Trumpet Major turned the spotlight on Mungrup Stud shuttler Dick Turpin with a G3 victory in the RSA Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood on the weekend.

Trumpet Major and Dick Turpin have plenty in common.  They emerged from Richard Hannon’s Wiltshire stables two years apart for owner John Manley and they are both by Ballyhane Stud’s Nureyev stallion Arakan.

Dick Turpin won the first of his two Group 1 victories as a three year-old in the 2010 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly and Trumpet Major is heading for a Group 1 assignment of his own in Paris.

Trumpet Major shared the spoils with Archbishop at Goodwood and connections indicated the G1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October will be his end-of-season mission.  “He’s brave and really stuck his neck out,” winning jockey Richard Hughes said.  “He may have been written off after the Irish 2000 Guineas but he came back home a sick horse.

“We gave him time off and didn’t hurry him to Royal Ascot.  He should get a mile but the seven furlongs (1400m) at Longchamp is probably the race for him.”

Trumpet Major (3c Arakan – Ashford Cross by Cape Cross) had won the G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last September and returned this year to score a five length victory in the G3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket.

He finished a creditable fourth to Camelot in the G1 English 2000 Guineas on May 5 but was last home in the Irish equivalent three weeks later.

Dick Turpin (Ire) arrived in Australia last week and will stay in quarantine until travelling to Mungrup Stud later this month.  He will stand for an $8,800 (inc gst) service fee in 2012.

TRUMPET MAJOR
Arakan colt (rails) dead heats with Archbishop in G3 at Goodwood