'Astonished' Charlie Hills could target Sussex Stakes with Cicero's Gift after colt shrugs off 382-day absence to win at Sandown

Charlie Hills had his dad to thank after Cicero's Gift shrugged off a 382-day absence to carry top weight to victory in the Coral Challenge.

Cicero's Gift was last seen in action finishing an unlucky-in-running seventh behind Paddington in the St James's Palace Stakes, and Hills had been sweet on a tilt at next month's inaugural running of the £75,000 Bentinck Conditions Stakes at Goodwood for the colt's comeback before his Classic-winning father Barry steered him to Sandown.

"He's a very special horse," said the winning trainer. "When he won his second start at Wolverhampton he beat a horse called Docklands giving him nine pounds and that horse is now rated 115, so he's got tremendous ability.

"It wasn't really my plan to come here. The race at Goodwood was perfect for him but then Dad rang me up the other day and thought it would be very hard going in there and winning that race first time out. 

"He suggested giving him a spin round here, but the fact he's gone and won is full testament to the horse. He's not fully wound up and to win it off top weight is a tremendous achievement."

Cicero's Gift was sidelined with serious bone bruising in all four fetlocks last year and Hills felt some ease in the ground is now paramount, and thought connections could be persuaded to have a tilt at the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes if the ground turned up soft.

He added: "I think we'll probably have to forget about the race I was thinking about, but the main thing is to keep him on ground with a bit of cut. 

"We've got a few quid in the pot now so, if it comes up soft, we might supplement him for the Sussex, but it astonishes me he has won today off the amount of work he's done."    

The winner was partnered by Billy Loughnane, who secured a double on the day, and victory could mark the start of a fruitful relationship between trainer and jockey.

Hills said: "He's amazing and is great for the future of our sport. He's very articulate, has brilliant hands and is very astute in a race. He's going to ride for me in the July Cup and will take the ride on Khaadem."  

Makarova takes advantage of drop in grade

Connections have "chanced their arm" with Makarova in all the top sprints and were finally rewarded when she landed her first Group success.

The five-year-old made the most of a drop in grade for the Coral Charge after finishing seventh in the King Charles III Stakes last month. After beating Purosangue, Makarova will now be aimed at Goodwood's King George Stakes, for which she is 10-1 (from 16s) with Paddy Power. 

Makarova (right): off the mark at Group level for Ed WalkerCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"She's been super consistent this year," said trainer Ed Walker. "In the early days she was so laid-back and never looked like a five-furlong sprinter but she's learned to become a racehorse. I told Hector [Crouch] that I wasn't convinced they were going to get there until the final 20 yards.

"I knew she'd come good at the end. The only time she didn't was at Ascot last time when she had blinkers on. They did the job as she pinged out the gates, right up with the speed, but didn't finish as she had been on the heels of Big Evs all the way."

Makarova has contested four Group 1s and York's Nunthorpe Stakes, in which she finished fourth last year, is on her agenda. "We've chanced our arm a lot and before today she was only a Listed winner. She'll go to the King George and then could have a crack at the Nunthorpe or Flying Five."

Last year's Nunthorpe winner Live In The Dream was the 3-1 favourite but could manage only fourth, three lengths behind the winner.

"It's answered a lot of questions for us," said trainer Adam West. "If we ride him like we did today we've only got a 90-rated horse. To be at his best he has to be super aggressive. We can pinpoint that for our next race, when we'll let him rock and roll to give him confidence in the first furlong."

Swindon on top at Sandown

Connections of Swindon were left in a bit of a quandary after the lightly raced three-year-old landed a second win from four starts in the 7f handicap. 

Racing in the colours of M M Stables, Swindon looked nervy in the paddock but was not shy about going to the front and duly made all under David Egan. 

Assistant trainer Maureen Haggas revealed the colt could go to the sales, although a decision on his future rests with the owners. 

"He's just a little bit of a worrier and is a busy horse," said Haggas. "I thought he'd enjoy the ground today and he got a nice easy lead and stayed the trip well.

"I'm pretty sure he's in the sales but we'll have to get him home and see what the owners want to do. You can look at it and say he's a horse going the right way and might be worth keeping, or that this is the right time to sell him."

Read these next:

Trueshan off the mark for the year after bouncing back in Coral Marathon 

'I got it wrong' says Ryan Moore after Derby ace City Of Troy knuckles down to land Coral-Eclipse at Sandown 

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