Charlie Hills bidding for more Greenlands glory with Iberian
Iberian will bid to provide trainer Charlie Hills with back-to-back victories in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
The Lambourn handler claimed the Group Two prize with Mitbaahy 12 months ago and will have high hopes of adding to his tally with a horse who was last seen going down a neck to Spycatcher in the Cammidge Trophy on the opening day of the season at Doncaster.
With Hills keen to stick at six furlongs, Iberian had the option of running at York in Wednesday's 1895 Duke of York Stakes, but he is instead being readied for a trip across the Irish Sea.
'He's very well, we're really pleased with him. We decided to bypass York and we're aiming for the Greenlands instead,' said Hills.
'The track should suit him well and if he runs well there then it could be good timing to then go to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
'I was really pleased with his Doncaster run, he was probably a bit unlucky with the way he dived across the track and seemed to lose his concentration for a little bit.
'He hit the line strong though, so we'll put that behind us now and look forward to the rest of the season.'
Another Hills inmate who started his season on a good note is Cicero's Gift, with the five-year-old finishing third in a competitive renewal of the Group Two bet365 Mile at Sandown.
However, current plans are on hold for the son of Muhaarar, who prefers easy ground underfoot.
'We've just got to wait until it starts to rain. It's really hard to make plans with him at the moment, it's been so dry,' Hills added.
'We'll keep our options open through the year but he's always been at his best when he can get into the ground, so we'll just have to be patient and wait for the rain.'
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