoning in October 2019, he was beaten next time out and not seen again for 448 days, during which time he was sold by Shadwell and bought by The Horse Watchers.

While there was no immediate return on their investment in three runs on the all-weather early in 2021, switched back to turf in September last year, he won at Goodwood from a mark of 73 and it has been a success story ever since.

Get racing news on your phone
Get racing news on your phone

Never miss a story with all the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone. Find out more

He will line up at Sandown on Saturday rated 108 having won another six races for Mick Appleby and Group One targets are now on the horizon.

"Funnily enough, when we bought him, we thought he'd be a lot more expensive than he was as we always felt he had loads of potential but he was bought with a little bit of a problem," said Chris Dixon, one of The Horse Watchers.

"Thankfully that problem hasn't ever been an issue and while we didn't expect to be where we are, he's always looked nice - the surprise to us was that he didn't kick on straight away but he just needed time probably.

"He's never been on proper fast ground and you don't want to run something that has had problems on rattling fast, but actually I don't think he'd be bothered by quick ground as he's a very fast horse.

Also See:

"He doesn't want really soft ground. He was quite laboured at Nottingham last season for the last of his wins and you could have said it was the end of a busy spell, but also he doesn't want that ground. He's just a quick horse so he wants it good or faster.

Follow Sky Sports Racing on Twitter
Follow Sky Sports Racing on Twitter

See the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing

"His big plan has always been the race at Goodwood, the King George that Battaash used to win. It's a Group Two and worth a lot of money and that is the race everything revolves around.

"Either side of that, he'll run in this and then either the Flying Five at the Curragh or the Nunthorpe with Goodwood in between, so his next three runs are well mapped out."

Around Sky