Cecil full of praise for High Chaparral colt

26th May 2008

Trainer Henry Cecil is considering a trip to Royal Ascot with the High Chaparral colt Ancient Lights (3c High Chaparral-Fascinating Hill, by Danehill) after his impressive winning debut at Newmarket on Friday.

The three-year-old, who was bred by Charlie Mason, took the lead in the 1m 2f maiden two furlongs from home and won impressively by a length and a quarter.

"Potentially we've got something to look forward too and I think he will stay a mile and a half but whether we stay a mile and a quarter we will have to see," said Cecil.

"He’s in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes and the (Listed) Hampton Court Stakes and he’s one of the horses I most like in the yard."

The Racing Post were also impressed and noted: "Probably a pretty decent maiden and a taking performance from ANCIENT LIGHTS. He has evidently suffered from quarter cracks and hadn't been in work too long but he looked well and moved well to post and came back even better. He was always travelling kindly for his jockey and came there full of running two furlongs out and kept on really well. He can only improve for this outing and when his trainer spoke afterwards of the King Edward VII Stakes and the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot that is all you really need to know as to where he stands in the pecking order at Warren Place."