The Last Lion has Kempton mission
Mark Johnston's colt has been running well in all the big races since his win in the Brocklesby and Johnston his hoping he can grab a Group win of his own this weekend
BROCKLESBY winner The Last Lion is raring to go for Saturday's Sirenia Stakes at Kempton.
Mark Johnston's colt has been ultra-consistent all year having been seen at the first meeting of the season at Doncaster.
Yet to be out of the frame in any of his seven races, he has been second at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood.
He was third in a red-hot Gimcrack at York last time out and connections were contemplating waiting for the Flying Childers at Doncaster next week but decided this Group Three was too good an opportunity to pass up.
Johnston's son and assistant Charlie said: "He has not run a bad race all season.
"He's proved versatile over five or six furlongs and on quick ground and soft - he's been on the go since the Brocklesby.
"We were tempted to wait until Doncaster and the Flying Childers with him but we just felt that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and this race looked his for the taking.
"He's top-rated and it looks like they all have him to beat."
The one who looks likely to give him most to do is Hugo Palmer's once-raced Koropick.
Sent to Thirsk for his debut, he bolted up by four and a half lengths.
He holds an entry in the Middle Park Stakes later in the month and is highly regarded.
"He's been in great order since Thirsk and appears to have come on physically and mentally for the run," said Rob Speers, racing manager for Koropick's owner Vefa Ibrahim Araci.
"Obviously this is a big step up from a Thirsk maiden as he's taking on some proven black-type performers, but we think he's a nice horse.
"We think and hope he can be competitive. At this time of year two-year-olds change and improve at different rates.
"This is far from the be-all and end-all for Koropick, but we hope in the future he's capable of stepping up in class."
One of the most interesting runners is the Jose Santos-trained Dandy Flame, a 200-1 winner at Wolverhampton last time out.
David Evans' Smokey Lane, Marco Botti's Unabated, Robyn Brisland's Queensbrydge and Brian Meehan's Stop The Wages are others who have won previous races.
The only maiden in the race is the Charlie Fellowes-trained Moonlit Show.
