Fascinating Rock© Photo Healy Racing
Fascinating Rock could earn himself a shot at a major autumn target if he can make a successful return in the Unibet Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor on Saturday evening.
Dermot Weld's one-time Classic hope made an excellent start to his four-year-old campaign, winning the Listed Heritage Stakes at Leopardstown and the Group Three Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh before returning to the top level in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
The son of Fastnet Rock turned in a career-best effort to finish a close second behind multiple Group One winner Al Kazeem, beating subsequent King George hero Postponed as well as top-class middle-distance performer The Grey Gatsby.
Fascinating Rock, whose late-season engagements include the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and the Champion Stakes at Ascot, makes his first appearance since that late-May Group One this weekend and must concede weight to each of his nine opponents.
Kris Weld, assistant trainer to his father, said: " He's in good form and is well and enjoyed his summer break.
"This is a nice start back from his run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and hopefully he'll go well, although it's looking a very strong renewal this year."
Stable jockey Pat Smullen travels over for the ride and feels a reproduction of that excellent effort in the Tattersalls Gold Cup would make him hard to beat.
"He's in good form. It's a lovely race the boss picked out for him and it just fits into his programme well," Smullen told At The Races.
"He's coming back after a long break, it was always the plan to have an autumn campaign so this is the start of the second half of his year. His form is rock-solid. His best run was his last race to run Al Kazeem to a neck. If he reproduces that form we're in business."
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Cannock Chase makes his first appearance since finishing down the field behind Fascinating Rock's stable companion Free Eagle in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
Bruce Raymond, racing manager for owner Saeed Suhail, said: " He's been off for quite a long time, but he worked well last week and he seems in good form.
"It doesn't look an easy race. We just want to get him going and we'll see what happens. He was only just beaten at Chester on soft ground, so hopefully he'll handle it all right."
Rembrandt Van Rijn is enjoying an excellent campaign for David Lanigan, registering his fourth victory on the spin at Haydock three weeks ago. The Upper Lambourn handler is looking forward to seeing if his four-year-old can compete in Pattern company.
He said: "He's in good form and he was impressive at Haydock. It's not very often you see a horse win a competitive handicap the way he did and he's put himself in this position.
"I always thought he was a nice horse since he was a two-year-old and coming back to a mile and a quarter has helped him.
"Ideally we'd have liked to have gone for a Listed race, but there wasn't one until Ayr on September 19, so we're taking a chance in a Group Three and we'll see how he gets on.
"It's a big step up from handicap company, but he's earned his spot. I hope he'll give a good account of himself and we'll see where we are with him.
"I always thought he wanted some juice in the ground, so I don't think it'll inconvenience him."
Rod Millman runs stable star and John Smith's Cup hero Master Carpenter, who chased home Intilaaq in Haydock's Rose Of Lancaster Stakes last time.
"It's a good race and I'm now wondering whether I should have run in the Celebration Mile as I might have had a better chance of picking up some prize-money at Goodwood," said Millman.
"Dermot Weld's runner will be hard to beat, but our horse is very well and in good form. It's just a shame it's such a competitive race.
"He won't have any trouble with the ground, the only worry might be getting the trip in this ground, but we'll see."
