[NoChanceToDance]

by Tony Elves



ALAN SWINBANK was on Monday digesting a “hot” entry for the CGA Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, the intended next start for his star mare Turbo Linn.

The bumper winner turned Pattern-race heroine is on target to try to extend her unbeaten record to nine out of nine in the extended 1m5f contest but Swinbank is under no illusions to the enormity of the task after assessing the entries.

The four-year-old filly, winner of five bumpers, landed the rescheduled Group 2 Lancashire Oaks run at Newmarket's July festival on only her second start on the Flat and then gave weight all around when adding to that victory in a Listed event over the same course and distance ten day's later.

One of 12 Geoffrey Freer entries, which offers a prize of almost £27,000 to the winner, she could lock horns withPrincess of Wales's Stakes winner Papal Bull, Curragh Cup winner Peppertree Lane, the rejuvenated Classic Punch and “precautionary entry” Purple Moon, ante-post favourite for the Totesport Ebor.

“It looks a tough contest,” said Swinbank on Monday. “She is very well but she will have to be and it looks harder than I would have first thought.

“She's ridden every day to keep her going and she worked well with a very decent horse on Saturday morning but I never expected the race to be as hot as this.”

Purple Moon is almost certain to chase the larger pot of almost £125,000 for filling the same place at York.

Luca Cumani, trainer of the recent Listed Goodwood winner who gets in the Ebor off a mark of 101, said: “We will be monitoring the weather but if the weather is good and the ground at York is good then we'll go there. If York is flooded then we will have a look at the Newbury race but his entry there is very precautionary.”

Shahin, who dead heated for second in the Princess of Wales's Stakes, is also entered, as is Esher Stakes winner Balkan Knight.