Trainer Roger Teal has expressed not to write off his Group One winning sprinter Oxted with the handler confirming that the five year old will take up his entry at Royal Ascot in the Group One King's Stands Stakes.
Oxted bounced onto the racing scene last term having showed huge promise as a juvenile when landing his final contest in September, he has gone on to do things for his handler they never thought would be possible.
After building in size and maturing for the winter, Oxted started his three year old career in the Group Three Abernant Stakes, seeing off a decent field of seven runners who have previous group race experience.
Having looked very professional at Newmarket he was sent back there for his first experience in a Group One with the July Cup over six furlongs attracting a superstar field of runners.
Teal's sprinter saw off the classy group to land his first ever black type victory with his jockey, the young Cieren Fallon also landing his first ever Group One success.
Next time out the black type winner could only finish fifth of 16 runners in the Champion Sprint Stakes where he was only length behind the winner Glen Shiel, and his trainer believes that the heavy ground did not play to his strengths.
Oxted (Mayson) follows his father with success in the Darley July Cup 👏
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 11, 2020
The biggest victory in the career of @RogerTealRacing, and what about the jockey - still a claiming apprentice, and a Group 1 winner on his just his second ride at the highest level! @CierenFallonJr pic.twitter.com/BsDviF5hzC
Before he started in Britain this term, Teal sent him over to Saudi Arabia for dirt sprint contest and overall he gave an unsatisfactory run, not handling the surface as well as expected.
Back for his five year old campaign in Britain, he has been seen twice to date, finishing a narrow second in the Group Three Abernant Stakes he won last year and then at York last time out he was a narrow third in the Group Two Duke Of York Stakes.
All roads this term have lead towards Royal Ascot and King's Stand Stakes on June 15th and he is as big as 5/1 for that target.
(Credit Racing Post) "He's in good shape and he's come out of York very well and had his first canter back on Tuesday morning," Teal said.
"He's in good form and all roads lead to the King's Stand.
"He won his race on his side at York, while there was no pace – you see how slow the pace was early. He likes a strong gallop and Ryan said that in hindsight he should maybe have kicked on, but he had Newmarket in the back of his mind [when Oxted was caught late].
"The ground was a bit softer than he wanted as well, but take nothing away from Starman who's a good horse."