Saeed bin Suroor reports Poet's Voice to be back to his best as he bids for a repeat of last year's win in the Betfair Celebration Mile at Goodwood.
The four-year-old was an impressive winner of the Group Two heat 12 months ago and went on to lift the Group One QEII Stakes at Ascot, but disappointed when last seen in the Dubai World Cup back in March and is returning from a 154-day lay-off.
"He's definitely in better form than he was at the start of the year. Frankie (Dettori) rode him one week ago on the Private Gallop and he worked very well, and he had a blow-out on Thursday. He's ready - physically he's in the same shape he was before," Bin Suroor told At The Races.
"He shows plenty of speed, but he could go further than the mile. We tried him in the World Cup, but he didn't handle the Tapeta surface. I think he's back to his best and mentally he's doing really well. He's happy and he's been working really well."
Premio Loco is on something of a retrieval mission as he tries to recapture the kind of form that saw him finish third behind Canford Cliffs in the Lockinge at the start of the year.
The seven-year-old has not tasted victory since claiming the Summer Mile at Ascot last July and trainer Chris Wall thinks he may not have been 100% when he disappointed at Epsom in June. He posted a close-up sixth at Salisbury earlier this month after a short break.
"He ran very well at Newbury in the spring but he didn't run well at Epsom. At the time, our horses were not as healthy as they should have been, so we had to take time to get him fresh and well again," said the Newmarket handler.
"When he ran at Salisbury, he saw less daylight than the Chilean miners down a hole, so you can't take that as a true form guide - he just never got the chance to get out and get racing. He is very well and has come out of the Salisbury race in good nick."
Dubawi Gold, second in the 2000 Guineas in England and Ireland, represents this year's Classic form and he will be trying to atone for a lacklustre show in the Hungerford Stakes last time out.
Trainer Richard Hannon told his website: "Dubawi Gold is the only three-year-old in the field, but the Classic generation came out on top the last three years and he goes there with a decent chance. He did not settle in the Hungerford at Newbury last time, and he is best judged on his two excellent runs in the Guineas."
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