Volkan Star shines in France and gives our Wednesday NAP a major form boost

Saeed Bin Suroor, William Buick, and Charlie Appleby

Charlie Appleby and William Buick travelled to France on Tuesday and won the Prix du Lys with the progressive Volkan Star at ParisLongchamp.

The duo have had a very fruitful time of it in France of late and landed a treble at Deauville on Sunday, which included Pinatubo winning the Prix Jean Prat to bounce right back to form.

Volkan Star was a strong favourite for this race and rightly so, having finished runner-up to Mishriff who won the to French Derby and also beat Thunderous who went on to win the Dante.

William is in top form

Buick controlled the pace of the race and stole a lead he was never going to relinquish, to win in grand fashion

“I’m pleased. We were coming here with some confidence with the form lines back home, so we were hopeful because of that form and also that stepping up in trip might bring out more improvement,” Appleby told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s growing up all the time. I’m delighted I brought him over here because he’s a horse that we gelded for a reason, he didn’t have his mind on the job but since being gelded he’s turned inside out.

“I was keen to bring him here to educate him for further down the line.

“It was the plan to make it and he found a bit more when they came to him. We haven’t set our sights on anything more just yet. William says to keep to a mile and a half for now so maybe we can set our sights a bit higher.”

Cepheus looks a huge price at Kempton

When a Brian Meehan horse wins on debut, they are usually quite smart. He doesn’t get too many winners first time out, he usually likes to give them an easy time and gradually bring them on race by race.

The fact Cepheus won on debut is interesting and what horse did he beat into second? Volkan Star.

Volkan Star was rated 106 before his win in France and that is going to go up even further now. Cepheus is now rated 86 having his second start in handicap company in the Kempton 6:45 on Wednesday.

He could be close to two stone well in here if official ratings are to be believed.

He ran a very eye-catching race at Royal Ascot when last seen on handicap debut, passing horses late on and the Sea The Stars colt seems to be crying out for this step up to a mile and a half.

It is Jim Crowley’s birthday on Tuesday, July 14 and he has taken the day off but he will be keen to get a winner on the board on Wednesday and we feel it in aboard Cepheus.