Temple Meads Targets September Return | Thebigtip

Racing can be a very transient game at times and it would not surprise if most readers have already forgotten one of last season's top juveniles Temple Meads who has disappeared for the radar this term and has yet to make a racecourse appearance as a three-year-old, writes Elliot Slater.

The Ed McMahon-trained colt ended last term with a rating of 113 after enjoying a tremendous juvenile campaign that saw him land the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury last July. This result followed his impressive racecourse bow at Newmarket earlier in the season when he defeated Aidan O'Brien's subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas third Oracle by an easy length-and-three-quarters.

Running a shade too freely when favourite and finishing only fourth in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York in August, the son of Avonbridge then bounced back to his best by landing the Group 2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury in September, easily accounting for previous dual group winner Formosina by nearly two-lengths. Those following the Betfair horse race tips will have been impressed.

Stepping up to Group 1 class for his final outing of the term, it transpired that Temple Meads was almost certainly 'over the top' when he flopped badly. He finished last of eight behind the brilliant Dream Ahead in the Middle Park Stakes in October. Anyone looking at the horse race betting can probably ignore that performance.

McMahon has set his sights this term on the Group 1 Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock in early September, and whilst he might let his stable star take his chance if a suitable opportunity can be found earlier on, he is in no rush to return Temple Meads to the fray. He sees him as very much a long term project and a horse who could potentially develop into a top grade European sprinter.