Charlie Hills Bidding For More Greenlands Glory With Iberian

Iberian will bid to offer fitness instructor Charlie Hills with back-to-back triumphes in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.


The Lambourn handler claimed the Group Two prize with Mitbaahy 12 months earlier and will have high hopes of contributing to his tally with a horse who was last seen going down a neck to Spycatcher in the Cammidge Trophy on the opening day of the season at Doncaster.


With Hills eager to stick at six furlongs, Iberian had the option of performing at York in Wednesday's 1895 Duke of York Stakes, however he is instead being readied for a journey across the Irish Sea.


"He's effectively, we're actually pleased with him. We decided to bypass York and we're going for the Greenlands rather," said Hills.


"The track needs to suit him well and if he runs well there then it might be good timing to then go to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.


"I was truly happy with his Doncaster run, he was most likely a bit unlucky with the method he dived across the track and seemed to lose his concentration for a bit.


Iberian winning the Betfred Champagne Stakes (Tim Goode/PA)


"He hit the line strong however, so we'll put that behind us now and look forward to the remainder of the season."


Another who started his season on a good note is Cicero's Gift, with the five-year-old completing third in a competitive renewal of the Group Two bet365 Mile at Sandown.


However, present plans are on hold for the kid of Muhaarar, who prefers easy ground underfoot.


"We've simply got to wait until it starts to rain. It's really hard to make plans with him at the minute, it's been so dry," Hills included.


"We'll keep our choices open through the year but he's always been at his finest when he can enter the ground, so we'll simply have to be client and wait for the rain."