THE ZETLAND Gold Cup was swiftly earmarked as the ideal race for Fierce Fortitude after the progressive gelding won at Redcar on April 30, with winning jockey Rowan Scott declaring: “It’s right up his street.”
And, sure enough, the son of Mehmas – trained at Newmarket by Kevin Philippart De Foy – returns to the seaside track on Bank Holiday Monday to try to win a race that was first run in 1950.
Amo Racing’s primary retained jockey, David Egan – fresh from riding at The Curragh over the weekend – takes over from Scott in the saddle for the 1m 2f contest.
Rainbow Nebula, trained at Malton by Richard and Peter Fahey, won well in a Class 3 race at Redcar on May 7, and is among a competitive field seeking the pot of gold.
Redcar’s seven-race bank holiday meeting gets underway at 1.47pm with the Join Racing TV Now EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes for two-year-olds.
The market is likely to be the best guide to the outcome, but Redcar is a known target for Lambourn trainer Archie Watson’s juveniles, and £50,000 Mehmas filly Celestial Fire looks a likely sort.
Newmarket’s powerful William Haggas yard is always to be feared at Redcar and Romanticizing, a beautifully bred Sea The Stars colt, looks the answer to the Watch Racing In HD Maiden Stakes.
The three-year-old shaped like a winner-in-waiting when pushing John and Thady Gosden’s 1-4 shot Lighting Thunder to a head at Nottingham last time, with the pair well clear of the rest.
Julie Camacho’s Mayo County aims for a repeat of last year’s win in the Book For Ladies Day – 20th June Handicap.
The mare won the race off a mark of 59 last year and is down to 57 this time, with Oisin Orr providing strong assistance from the saddle.
Tim Easterby’s Perfidia is in good form, having been second of 14 at Redcar in April before winning at Hamilton, and looks the one to beat.
The Camacho team have another good chance with the consistent Winged Messenger in the competitive racingtv.com Handicap. The gelding, ridden by useful 5lbs claimer Tom Kiely-Marshall, had a cracking season in 2025, winning three times and being placed in all five other runs.
He hasn’t been seen since September, so might not be fully wound up, but doesn’t run a bad race.
The opposition includes last year’s winner, Archduke Ferdinand, trained at Malton by Seb Spencer. He’s been down the field in two runs so far this term but is 6lbs below last year’s winning mark.
Fille Unique showed a good attitude when winning at Musselburgh last time and the Kodi Bear filly, trained in North Yorkshire by Bryan Smart and ridden by Paul Mulrennan, seeks to defy a 3lbs penalty in the Market Cross Jewellers Handicap.
David Egan hangs around to ride Charencey for Ian Williams, who sends the Lope De Vega gelding on the long trip from Worcestershire for the finale, the Racing Again Tomorrow On Racing TV Handicap.
PICTURE: Fierce Fortitude, pictured winning at Redcar at the end of April, is back for the Zetland Gold Cup