Cole can be king again

13 April 2012

If he stood next to you in a bar you wouldn't pick a fight with him. Six feet three-and-a-half inches tall, 15 stone and straight out of 'England Their England.'

Remember that fast bowling blacksmith breasting the rise with the new ball, steam snorting from the nostrils, off a run which seemed to start in the adjoining county?

Paul Cole has opened the assault for the Lambourn trainers in their cricket match against Newmarket on many occasions and the latter's star batsman, former Harrow captain and handler Willie Haggas, can testify to his rival's ferocious bowling.

Cole is certainly a formidable opponent and that applies to his racecourse endeavours as well. The 'pitch' at Newcastle is once again the launching pad for another onslaught on the Northumberland Plate, a race he has almost made his own in recent years.

Tomorrow Cole goes for his fourth victory in the race with the dual challenge of last year's victor Archduke Ferdinand and Mr Dinos.

Mr Dinos may be the more fancied of the pair in the antepost lists, but I am a great believer in ' horses for courses' and what a performer has done once, he can do again. You only have to look back to the recent Royal Ascot meeting to discover the sageness of that observation, with the enigmatic and unfancied Royal Rebel grabbing the Gold Cup for the second year running. Archduke Ferdinand - a more reliable performer than Royal Rebel - advertised his Newcastle claims when beaten just a neck by Cover Up in the royal meeting's Queen Alexandra Stakes over a distance not far short of three miles.

The return to the two-mile Plate, which is known as the 'Pitmen's Derby,' will obviously suit Archduke Ferdinand (3.20, nap). At Ascot he raced a trifle keenly, but if jockey Darryll Holland can use more settling tactics then that will help offset the selection's-9st 7lb burden. In fact, I expect Cole's duo to fill first and second places.

Mr Dinos got going a bit late in another of Royal Ascot's staying events, the Queen's Vase. He was catching winner Mamool at the end of affairs with only half a length between them at the line.

Pundits may point to the fact that Francis Norton rode Archduke Ferdinand to victory in 2001, but is now on board Mr Dinos. It all adds extra spice to the 'Pitmen's,' which always produces a rich seam of staying excitement.

Worrying the Cole representatives in the final stages could be Harlestone Grey, trained by John Dunlop. The Arundel maestro has had only two runners in the last 10 renewals of the race, but tomorrow he also fields Fantasy Hill and Taffrail.

Harlestone Grey was a neck runner-up to Warrsan at Goodwood and the winner went on to finish eighth in the Gold Cup. Fantasy Hill was third in the Plate two years ago and Taffrail caught the eye when similarly placed at Newbury in April.

On Sunday, the burning question will be - by how far will Epsom Derby hero High Chaparral win the Budweiser Irish Derby?

The Aidan O'Brien stable has a stranglehold on Group Ones and, although envious folk will ever be jealous of success, we must count ourselves lucky that we can watch such horses in action.

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Cole can be king again

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